Work on church redevelopment begins
Work started today on Phase 1 of the church’s redevelopment with the appointed contractor, Parc Construction from Dumfries, expecting to finish by the end of March 2026. Meantime, services and other events will be held in the Church Hall.
Phase 1 work will include an improved entrance area, toilets and a tea/coffee servery area – all under the main balcony – plus a glass screen to partition this area from the rest of the church. Toilets will be to modern standards, with new heaters, flooring and a ventilation system.
It is indeed a cause for celebration that this long-awaited project to modernise our church building is now happening.
That is the good news. The not-so-good news is that the £155,000 estimated cost for Phase 1 provided by our quantity surveyor was well short of the lowest tender of £227,000 submitted by the five contractors invited to submit bids.
A series of cost saving measures agreed with our professional team has brought the figure down to £192,000, excluding VAT and professional fees.
We have asked four of our original grant funders for additional funds to help meet this increase. Two declined, one we have yet to hear back from, and one – the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland – have agreed to provide an extra £12,500.
It is therefore very likely that we are going to have to use some of the funds raised – and originally intended for Phase 2 – to pay for Phase 1.
Phase 2 involves de-carbonising our heating system by replacing the antiquated heating pipes with modern infra-red electric chandeliers and installing loft insulation. It also involves redeveloping the two areas under the side balconies and repositioning the central dais. A start date for Phase 2 will very much depend on our ability to raise the necessary funds.
With this in mind, if you feel able to contribute financially to the ongoing work of raising funds for this project, please contact the convenor of our Finance Team, Rev Graham Finch, on 01557 620123 or gsf231@gmail.com, or speak to any Elder or the Minister.
In this video, Graham offers a guided tour of the changes …
