THERE will not be many folk in Stanhope who haven’t noticed the ‘SOLD’ sign on the church hall in the main street.
Most people knew that it was up for sale, many joined a meeting held over a year ago in the church itself to discuss the whys and wherefores of the sale and the overall feeling was sadness at the very thought of selling off such a well-used building. Alas, it was put up for sale in any event and has now been sold subject to contract. The deed is done and the best the community can do is accept it and embrace and support the ‘refurbished and re-ordered’ church itself.
The Weardale Gazette was asked to investigate the story and also to ask if the smaller building, which is leased to Durham Constabulary, is part of the sale. So, we asked some questions and although the Police Press office responded almost immediately, the answer must come from the Constabulary’s estates office. The Gazette, therefore, is unable to comment on that question until we have a full reply. We did, however, contact the Parochial Church Council for information about the larger church hall and were asked to contact Rev Graeme Holdsworth, which we did.
The following is Rev Graeme Holdsworth’s full reply:
‘Thank you for writing to me about the work on St Thomas Church, and the sale of the Church Hall. I’m sure you can imagine how much curiosity there is about what is going on, and our PCC have been under quite a bit of pressure to answer questions, so it is nice to be invited to share what we can via the Weardale Gazette.
‘The building work on St Thomas Church has been amazing. This has involved a good deal of collaboration between the PCC, our architect, the builders Historic Property Restoration Ltd, and the Diocese of Durham. Phase one is nearly complete and our contractors are in the process of tidying up, and commissioning the underfloor heating. We are looking forward to welcoming the community back into their church as soon as possible. The new stone flooring is beautiful, and the attention to detail our contractors have made is really impressive. The investment in the future of St Thomas building has been immense, and as we complete phase one, we are looking at lottery funding to address phase two and increase the accessibility of the building. Our volunteers are currently working flat out to get St Thomas ready for Remembrance Sunday and an Act of Remembrance in partnership with out Methodist friends: something we hope the people of Stanhope will join us for. Our Churchwardens and I have also met with the “Light up the Dale / Light up Stanhope” group and are excited about the Christmas tree, lights, Santa, and Christmas Craft Market that we know brings joy and a community spirit to the village. This will be my first Christmas in Weardale and I’m looking forward to being immersed in the experiences we have planned along Weardale; from St Thomas in Heatherycleugh, St John’s in St John’s Chapel, All Saints in Eastgate and of course St Thomas in Stanhope.
‘Many people will have seen that the Church Hall is sold subject to contract, and we are delighted that a prospective buyer who loves Stanhope has found us. As you know, the sale of the Church Hall was delayed by six months so that the ‘Save St Thomas Church Hall’ campaign could have more time to raise funds to buy the hall. This delay did result in the PCC experiencing anxiety about paying our contractors. We are deeply grateful to our contractors for continuing to work through this, and we are also grateful for a bridging loan from the Diocese of Durham. I’m sure you can imagine just how much curiosity there has been around the sale! The PCC have agreed the following statement with the prospective buyers:
“Following the decision that the continued operation of St Thomas Church Hall in Stanhope is no longer financially viable, the Church is pleased to confirm that positive, early-stage discussions are underway with a prospective buyer. Should the sale proceed, the prospective buyer intends to preserve and enhance this historic building, securing its future for the benefit of the local community. This includes maintaining opportunities for community use and offering continued accommodation for the food bank and local police. This represents an exciting and extremely positive opportunity to safeguard an important village asset for the benefit of residents and the wider community. “
“On the 19th October, I will be renting a long wheelbase transit to move chairs and church items into St Thomas. I have a couple of strong volunteers willing to help me, but I’m sure one or two more would be very welcome. I am sure that your readers will have more questions, and I’m happy to answer the ones that I can without breaking confidentiality. All the organisational work that has been done so far; the renewal of the Church building and the prospective sale of the Church hall, has been done by a few dedicated volunteers in partnership with our Estate Agents, contractors, and the Diocese of Durham. I am very grateful for the care everyone has brought tho this process. Everyone in Stanhope is welcome to be part of this, as the Church of England is built from the ground up: it is a church of the people and everyone is welcome.’
And so, there is the answer – most of it in any event and if anyone is available to help on October 19th, please contact Rev Graeme via email at:
