Restoration of S. Francis of Assisi Church

Update

We, at Saint Francis of Assisi Church, are planning a major restoration. The floor of the Church has to be replaced so it was decided to make the most of this necessity and create a shared space; a workable church for our 21st century together with a usable space for the wider community. We are planning to insulate the roof, put in a new heating system, improve the lighting, include toilets and a cafe besides meeting rooms and more comfortable chairs. We are aware of the importance of our ministry to the local community and would welcome suggestions from the community.

Whilst working to raise the necessary money for this exciting project we shall continue to support mission projects at home and abroad.

For over eighty years, the Parish Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Charminster, Bournemouth, has served the people of the area, and from further afield. The word of God has been preached, the sacraments have been administered, and the way of eternal life has been made plain.

Our work although based on prayer, is not confined to the spiritual. We minister to a wide variety of physical needs within the community. Our hall is the base for work with a range of ages from babies to pensioners, and we have now reached the stage where we are unable to fulfil all the requests made for the expansion of our work.

Expectations have grown, and the years have taken their toll, so that our buildings are no longer fit for purpose. Health and safety requirements make it urgent for us to restore and upgrade our facilities to bring us into line with the requirements of the 21st century.

The recent quinquennial inspection confirmed that the floor is a potential trip hazard due to the disintegrating tiles and humps. We now therefore need to provide new flooring with under floor heating, preferably sourced by a heat pump (air or ground), loft insulation, lighting, and sound system, as phase one, and of crucial importance in order to comply with current legislation. This first phase will cost in the region of £300,000.

In addition we will provide kitchen and toilet facilities within the church, and completely redecorate throughout. This second phase will cost in the order of £400,000. This work will bring the church into line for wider usage, both for sacred and secular use.

The church is already used by the Bournemouth School for Boys for assemblies and also for some examinations and also by Bournemouth School for girls, and Queens Park Infant and Junior schools We intend to develop a music school, with a community children’s choir, and organ and instrumental tuition. Because of the high usage of the Parish hall the church is already used for overflow with the Lunch, and supper clubs, children’s dance classes and Zumba classes.

The church hall is also in a sorry state of repair with the facilities unchanged since it was built, and so we intend to build a new hall with state of the art facilities and linked to the church.

It is our aim to establish a centre of excellence for the arts, and for the day to day prayer life of the church in a building which is restored to the highest standards, to serve the community and congregation for many more years to come.

For all of this our target is £1.5 million, and we approach this in the knowledge that “with God nothing is impossible”.