Category Hope at the Granary

GRANARY STRIPPED BARE!

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Thanks to a great team of volunteers the Granary is now stripped to it’s bare bones!

This has shown us both that we have a huge challenge before us,  and that it’s a beautiful building with great and exciting potential!

This June we had our first ever meeting on the top floor overlooking the city – yes, we did do a risk assessment, no it doesn’t have glass in the windows yet, and, yes it was breezy!

Our building team have obtained a license to put up scaffolding for one year from work commencing. We now have water connected, electricity, drains and a loo for builders – we even have an address, which was, strangely, a rather difficult thing to get!

The “tender package” is being put together by our architects and engineers – which has been a terribly slow process – When we have all the drawings and calculations we can then give it all to builders and ask for quotes for our first phase of building.

Thanks for all the interest shown so far and for your kind thoughts, prayers and suggestions.

If you would like to invest in this project private message me, or send to HOPE, P.O. Box 230, Worcester. WR5 3ZE.  U.K.

 

The story so far…

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Three years ago we were searching for a building, pushing at closed doors believing one would open.
More than two years ago we found The Granary, a four storey Victorian warehouse building in the centre of our city. We made an offer just before Christmas.

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In Jan 2015 our offer was accepted, the start of a long and very complex legal process which ended in our purchase completing in August 2016.
In the last 2 years our smallish church has managed to buy the property outright and, additionally, given almost £250,000 towards it’s development…(not to mention ALSO paying engineers, architects, surveyors and solicitors)  Amazing generosity!

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Meanwhile, on site, we have been working hard: carefully stripping out all the accumulated heavy rubbish, getting test holes drilled and obtaining engineers reports on existing foundations, to see how deep the piles must go for the new glass extension.

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This month we have completed detailed drawings and submitted them to the council for planning… We are, obviously, hoping and praying for a favourable decision in the new year

Our aim in the next phase is to insulate and re-roof, supply services and complete the glass extension, with staircases and lift. (See previous Granary article for pictures).

If you are able to pray for us or encourage us in any way – thank you!

If you would also like to invest in this community project send to Hope Church, PO Box 230, Worcester. WR5 3ZE. U.K.

or email info@hope-church.org.uk

 

 

 

 

POSSIBILITIES!

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We have just completed on our purchase of THE GRANARY!

Change of use permission has already been granted for HOPE to develop the building to serve the city of Worcester and beyond.

The city council are very supportive of our aims and have encouraged us to submit more ambitious detailed plans for an attractive frontage to the building… (see architects recent impression above). It has been a very long slog to get to this stage … but now we can move on to prepare and submit detailed drawings, and consider how we move forward…..

Imagine a building where all kinds of people are welcome! … Picture an exhibition foyer area with space for photographs and the work of artists, a characterful venue to listen to musicians, able to serve the vulnerable whilst, at the same time, businessmen can hold meetings about creating jobs and wealth for the city, health professionals might hold a conference… and, meanwhile, all the day to day activities of a church can continue.

The POSSIBILITIES go on for “HOPE – the church in The Granary”

Exciting? Yes! … Challenging? Definitely! … 

That’s why your support, encouragement and prayers are requested and are very much appreciated.

If you would like details of how you might invest in this project –

Email info@hope-church.org.uk with “The Granary” as subject.

Or,

Write to HOPE Church, PO Box 230, Worcester. WR5 3ZE
Watch this space for more details…. Thank you!

CONTRACTS SIGNED

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granary artist impression 1

Last Friday we signed a contract for the purchase of The Granary, St Martin’s Quarter, Worcester. Yesterday we applied for change of use so we can adapt the building to serve the city – our offer is conditional upon getting that permission.

The link above is to a first artistic impression of additional stairs and lift shaft.

We are able to purchase the building and make a start on converting it. All your support, in whatever form it takes, is very welcome in the coming days… Please pray for us in this faith venture and if you would like details of how you might contribute email info@hope-church.org.uk

The Granary, St Martin's Quarter

Granary update

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granary from asda car park

 

We are thrilled that our gift day in March resulted in giving and commitments of £190,662 towards the building works needed to bring the Granary into use.

In addition we have already raised the purchase price and funds to cover architects and legal fees… Thank God for such generosity!

We continue to pray for a further , estimated, £400,000 to complete works and would be so thrilled if you would support us in prayer.

If you would like to contribute please contact ….

info@hope-church.org.uk

or PO Box 230, Worcester. WR5 3ZE. U.K.

Pigeons away … drains, (and gift day), here we come!

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granary pigeon men

At The Granary, work has been completed, by contractors working on the problem of years of pigeon occupation and what is politely called guano!

It is great to see something actually happening on the site, as most of the huge amount of work so far completed has been legal architectural or planning. Much investigative work has also been done to find out where, and how, we can reconnect the building with services.

On Sundays 1 and 8 March we are having gift days for the redevelopment work, which we estimate will cost in the region of £600,000 (in addition to the purchase price).

The purchase is moving ahead slowly with contracts being written, valuations undertaken and searches being conducted.

It is so good that at the same time as we are working through the practicalities of buildings we are, as a church, having a period of focused prayer for our city. From a spiritual point of view “unless the LORD builds the house, we are labouring in vain”

The Granary…

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The Granary, St Martin's Quarter

For many years we have believed that to fully play our part in bringing the good news to Worcester and be “A Door of HOPE“, we would need a building.

Our vision is not the building itself – it is “To pursue God and serve people – so that God’s Kingdom may be felt in the city, the nation and the nations”. BUT, the building is a tool, needed to accommodate and facilitate that vision.

The serving capacity of the church matters far more than the seating capacity of the building…

Please join us in this exciting venture…. Currently the main activities are – agreeing contract terms, removing vermin, survey of building and drains, valuation, architectural work, preparing for gift day at the start of March… All of these would benefit from your prayers!