Development

Since the joining of Memorial Baptist Church and St Andrew’s Church in January 2006 to form Memorial Community Church there has been a new emphasis on improving the Baptist church building so it can better serve the local community in Plaistow. We want to make it a place that is open to all local people, especially those who don’t find a welcome elsewhere.

The most urgent need was to stop rain coming in through parts of the roof and the eroded bricks on the towers and façade. Repair work on the west side of the building was completed in October 2009, and thanks to many donors to our Bell Tower Appeal  plus events and grants, the resoration of the bell tower and bells were completed at the end of 2011.

But there is a real need to upgrade the facilites inside the building to make it warm and welcoming, and so it can be used much more for activities and events run by other local groups. We need to rent out unused space to make the building sustainable, but more importantly we want it to offer a wider range of services that will meet the needs of local people and improve their lives.

Also in 20011 we were able to install a new boiler which made a huge difference, and in January 2012 we are installling new toilets at the back of the building and improved access through the rear door, to make it easier for people with disabilites, particularly wheelchair users, to take part in activities held in the building. We are very grateful for funding awarded by City Bridge Trust, the Big Lottery Fund Reaching Communities programme, Trusthouse Charitable Fund and the National Churches Trust  for grants totalling £140,000 to make this possible.

In the longer term we would like to put the front doors back at the front, create a community cafe space in the room that overlooks Barking Road, improve those toilets and add disabled access at the front as well as modernising the decoration to make the buildng a  venue for worship and to serve our local community long into the future.

If you have some money - from £5 to £5 million - that you'd like to invest in the heart of one London's most deprived areas, there are opportunities to make real practical, spiritual and lasting improvements to people's lives. Please contact Philippa King, development manager, development@memorialcc.org to find out how.

click here to get an idea of our development plans for the front of the building.