WESTLANDS CHURCH
Moving forward with Faith in the Future A
major community project is blooming in Newcastle-under-Lyme. A fundraising drive is taking place to have a new church and community hub at St Andrew s Church in the Westlands. Here, a member of the team behind the project, Bob Bell, outlines what s happened and what s happening to move the exciting project forward: With 2022 upon us, the folk at St Andrew s Church in the Westlands have worked through the pandemic supporting the local community whilst planning an exciting project for both church and the community at large. Since the closure of the Seabridge Community Centre some three years ago and the more recent closure of St Peter s Methodist Church, including its hall facilities, the old hall at St Andrew s is the only community space available in the Westlands. But it was built in the 1930s as a semi-permanent building; it is difficult to heat and showing its age, so clearly past its sell by date. 2022 sees the church s Faith in the Future project taking them forward through the building of a new church and community hub which will be available to the Westlands Community around 80 per cent of the time. It s modern facilities will support many and varied community activities. So far, all the effort to achieve this has fallen to St Andrew s church members with half from legacies and half from donations together totalling more than £420,000.
26 Newcastle Life Issue 33
