THE BIG 100K WEEKEND

There was not one but two Big Weekends in Preston during the first part of the summer! After Radio 1 had entertained at Moor Park, we decided that the 16^th and 17^th June would provide us with a huge opportunity to refresh our Building Together programme – to spend some time reviewing the plans to redevelop our premises and to recommit to the vision for our church in the community which we have been pursuing over the last few years. On all counts, the weekend was a great success.

There were plenty of cakes, croissants, clowns and comments on the Saturday morning. The Fulwood Bistro was open for refreshments and members of the Blackpool circus school came to guide our young people in juggling, spinning and walking on stilts. Many people spent time in the parlour reviewing the plans drawn up by our architects, with the opportunity both to ask them questions and to provide them with feedback. Thanks to all for the wide range of comments which were received.

In the evening, an audience approaching 100 people was entertained by the Camborne Circuit Ladies Choir who had offered to visit Fulwood on one of their tours to support our fundraising efforts! Their programme was well received and they have written to the church expressing their thanks for the welcome they received.

One of the main aims for the weekend was to drive on with our fundraising. Our target was set at £100,000 because this would take the total of funds raised to well over £400,000 and open up the prospect of bidding successfully for Methodist and other major sources of funding. In our worship on Sunday morning, we were able to dedicate gifts and pledges for the weekend which to date is over £90,000. Our overall total has therefore increased to just over £400,000. It is not too late to make a donation or pledge, indeed only about 1/3^rd of all household associated with our church have done. Your gift, no matter how small, will make a difference. We now have a small team in place which will prepare bids to a range of other trust funds and feel it is really possible for us to begin planning for building to start this time next year.

Our Big Weekend was completed as we celebrated lunch in the Hall and Communion in the evening service and we are very grateful to all those who organised and attended the events in church and who felt able to make a financial gift.

By the time you read this we will have had another open Church meeting and gained the confidence of the whole Church at a Sunday service. The next moves are to put it formally to the Church Council and then apply for planning permission. If all goes well we should be moving next summer to allow building work to start. Please continue to work and pray and Build Together.