Open Door Project at St Bartholomew's

The Open Door Project began life in 2002 as the Wheelchair Fund. Disabled wheelchair access has always been poor, and a “halfway house” solution led to the purchase of ramps, which have to be assembled and dismantled for each service they are used.  I doubt Health & Safety would permit the purchase of such ramps ten years on in 2012  without lifting tuition for those volunteers, whose ages always seem to be getting older!

The Wheelchair Fund therefore grew into the Open Door Project, with much fund raising over the years.  We have spent money, chiefly on architects’ fees, but more recently on legal fees for our successful appeal to the Chester Diocesan Advisory Committee.  The irony is that if we had not spent the £7,000 on these legal and associated fees then we believe we would be in an excellent position to move forward to the next stage, whereby Open Door could suddenly become a reality.

In 2011 our appeal for the 125^th anniversary of the present church building brought in £4,575 including tax recovered under Gift Aid. A further £361 bank interest was earned from the cash reserves held in London.  

Fund raising has proved more difficult than expected in 2012. Sally Lang and Sally Jackson undetook a sponsored swim, raising just over £1,000. Garfield Weston have just given us £5,000. We now have £60,909 plus some pledges, but require at least another £90,000 before we can engage builders.