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Knutsford Methodist Church Buildings
Re-development Project
Fund-raising Progress
as by 16 August 2006

This brief article has been written to help keep everyone in the picture with our fund-raising progress to date. For the previous report (April 2006), click HERE. A more detailed progress report will be given at the General Church Meeting on Monday, 25th September.

1. INTERNAL FUND-RAISING
Our Internal Fund Raising is progressing very well - and we are continuing to get ever closer to our overall fund raising target.

As Chairman of the Finance Committee, I would again like to thank very much indeed all those many people in our congregation who have made Donations and/or taken out Standing Orders during the last 24 months. Also, thanks to those groups within the church who have organised local fund raising efforts, and to those planning future events.

Taking into account all aspects of our Internal Fund Raising (including 3-year standing orders to end 2007) this is currently projected to raise around £400,000.

This is a very good situation to be in at this stage in the overall project timescale - where we have not yet completed all the building work.

2. EXTERNAL FUND-RAISING Presentation of a bag of money
First of all some excellent news !! I have now received confirmation that we have been awarded £44,000 from Biffaward.

This means that we have now been successful in raising over £125,000 from external sources as follows:-

  • Methodist Property Fund. Our application for a grant of £50,000 from Methodist Property has now been approved - comprising The Rank Trust and Property Standard and CAPF Grants.
  • Biffaward. A £44,000 grant has been approved.
  • Legacies. We have £18,200 from 2 existing legacies.
  • Circuit Advance Fund. We have received approval for a grant of £5,000.
  • District Advance Fund. We have received approval for a grant of £5,000.
  • Surestart. We have received a grant of £2,000 with the help of Kid's Cabin.
  • Manchester Airport Community Fund. We have received approval for a grant of £1,000.
  • Allchurches Trust. We have received a grant of £300.

3. ADDITIONAL FUND-RAISING TO REDUCE THE SHORTFALL
The Redevelopment Project approved by the Church Council is set to cost in the region of £600,000, which means that we still have a shortfall of some £75,000 between the total projected funding so far received or promised of around £525,000 and the total cost of the Redevelopment.

This really is excellent progress. We are now within 'touching distance' of achieving our overall fund raising target. With the continued support of all Knutsford Methodist Church's congregation it is not out of the question that we could achieve this by December this year.

Wouldn't it be tremendous if we could achieve this before the Thanksgiving Weekend in January 2007!!!

4. ADDITIONAL NEW DONATIONS FROM OUR MEMBERS
How do we raise this £75,000? Presentation of a bag of money

We have no further External Fund Raising to depend on which means that we will have to raise this shortfall of £75,000 ourselves from new donations from members of our congregation.

If we set out to raise this as quickly as possible (in order to avoid interest payments on loans) then I would be very pleased to receive any new donations from any members of our congregation.

5. INTEREST-FREE LOANS
I have recently been asked by a number of people whether it would be helpful for members of the congregation to provide interest-free loans to the Church in order to reduce the amount of money that we need to borrow from Methodist Chapel Aid. I will happily discuss the necessary arrangements with all those who would like to help in this way.

6. IN SUMMARY
The recent success with the Biffaward grant has meant that we are now within 'touching distance' of achieving our fund raising target of £600,000.

Let us see if we can achieve this by the end of December this year!!!!

Howard K - Chairman of Finance Committee - 16th August 2006

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