The Enlargement of the Church

During the time of the Rev Canon Michael Jones' chaplaincy the number of people attending the 10 a.m. Sunday Service grew to a such an extent that an enlargement of the church seemed necessary. Various ideas were put forward but it was in 2002 that real progress was made.

The Williamson family had offered to donate a substantial sum of money for an extension to the church, given in memory of their family connections with Cyprus and St Barnabas'. In February 2002 the Church Council decided that this money could be increased by fund-raising to create a larger and more permanent addition to the church.

A grant was obtained from the Jerusalem and Middle East Trust towards this scheme and the work of fund raising began. The total cost of the extension was £32,000, which included all the furniture and the whole sum was raised by the end of June 2003.

Work began on the site in September 2002 and the new part of the Church was first used for the Sunday School Nativity Service on 21st December 2002.

Additional chairs were purchased and a carpet laid to match that in the 'old' part of the church. There is a stained glass window in place, commemorating the work of the Mission to Seafarers. The circular rose window, a donation from a member of the congregation, echoes that higher in the west wall of the original building and is also of stained glass.

The extension was dedicated by Bishop Clive Handford on Sunday 15th June 2003.

The extended church from the west end.

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