Residents may have noticed that building works are taking place at St Mary’s Church. The PCC is building a timber-framed extension out from the north door which will house a disabled accessible toilet and baby-changing unit.
PMS Oxford won the tender to build the extension and Harald Drewe will make the timber frame. There will be no disruption to services at the church.
The total cost will depend on some variables such as any archaeological finds and the build conditions but is expected to be at least £90,000. Grants have come from The Friends of St Mary’s, Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, the Oxfordshire LEADER programme, The Mercy Ward Church Trust and some generous local sponsors, both groups and individuals.
Janet Haylett, secretary of the PCC, said: “It seems to have taken ages to get started on the building but hopefully it should be finished by the end of October. There are many hoops to jump through, both diocesan and secular, and these all take time. However, we are looking forward to the exciting possibilities which the project offers.”
“The extension is part of a series of improvements to make the church a more welcoming and useful space for the congregations and for the wider community. We have already replaced the pews in the north aisle with chairs which gives a more flexible social area which will include a ‘servery’ to make it easier to serve tea, coffee and light refreshments. We hope villagers will join us for new social events and activities in the Autumn.”
If you would like to make a donation towards the project please get in touch with Janet Haylett at familyhaylett@yahoo.com.
