‘Building of Beauty’
Work is now complete on St Faith’s Centre, a brand-new church and community centre in the Springfield and Ringlestone area of Maidstone.
The official opening of the site will be taking place on Saturday 30 September, where those involved in the project will be thanked for their efforts.
Councillor Ian Chittenden from Kent County Council will be there to open the site.
Bishop Rose and Revd Canon Arthur Houston outside new centre
St Faith’s Centre is a modern, bright and accessible multi-purpose space offering a main hall, as well as a nursery, café, quiet area, and meeting rooms. The building has an energy efficiency rating of A, meaning that it is very energy efficient, and as such, has lower running costs. It also offers accessible facilities and a lift.
Talking about the Centre, Vicar and Project Manager Revd Canon Arthur Houston said: “It has been a number of years of good partnership working between Diocese, Trust Funders, Borough and County Councils to achieve this.
“It has also involved significant personal giving and prayers by many individuals and the skill of many contractors all working together.
“The end result is a building of beauty.”
Also involved in the project was Chair of Ringlestone Community Centre Development Group, Rose Henn-Macrae. She said: “It is a fantastic milestone to finally begin to use the Centre, following its dedication by Bishop Rose.
“It is so encouraging to welcome members of the local community to the café and Sunday services, as well as the building being used to host activities and the Day Nursery.
“The official opening will be a chance for us to publicly thank everyone who has played a part in making this building possible.”
The land was previously occupied by a vicarage, and an old church hall built in 1935 which had fallen into disrepair. A decision was made that the parish church (St Faith’s) in the centre of Maidstone didn’t meet the needs of the people who lived in the community in terms of location, so this was sold to another Christian group to help fund the project.
The Centre was then built on the doorstep of the community that it will go on to serve, with construction work beginning in 2021. A garden to the rear of the property is to be used by local people who have flats and no gardens, and to provide a space of sanctuary to help boost mental health in the area.