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For over 200 years Bluntisham Baptist Church has been at the heart of village life in Bluntisham, a rural village in fenland Cambridgeshire. Over these years the church’s buildings and facilities have been available to the residents for a wide range of activities along with the church’s own work. However, these facilities now in urgent need of being renewed, updated and extended.

Bluntisham Baptist Church is a community of people with a vision to be At the Heart of the Villages of Bluntisham, Earith and Colne, some 2,000 households in an area where community services can be few and far between. We believe that our Renewal Project will greatly assist us in the delivery of this vision.

Providing facilities for all

Currently the buildings provide facilities for the local Luncheon club, providing free meals to the older members of the community, along with games and entertainment. Other users include The Brownies, Keep Fit for the Over 50s, and BACstage Drama Group. The hall is also popular as an affordable venue for children’s parties. We wish to continue providing a low cost meeting place for these and other community groups but with up to date and appropriate facilities.

We’re also committed to using the resources we have – buildings and people – to provide ministries that support children , families and older people in our villages. These include Little Fishes our popular parent and baby group (much in need of proper baby changing facilities); The Beacon Cafe, our weekly cafe which has proved a vital place for people in the villages to meet: staffed by volunteers, but in need of a modern catering standard kitchen; Youth Club, a monthly meeting place for JAFFA club for 8-12 year olds, rapidly needing more space for activities; and our Sunday School with up to 80 children regularly attending needs more space to accommodate them.

The Renewal Project

The project is seeking to improve the existing facilities at the church to meet the current and future needs of the community, alongside the restoration and maintenance of an historic building. The work to be undertaken will include construction of a single storey extension to the front of the Church Hall creating a new foyer and including a small office, toilets (including disabled provisions) and a new catering standard kitchen.

A request we often receive is for small rooms for consultation style meetings, for advice and counselling services, which we are keen to provide. In particular, in response to local needs we have been made aware of, we are currently planning to set up a Money Advice Centre to provide debt counselling and basic money advice. A further extension will be added to the side of the Hall to provide two additional meeting rooms.

The Funding

Since receiving planning permission for the project we have been actively fundraising to meet the £300,000 cost of the building and restoration work. So far the members and congregation have themselves given and raised over £150,000. A loan from the Baptist Union will provide the balance of the cost, and the members and congregation have committed to ongoing giving to repay such a loan over a ten year period, as we continue to fund-raise and seek appropriate grant funding.

Your Support is Valued

We would value your prayers in helping us see the vision of being At the Heart of the Villages fulfilled as we undertake the Renewal Project. As a fellowship we have made big strides towards this challenging target, but we would be greatly encouraged by any gifts and other help towards the remaining cost of the work.