East, Old and Inverarity
Parish

Tel: 07897 456655
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Million Pound Challenge

Newly reconfigured main sanctuary completed March 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newly reconfigured main sanctuary space completed March 2017

THE

MILLION

POUND CHALLENGE - 2016 TO 2022

The Church Redevelopment Project to prepare for the 23rd century.

A project implementing a Vision for East & Old Parish Church into the 21st Century

Under the leadership of the Minister, the Rev. Barbara Ann Sweetin B.D.  The session worked

together to fulfill their ambitions to provide further communal halls, office, and general facilities

in a redesigned ground floor area and upper pew area on the eastern wing of the church as

well as in the space provided by the removal of the 100-year-old organ which had sadly

deteriorated over the years and was not economically repairable.  

The overall aim of the project was to deliver increased use of the building, making the

improved facilities available for the wider community and congregation.

The building is B-listed and there are many items of historic interest, so the development took

into account these aspects, along with a strong "green" element to maintain and enhance our

Eco-Congregation status.

Community use, including a playgroup, historical society, dancing group already took place in

the ex-church hall and a number of smaller groups used the Session room of the church. The

worship area itself had been used occasionally for theatrical and musical performances

including a choir from St Petersburg, Russia, The African Children's Choir, and various local

Forfar amateur performance groups.

The main church building was handed back to the congregation during March of 2017 with the

ground floor reception area, main sanctuary, and social space reconfigured and all services

and systems replaced including electrical wiring, heating and ventilation, flooring ceilings,and

audiovisual systems. This concluded phase one of the vision. 

 

THE PLANS

PowerPoint Presentation - Part1

PowerPoint Presentation - Part2

PROJECT PROGRESS IMAGES

Above: December 2016 View from the retained West upper gallery to new East Wall

Above: Dec 2016 - The new North wall replacing the removed organ and formation of

upper-level meeting rooms behind.

Above: Dec 2016 - The upper-level North Gallery looking from the West stairs landing.

The completion of our first phase provided the main infrastructure for the upper-level rooms.

These consist of 3 working rooms. A multi-purpose hall space - roughly the same dimensions

as our Social Space on the ground floor and two meeting areas created

in the upper level above our reception on the ground floor. The plans are shown below:

The largest space - a multi-purpose activity space was fitted with a suspended soundproofed 

flooring solution that allows us to accommodate a range of activities including dance and sport.

The space will have audiovisual capability once the demand is known. Ventilation and heating

is provided from the newly installed heat recovery ventilation system which is a green energy

solution that provides efficient heat and ventilation while keeping costs low.

The original architect vision for this space is shown below:

The space above the ground floor reception provides two flexible meeting rooms that can be

expanded into one larger space. The space is split by a room divider giving allowing this

flexibility. Audiovisual systems will also be installed in these rooms once the demand is known

from the use of the rooms into 2021 and beyond. 

To access the upper level a lift has been installed that is disability compliant. This alights at the

first floor giving direct access to the Session House and main user toilets. The lift travels up

another quarter level to access the multi-purpose room and meeting  rooms and an accessible toilet.

Alongside the lift, a short set of stairs gives access to the Session House and main user toilet facility.

The total cost of the project has been £971,000.00 - The vast majority of this had been by direct

contribution of our congregation past and present and also local business support.

You can see our main list of supporters on the Supporters page here ->

Progress of Lift Build: November 2019

 


Following completion of our project the multi-purpose spaces are now available to let out:

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