Church launches ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign to build local community

A Stoke Gifford church has launched a £50,000 ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign to help build a new church and community centre at the heart of the village.

St Michael’s Church has already raised £2.4m towards the cost of the £5.5m Heart of the Community project, which will provide much needed meeting rooms and a 600-seat auditorium for events, conferences and church services.

The bricks will be sold at a series of mobile ‘building sites’ complete with bricks, construction signage and cones.

Reverends Jimmy Rocks and Martin Gordon donned hard hats and hi-vis jackets to launch the scheme on the site of the Old Barns in North Road, Stoke Gifford earlier this month.

Rev Rocks, who is leading the Buy a Brick team said:

“We are inviting the whole of the local community to play a part in the project by paying for individual bricks for the new centre. Everyone who donates £10 will be given a Buy a Brick certificate and the satisfaction of playing a part in building community.”

The Buy a Brick team will be taking their mobile site to local events including Carols on the Green on Saturday 14th December as well as Parkway Station, Friends Life and the local branches of the Co-op, Asda and B&Q.

Bricks will also be on sale in St Michael’s Church Old School Rooms from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday and online at www.stmichaelsbristol.org/brick. A number of local businesses are also selling bricks to their customers.

Photo (L-R): Rev Martin Gordon (curate), Keith Cottrell (chair of fundraising team), Rev Jimmy Rocks (head of ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign). [photo credit: Rob Wicks at Eat Pictures]

Bishop Mike of Bristol and local MP Jack Lopresti have already bought the first bricks in support of the project.

Mr Lopresti said:

“I admire the ambition of the Heart of the community project. The new centre will be a great asset to serve the local population. I’m delighted to buy a brick and play my part in building local community.”

Rev Martin Gordon said:

“We are aiming to sell 5,000 bricks and raise £50,000 towards the project. It’s a chance for everyone to play their part in improving local facilities and building local community brick by brick.”

The new centre on the derelict Old Barns site will provide much needed meeting facilities and conference space for schools, charities and local businesses as well as wedding receptions and other celebrations. It will also serve as a resource for the wider region, within easy access of the M4 and M5 motorways and next door to Bristol Parkway Station.

The building is key to the Heart of the Community project, which also includes refurbishing the Old School Rooms adjacent to the Old Barns and renovating the 14th century church. St Michael’s plans to raise the rest of the money from fundraising events, grants and individual and corporate donations.

Rev Rocks added:

“We are thrilled that so many local businesses, individuals and community groups are behind this project. I am looking forward to meeting as many people from the local community as I can.”

Photo: Construction in progress at the Old Barns site in Stoke Gifford.