Funeral Service for David Cummings
churchadmin2013-06-20T09:51:38+01:00A service from Christ Church Swindon
A service from Christ Church Swindon
Our work in the local community and further afield is central to our vision in Swindon. We rely on donations from our many friends both within the congregation and from visitors to our services and grounds. Yo
u can support our work in many different ways.
On July 7th at 3 pm at Holy Rood on the Lawns we will be holding a service for pets and their owners. All pets are welcome, preferably dogs on leads, cats in baskets and small mammals in cages! Let us gather together to thank God for the pleasure we get from our pets. If fine we hope to gather outside Holy Rood but inside if it is wet.
Come and join us even if you haven’t got a pet of your own
Congratulations to Sue Oxborrow and her group who raised an incredible £760-08 at their car boot sale. Well done! This brings the total raised across the partnership to £2,141-65.
The committee would now like to hold an Open Garden day on either 20/21 or 27/28 July depending on how many gardens would be available on these dates.
If you would be prepared to open your garden to visitors and perhaps sell tea / coffee or soft drinks we would like to hear from you. A list of gardens would be drawn up and programmes sold for £5. With enough gardens to visit and some good weather this could be a good fund raising activity we can all share.
Please contact Margaret Williams on 421102
The Old Town Festival 2013 takes place from 8th – 15th June. Here are some highlights: More information from

Commonweal Community Performing Arts Marquee 12 – 5.40pm.
Novelty Dog ShowEntry forms from 12 noon on the day at The Lawn, Saturday 15th June. Judging starts 1pm. Strictly no entries for puppies under 6 months of age, and no bitches in season.
Proceeds in aid of Greyhound Rescue.
Four Running Events – something for everyone – download entry forms here.
Our vision is to be at the centre of the local community and to create a sense of value and ownership for Christ Church in our local community. A major part of this strategy is our new Community Centre which is underway. We have commissioned a local artist Laurie Plant to work with the local community to develop a artwork depicting key local landmarks, which will be installed in the centre.
See more about this in the article below or contact parishoffice@christchurchswindon.co.uk with your ideas or suggestions.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10449072.Could_you_inspire_a_piece_of_artwork_/
Present : Stephen Grosvenor, Mike Palmer, Daniel Pitt, Mark Antell, Reg Hardwick
Aplogies:Kevin Penfold, John Plaister
Item 1. MP said a short prayer.
Item 2. Minutes of last meeting – reviewed – apologies due to Reg who, despite providing valuable input to the March meeting, got missed off the present list due to the chair’s poor counting skills.
All outstanding items have been included in the agenda.
Item 3. –Budget Summary – see cumulative spend at the end of these minutes
Item 4. – Christ Church
a) West porch Project. Following the communication exercise to demonstrate the church plans for the porch there have been no particular objections or indeed feedback of either flavour. SG proposes that we proceed to getting a more detailed proposal from Antony our architect – this will form the basis of a submission for faculty permission from the diocese and will provide more detailed information on the advantages and benefits of the proposal. AFK has provided a quote of £1,600 ex vat to supply the necessary designs – his estimate of the cost for the porch is in the region £10-£15k – this will include the remodelling of the rear space to improve flow and a new position for the audio/visual control board.We will aim to complete this work prior to this winter. ACTION:SG to accept fee proposal from Antony Feltham King.
b) LED Lighting – We have had some positive reactions to the lighting proposal. We have now been given a temporary licence to proceed with the trial in the Lady Chapel – this will allow us to see how the LED lights perform over time – under the licence we have until August 2014 if necessary ACTION: MP to contact Binary electronics and get final current cost proposal for the trial and give the go ahead.
c) AV update – Considerable progress has been made due to the hard work of Bernard, supported by Mike to install a set of new compliant (and working) wireless microphones. We now have 4 new wireless mikes and 1 new Handheld. These are fully compliant with latest legislation and have much better controls and displays which allow their battery and other information to be more easily monitored. The Church has saved a substantial sum for installation costs due to Bernard and Mike’s intervention so many thanks to them both for their care and professionalism.
MP has also made contact with a local sound recordist who has offered to help us trial some different recording microphones for the choir and organ. This should help us get a better idea of what to buy and where to position any new static microphones.
d). Damaged South transept window. Dan Pitt has offered to take this forward as it has not been receiving the attention it requires recently. The Friends have already offered to help to offset some of the costs for this project which is gratefully accepted. Dan will seek some quotes and work with John Plaister who has some experience in this area. ACTION – DP to get quotes for repair
f) Asbestos removal from old boiler room. We have already had an estimate and this work should now be done as soon as possible. ACTION MP to find quote and confirm costs – proposal is to proceed to get the works completed so we can continue to safely use the storage.
Item 5. St Mary’s Church – the paintwork in St Mary’s is in a poor state of repair. We will add it to the work in progress list and review options for getting it done. ACTION MP to see if Community Service Volunteers would do it.
Item 6 Community Centre update
a) Ground source heat pump bore holes have caused a small delay of a week due to geological factors. Foundation work is due to start in the next few days.
b) Works timetable – Despite the small delays we are still on target for September completion. There are a number of things to do involving groundworks and foundations as well as the relocation of the Morris memorial. This will happen in the next 3-4 weeks. The building should arrive in June.
c) Rubbish arrangements –The burning pile has been cleared ready for the new Garden. We have entered into a joint contract with the burial board for a Biffa waste disposal service. The new regime for rubbish and recycling in the burial ground and church is now underway. The winner of the garden design competition has been announced and MP and SG will discuss with Ian Handy our advisor and the winner to work out how the design can be realised.
d) Kitchen Design – We are in consultation with external caterers and equipment suppliers to confirm the specification of the kitchen equipment. The intention is that it should be commercial quality, capable of supporting significant catering events in the new hall.
e) Archaeology – As part of our planning permissions we are required to hire an archaeologist to complete a watching brief as we start foundation digging – this contract has been subsumed into the Timberworks project to save VAT costs.
f) Cost Updates – It is important to keep a close eye on the costs to ensure that we can get the best possible results for our limited budget. Where relevant we have added some items into the contract cost to reduce our liability to pay VAT.
