Building Redevelopment Project
Following the merger of Holmwood Gardens and Christ Church URCs in 1987, WURC activities have been concentrated at the Holmwood Gardens site, which is around 400 yards west from the centre of Wallington. The original building dates from 1907, and was later converted into the church hall. A new sanctuary was built in 1928, followed by additional meeting rooms and vestries in 1937.
There is a wide variety of rooms, arranged on three levels, which are extensively used by Church groups and outside organisations throughout the week. The arrangement of the rooms reflects the piecemeal nature of the church's development, and even at the time of the merger it was recognised that they were no longer adequate to meet modern requirements. In the mid-1990s we drew up plans for modernisation and extension, and to improve accessibility for people with impaired mobility.
At the end of 1999 architects Brewer, Jewel of Dorking were appointed to draw up detailed proposals for approval by various tiers of church hierarchy. Planning permission was finally granted by the London Borough of Sutton in November 2000. Farnrise Construction began work on the remodelling in July 2002 and the buildings were finally handed back at the end of March 2003. The new and refurbished premises were formally re-dedicated at a special service on Saturday June 28 2003.
A new coffee lounge and reception area was built along the west side of the church, together with larger toilet facilities giving full disabled accessibility. A doorway leads directly from the lounge into the main sanctuary. The front entrance porch was re-ordered with central doors, eliminating the former side vestibules. The staircases leading to the Holmwood Hall and the upper rooms have been augmented by a lift giving access to all three floors. A new and larger kitchen was provided alongside the hall, and the old kitchen on the top floor converted into a church office. The former Elders' Vestry has been adapted as a small meeting room.
Total cost of the redevelopment was around £700,000, including some other repairs to the buildings, complete re-wiring and redecoration. When the contracts were signed, we had raised less than two-thirds of that sum. But we believed that God was calling us to move ahead in faith, and that we would find the money. In this, we had the full support of the URC's Southern Synod, and a five-year loan for which we were very grateful.
Around £430,000 came from the sale of the former Christ Church site in the centre of Wallington. The URC Southern Synod approved a further grant of £50,000 and another of £12,500 towards the improved accessibility. WURC raised the remaining £180,000 through pledges from church members and a wide range of special events. We have also been fortunate to receive a few grants from outside bodies, and the final balance of the loan will be paid off by 2009.