A Stirling church has secured a lifeline grant to help it upgrade its layout and offer a more “welcoming” environment for the groups which use it.
The £10,000 funding has been awarded to Stirling Methodist Church as part of grant support from the National Churches Trust, with changes from the money set to including adding in an accessible toilet and upgrading the kitchen.
The church building is already widely used in the community by a number of diverse groups and organisations including Alcoholics Anonymous and coffee mornings to help bring people together.
However, those who help out with the church say the current layout and facilities present within the building are limiting their ability to welcome other groups.
The extra funding will enable it to generate a more welcoming and suitable space for children, elderly people and those with mobility issues.
Several community groups have already expressed an interest in using the church once the building has been upgraded and the church is keen to host a community cafe too.
Natalie Clark, Deacon at Stirling Methodist Church, said: “I am delighted to hear that National Churches Trust has awarded a grant for £10,000 to Stirling Methodist Church.
The grant is for our development project ‘Build Better and Serve Stirling’ in which we plan to create flexible meeting spaces with independent access to upgraded toilet and kitchen facilities.”
“My role at Stirling Methodist Church is in community outreach. The church is situated in an area of deprivation, where addiction, poverty, homelessness and poor mental health are significant problems.
“The building is already used by several local groups but the scope to expand these activities is constrained by the configuration of the building.
“News of the National Churches Trust grant arrived just as we were negotiating with our preferred contractor, and the award gave us the confidence to go ahead despite still having a small funding gap.
“We are extremely grateful for the confidence that National Churches Trust and other grant-making bodies have placed in our plans and trust that God will lead us to make the best use of the new facilities when they are available early next year.”
The funding is part of a £871,696 urgent funding payout from the charity to help keep churches across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England open and in use.
Jon Hodges, Cherish Project Manager at the National Churches Trust, which supports churches in Scotland, said: “Adding in accessible toilets and kitchens to churches can make them a much more welcoming space for the community and help to create a sustainable income stream as it makes the building easier to hire out for events and meetings.
“We look forward to continuing to support Stirling Methodist Church – and other churches, chapels and meeting houses across Scotland – to help keep them open and in good repair.”