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Church has a View
Staff at the new Viewpark Parish Church cafe ( back l-r) Andrea Riley, Fiona Kearney, Jean Dykes, Kirsty McDonald and (front, left) Gillian Davie and manager Linda Adams.
A NEW cafe which forms the centrepiece of a £620,000 refurbishment at Viewpark Parish Church is open for business.
Work on the View 21 project to upgrade the church’s facilities began last year and the completed View Cafe was formally opened last week by Jean Davie, a long time member of the church.
In addition to the cafe, the refurbishment will provide a new library, offices, meeting and activity spaces, toilets and a more efficient heating system.
The work completes the upgrading of the whole complex which began with the refurbishment of the church itself following damage to the ceiling in 2007.
The church’s facilities are heavily used by various groups, including the Boys’ Brigade, mother and toddlers, Sunday school and a karate club. In addition to providing improved facilities for existing users, the redevelopment will allow more groups and organisations to be accommodated on a regular basis.
Funding was provided by grants from various sources, but the church members themselves played a huge part by raising around £200,000 through a variety of fundraising events.
Among the groups who provided funding were Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd, Biffa, Gannochy Trust, Viridor, Environmental Key Fund, Church of Scotland General Trustees, Presbytery of Hamilton, Baird Trust, Ferguson Bequest, National Church’s Trust, Bellahouston Bequest and Tunnock’s.
Church minister the Rev Michael Lyall said: “We are delighted with our new facilities including the View 21 Cafe.
“The cafe makes an important contribution to the life of the community, providing a place to eat, drink and have a chat. Members of the community can visit the library and if they need a quiet moment the sanctuary will also be available.
“We are all tremendously excited at this new phase in the life of the Church. We hope that the community around us is similarly excited. We look forward to meeting everyone in our new facilities.”
Session clerk David Alexander added: “The aim of our church has always been to support local groups and with the additional space we will be in an even better position to achieve that aim.”
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Weather for Motherwell, Scotland
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
