Balderton Methodist Church to get significant overhaul thanks to FCC Communities Foundation

A Methodist church has received a significant boost to its plans to develop a community hub within its facilities.

Building work is soon to commence to re-roof, open-up and up-grade the Balderton Methodist Church buildings. Additional funding has been approved and this will enable improved disabled access to be incorporated into the scheme allowing everyone whatever their age or mobility problems to be able to move easily around inside the church buildings.

No longer will wheelchair users have to go back outside to move from one area to another. The worry and danger of coping with steps will disappear.

All members of the community visiting Balderton Methodist Church will soon be able to make use of all the facilities in the building thanks to a £75,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation.

The money will be used to alter floor levels and upgrade a 1960’s building to incorporate a café area.

Everything will then be on one level, so it will open up access between all the rooms in the buildings and allow safe and easy movement for all whatever their level of mobility throughout all the rooms within Balderton Methodist Church.

Cathy Bates, the family worker at Balderton Methodist Church believes these alterations to the buildings will make a huge change to how all the rooms in the building can be used by different community groups.

She said the project will provide a real boost to the people of Balderton.

"It’s fantastic that FCC Communities Foundation has awarded us this money and we are really looking forward to our buildings changing over the next nine months," she said.

FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Richard Smith, FCC Communities Foundation senior grant manager, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the improvements at Balderton Methodist Church and pleased our funding will make such a difference to so many users of this great facility. FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that benefit local communities and we’re looking forward to this one having a positive impact very soon.”

Cathy Bates hopes that all these changes will be completed by May 2023.

Balderton Methodist Church runs a number of community events as well as the regular church services and church events.

There is the Community Breakfast on the second Saturday of the month where, due to covid restrictions, it has been restricted to pre booking for only 60 people. Before Covid we regularly had over 100 attending. There is a coffee morning every Monday.

Boys and Girls Brigade meet on Tuesday at 6.15pm.

On Wednesday afternoon at 2pm there is a Bubble Chatting Group.

Thursday morning there is a playgroup.

Until the building work starts, there is a charity shop and pop up café every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11am-3pm).

In September it runs an annual Safari Sale and this year there were over 40 stalls located all over Balderton. December is the seventh Display of Wreaths to raise money for Beaumond House in Newark.