Current Contract cost – £629,861
Repair of existing paths & lighting (est.) £6,000
Garden of reflection (est.) £4,000
Community Artwork £4,000
Addition of commercial kitchen facilities £8,000
Total costs £652,831
Funding sources
Devizes Road hall sale funds £247,000
D&R funds £23,000
SBC grant £230,000
LCF grant £46,000
Garfield Weston grant £5,000
Sale of Parish office (est) £105,000
Total funding £656,500
The above illustration assumes that we “loan” £105k from the general funds until such time as the parish office can be sold. It also shows that the funds allowed for contingencies are almost exhausted. We are continuing to make grant applications towards securing Kitchen equipment, new chairs and tables for the hall and are considering local targeted appeals to businesses and individuals for specific items such as the artwork, garden costs and kitchen facilities
Item 7 Property Checks –
As a result of Annual Property check carried out on 32. Points a & b & c are outstanding
a) Re-plastering required following difficulties with damp and mould in the dining room. ACTION MP to recommend some plasterers to occupant so that she can arrange for them to visit and quote.
b) PV Front door may need replacing as it doesn’t fit properly and is very drafty – SG suggested it might be fixable – details of the Double Glazing doctor to be passed on to Karen at the same time as MP recommends plasterers – Double Glazing doctor 01793 431788.
c) The light fitting over the stairs is broken and cannot safely be replaced due to its position.Also radiator leaking ACTION: MP to get quote from Gary Hall for both jobs.
Item 8 Any other business
Next Meeting: 17th July 7.30 – 51a Broome Manor Lane, SN3 1NB
Deferred Jobs list
| Job |
Quote |
Date |
Rated A/B/C/D |
| SW door repair and draft exclusion | Defer to D&R | 20/01/2010 |
C |
| Pressure washing the vestry steps |
C |
||
| Flooding under the clergy vestry | 25/03/2010 |
C |
|
| Cycle Racks | Defer to new hall | 27/07/2010 |
C |
| Wall mounted Notice board at West door | £95+VAT | 31/03/2011 |
C/D |
| Free standing Noticeboard at West door | £375+VAT S&I | 31/03/2011 |
C/D |
| Sign for Church Centre (maybe directional signage rather than the name) | Defer | 31/03/2011 |
D |
| New fireproof ceiling in the undercroft | Defer | 20/02/2012 |
B/C |
| New central heating boiler & rads 31 CS | Complete | 17/10/2011 |
C |
| Asbestos removal – church | awaiting | 14/11/12 |
B |
| New boiler for 32 Cricklade | Awaiting quotes | 14/03/2013 |
B |
| South transept S &West window repairs | Seeking quotes | 14/11/12 |
C |
|
Remove nave screens from the front pews to aid flow from families and young people during services. |
Defer- issues identified with H&S and costs. | 19/01/2013 |
D |
| Repainting St Marys | Reviewing options | 09/05/13 |
D |
| New smoke alarms 32 ? Carbon monoxide monitor? | Reviewing options | 09/05/13 |
C |
A- Assessed as high risk
B- Legal requirement
C- Best Practice.
D – Nice to do.
Cost Schedule 2013 Year to date
| Job | Date | Contractor | Sum paid |
| L.C. Toilet repair | Jan | D.Hobbs | £60.00 |
| Damp fix – 31 | Feb | In house | £54.00 |
| Boiler Checks | Feb | D Hobbs | £156.00 |
| Boiler replacement -32 | May | G Hall | £3,000 |
| Tree Pollarding | May | N Freshwater | £650 |
In celebration of our very special Pentecost weekend Simon arranged with his Rotary colleague, Jan Blenkinsop, to turn Christ Church red for Pentecost evening Sunday 19th May.This is part of the MU objective to encourage parents in their role to develop the faith of their children.
The first Old Town Beer Festival will be held on the 18th May 2013 at Christ Church in Swindon between 1.00pm – 11pm
. There will be 30 cask ales and ciders and food will be available between 5-7pm featuring locally sourced Gloucester Old Spot Hot dogs. Entry is only £6 and includes a souvenir Beer mug and programme.
Due to great demand we have sold all our advance tickets for the day. We will have a limited number of tickets available on the door on the day but you will need to come early to get them as we have had quite a few enquiries
Help us to promote the event by printing and displaying a poster – click here to download.
We had a great response to the first Messy Church at King William Street in April. Now its time for the next one. You can find out all about Messy Church on our website or Facebook pages
Messy Church is completely different to traditional church services. The idea is for all ages together to be creative through the activities, have fun and to share a meal together while discovering something about the Christian faith.
It is a different way of doing and being church and it is all about reaching out to the community and we are therefore delighted to be in partnership with King William Street School. Messy Church has grown all across the country and this has been a fantastic start in Old Town
The Friends are again producing a calendar for next year. Please send in your favourite scenes, landscapes, or anything which tells a story preferably in digital format by J Peg or Tif Files to Peter Ford at peter_ford@sky.com
Good quality prints are also very acceptable and these should be sent to the Parish Office for the attention of the Friends. Pictures should be in landscape format with a minimum of 300 DPI.
The winner will receive a small prize and the picture will feature on the front cover of the calendar.
We hope to receive entries from anyone within the Ecumenical Parish.
Closing date will be Sunday 18th August 2013
Richard Van Roon – 10th May 2013