Church Hall Extension and Renovation January 2026 - by Eleanor Benson

Happy New Year! We’re off to an encouraging start to 2026 with the news that we now

have the planning permissions from the Diocese as well as Leeds City Council for our church hall extension and renovation.

It has felt like a long wait but now we can move on with the hard work of turning the plans

into an achievable project. Over the next few months, we have two main goals – to

complete detailed designs to meet building regulations and to raise further funds. When

funds are sufficient, we can then appoint a contractor.

Key features of the design

1. New kitchen and extension

A new extension to the rear of the current main hall will contain a modern kitchen, separate storage rooms for food, equipment and furniture and a large additional community room.

People will connect with each other and form friendships over meals / refreshments. A well-equipped kitchen will make it far easier for volunteers to cook for large numbers whether for Warm Welcome or for larger events

2. New foyer

A new welcoming foyer will be accessible to all. We will remove the existing entrance steps to make access simple and keep the foyer warm with double doors. An octagonal rooflight will create a light-filled reception area. It will also add a focal point to the entrance, echoing the rooflight over the font and reflecting the shape of the church.

3. Renovation of the main hall and ancillary spaces

Reroofing and renovating the main hall and adjacent spaces will provide attractive,

adaptable rooms for church and community activities for all ages throughout the week

including Sunday activities for children and young people. Facilities will include modern

accessible toilets. New insulation, electrics and heating will make the building comfortable

in an energy efficient and sustainable way.

Our aim in all of this is to strengthen our current work and deepen community. The National Churches Trust operates a Social Value Calculator, to estimate the cash value of support that St Paul’s Ireland Wood provides to the local community: it comes in at an amazing £1.9m annually. That’s so encouraging when we think of how much more we can do with better facilities!

Finance

We are very thankful to God for the generosity of members of the congregation who have

already donated specifically to the Building Project or taken part in fundraising events. We

are also grateful for substantial grants from the Benefact Trust, the Community

Infrastructure Levy (via the City Council) and the Beatrice Laing Trust. Funds for the Building Project currently stand at around £600,000 out of an expected project total of around £1m.

We praise God for the support that many of you reading this have given to getting the

Building Project to this stage. But we still have a way to go. The amount that we can raise in the next 3 months will shape decisions about what can be built this year and the tendering process. If you feel you can make a gift at this stage – either a one-off or a regular donation – you can find the pledge form on the website https://www.stpaulsirelandwood.org/buildingproject or on the welcome desk at church, or contact the Chair of the Finance Committee, John Betts, at johnbetts@pensiontrustee.com

Please pray for the project! We want God’s blessing and guidance to transform the hall

buildings.

For more information look at our website

https://www.stpaulsirelandwood.org/buildingproject or talk to one of the Building

Committee: Sarah Ayres, Eleanor Benson, Angela Betts, Nick Fry, Rev. Mark Harlow, Ed

Jackson and Geoff King.