The Blueprint Appeal began when a section of the church ceiling fell in on Christmas Eve 1999! It was a damp Carol Service but it proved to be the impetus to sort out our building. The life of St Mary's has always revolved around the worship of God in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England, good singing and music, and from its first days and the founding of the Boys' Home work with children young people, particularly those most disadvantaged. These three pillars are the inspiration for our appeal and our goal of putting the building at the service of our mission and local community.

So story so far...

In Phase One we repaired the roof, re-wired the church and installed new lighting and sound systems. Cost: £220,000. Phase Two was launched in 2003, and has already financed the cleaning of the beautiful stained glass windows by Kempe and the repair of the brickwork at the west end of the church. Cost: £96,000. It has also funded the appointment of our first full-time youthworker, who now heads up an imaginative youthwork programme and our Social Inclusion Project, and our first ever Organ Scholar. Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of St Mary's, the church doors have all been refurbished over the last couple of years.

St Mary's Centre

In the autumn of 2006 our new St Mary's Centre will open for business. Over the last six months builders have transformed the choir vestry into a multi-purpose hall for church and community usage, as well as the base for our Social Inclusion Project and youthwork. This is now at the hub of a suite of new facilities including a kitchen, disabled toilet, and consulting room. The new entrance facing onto Primrose Hill Road, built in the same French Gothic style as the church, bears our logo: Life in our Community. Meanwhile the toilets at the west end of the church have been upgraded for better use by disabled people, and a flower room has been added. Cost: £250,000. 

What's next?

We are now turning our attention to installing proper disabled access to the church from Elsworthy Road. We will upgrade the draught lobbies on either side of the church, move the font to a position in front of St Paul's statue, and build new cupboards for storage. The children's corner will be remodelled to enable the secure storage of Sunday School equipment and the parish library on the north side of the church upgraded. The Parish Office will be enlarged and the interior of the nave repainted.

For more information, please contact the churchwardens or Christine Brace.