Church’s fresh look is unveiled

Reverend Alison Crookes and Christine Sykes,property manager and fundraiser outside the newly refurbished Community Centre at Trinity Methodist Church,Mirfield.

The renovation and makeover at Trinity Methodist Church in Mirfield started last November, and has seen the creation of flexible community meeting spaces, a large kitchen, new toilets and a modern media cafe with computers.

Mrs Christine Sykes, church trustee and steward who managed the refurbishment, is delighted with the final look and hopes the community will make the most of the new facilities.

She said: “It looks absolutely wonderful - it has the fittings of a five star hotel but in a Victorian shell.

“We have a state-of-the art community room, with a fold-away wall allowing it to be transformed into one or two meeting spaces and a fantastic new media cafe, which we particularly hope younger people will use.

“We’re delighted that Matrix youth organisation, set up by Mirfield Churches Together, have already signed up to use it and we hope others will follow suit.

“The church still has its Victorian front and we have maintained the traditional style worship room, so it’s a real mix of modern and traditional.”

The building work was set to be complete in May but there have been numerous setbacks including a culvert, which needed to be reinforced and dumped asbestos, which halted the project in its first week.

Work was finally completed last month and now the finishing touches are underway in time for an open day and service of celebration next weekend.

Money for the £700,000 renovation has come from grants and fundraising, including £300,000 from the local Methodist Church Circuit, and over £100,000 worth of loans.

The church is hoping that donations for the use of the building will help to pay off the debts and are still waiting to hear back from other funding applications.

“Despite the setbacks and the debt, the refurbishment was definitely worth it and we hope people are going to get a lot of pleasure out of the building,” said Christine.

“We are hosting a ‘Come and See Day’ on Saturday 28 September, from 10am until 2pm, and encourage anyone interested in using the space to come and have a look around.

“We are welcoming community groups and people of all ages to see the new bulding.”

Next Sunday, September 29, there will be a celebratory service at the church from 3pm.

It will mark the completion and formal opening of the building as well as ‘Back to Church Sunday’ for worshippers.