Dear friends,
St Elizabeth's was gifted to our community thanks to the generosity of one person: Elizabeth Doughty. She bought the land and paid for the construction of a church that has become a landmark in the local community. Next year (2024) we celebrate two hundred years since we first opened. In preparation we are embarking on a project to restore our building and improve access to our facilities.
I encourage you to learn more about this exciting project and how our aim is to "treasure the past, open doors to our community, and transform lives".
Please consider helping us, especially by supporting our fundraising efforts.
Thank you.
Fr Stephen Langridge
Parish Priest
To make sure our restoration and renewal project is manageable we have divided it into a number of independent phases. The first phase is to provide an emergency exit from the Church and carry out some urgent repairs. We are also improving our sound system and the livestream feed from the Church. The second phase addresses issues of access to the crypt where most of our activities take place. This phase will also make it much easier for wheelchair users to enter the Church from the main entrance. The third phase will address less urgent external repairs. We also have in mind a fourth phase - as yet not budgeted - which will involve an eventual internal redecoration of the Church.
For almost 200 years, St Elizabeth's has been a space of encounter with Christ, of fellowship, and of spiritual growth for the local community. The joyful faith we can experience today in our parish is possible because of the vision, commitment, and generosity of those who built, maintained, and repaired this church before us. It is a reminder to our generation of disciples that we are responsible to do the same.
This project is not simply about repairing a building, but rather ensuring that it serves as a place of welcome and growth for our local community. To do this we are addressing the limitations caused by narrow corridors, hazardous staircases, and poor wheelchair accessibility. This will allow us to safely welcome people of all circumstances to our activities.
Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our community, St Elizabeth's is the host of countless activities. From courses and events to homeless night shelters, cultural exhibitions to musical concerts: these activities are what make St Elizabeth's a space for the local community to grow in faith, friendship, and formation. The Renewal 2024 project will allow us to develop these activities and enable even more.
We have already fundraised a large proportion of what we need to begin phases one and two. Please help us reach our target by making a contribution to allow us to begin phases three and four.
We can advise you how to maximise the effect of your donation. If you would like to give £1,000 or more, please get in touch and we'll let you know how best to make your donation.
With your prayer, generosity, and support, we can achieve everything we need to do. Here are some ways in which you can help. We invite you to be as creative as possible with your support, so feel free to get in contact with any ideas you may have.
At the heart of both our parish community and the Renewal 2024 project is prayer. We ask that you keep this project, the team, the donors, and everyone involved in your prayers.
If you would like to support the project through prayer, you could also start a prayer group, weekly Rosary, or novena. Get in touch if you require any support!
This project doesn't only impact our parish community, but our neighbours, visitors, and future generations. That's why we want to share this project as far and wide as we can!
We need you to make a conscious effort to bring this project to the attention of your friends and family. Share it on social media, pass the information on, and encourage others to take part in Renewal 2024.
We would be so grateful for any fundraising done by our parishioners - if you have a fundraising idea that you are passionate about, we would love to hear from you.
