East Cleveland Church seeks partners for multi-purpose community facility

A Teesside village church community, which provides vital services in a deprived area, is seeking financial and practical support in replacing its life-expired 90-year-old building.

St Hilda’s Church, Liverton Mines in East Cleveland is a prefabricated building from the 1920s (lower picture) which was condemned as beyond repair in a 2017 survey; serving a severely deprived community it has in recent years housed many community clubs and groups (see notes below) for all ages and interests.

All these activities are provided completely free of charge to all users, funded through grants, and are enthusiastically supported by St Hilda’s small but loyal congregation, who meet for three services a month and for fundraising activities.

The church has run a Youth Project since 2008 to tackle the key issues of low aspirations and poor anti-social behaviour, and currently employs a Youth and Family Worker with funding in place for the next 1.5 years.

All activities have moved to the Community Hall in Liverton Mines with support from the local authority but this is not suitable in the longer term.

Consultations about a replacement all-purpose church building took place with local residents and stakeholders with the support of the Diocese of York, and a final design (upper picture) has been adopted.

Fundraising is now focused on the costs of demolishing the old building (which will need specialist contractors due to the asbestos cladding) and moving towards construction of its replacement; the church has already raised £25,000 and has been promised a grant of £100,000 towards an anticipated cost of £440,000.

Other grant applications are being made to national grant-making bodies, and an additional fund has been started for a stained glass window in the building’s East end.

Project Manager Alan Gardner said, “We’re looking forward to the opportunities our new building will offer – the old St Hilda’s served us well for nearly a century but now we need to take this step forward so that the church can continue its work of serving Liverton Mines into the future.

“We are already working with local partners and grant-makers from further afield, and I hope we can take this further to secure the funds we need for a great cause – all contributions will be put to a host of good uses.”

Individuals or organisations interested in supporting the project should contact Alan Gardner on 01287 203907.