Situation
Repairs to the roofs of both the Presbytery and the Church Hall have now been successfully completed. With the exterior secure, attention is turning to restoring full use of the Church Hall, which has been closed since last year following Health and Safety concerns.

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Issue
Rainwater has been penetrating the hall for several years, causing significant internal damage. As a result, extensive refurbishment of the interior is required before the hall can safely reopen and serve the parish and wider community.

 

Update
We are preparing a grant application to help fund the refurbishment work. Once the hall is restored, it will support a wider range of parish and community activities.

• We plan to expand our food bank outreach to include shower, laundry, and clothes-drying facilities for homeless individuals.

• A soup kitchen is planned for the colder months.

• We are working closely with the Salvation Army to identify how best to meet local needs; Major Lynne Clifton recently gave a helpful talk on their outreach work.

• Our ongoing links with Churches Together on Sheppey will also support these initiatives.

• Parish groups such as the UCM, Parish Council, Finance Committee, and both First Holy Communion and Confirmation classes will once again meet in the hall.

• The refurbished space will be available for community hire, including birthday parties, wedding receptions, and activities such as yoga classes.

• St Edward’s Catholic Primary School has already expressed interest in using the hall for the 2026 Year 6 leavers’ celebration.

 

Next Steps
We will continue developing the refurbishment plans, finalise the grant application, and keep the parish updated as the project progresses. Once works begin, we will provide regular updates to ensure everyone is informed and involved.