A day of celebrations marked the end of a transformational renovation of Centenary Methodist Church, made possible through grant funding from Boston Borough Council.
On Wednesday, Councillors Sandeep Ghosh, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Economic Growth, and Claire Rylott, Portfolio Holder for Green Spaces and Travel, attended the much-loved Grade II* listed Methodist Church and Community Hub to take a tour of the completed works.
Through a £250,000 grant from the Boston Partnership Fund and a small grant of just over £13,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the team at Centenary Methodist Chapel have spent just under a year rejuvenating the historic building.
The significant investment has supported several improvements, including the creation of a brand-new community room within the church, extensive redecoration and restoration works and updated security and fire alarm systems.
The works all aimed to restore a historic building while providing new and updated facilities for the continued delivery of essential services that the church provides to those most in need across Boston and the wider borough.
Councillor Ghosh said: “As the Cabinet Member with responsibility for grant funding at the Council, I am always heartened to see the difference that can be made to vital community assets like Centenary through funding.
“Combining both grants with the cash investment made by the Centenary Methodist Church itself, a near-£300,000 investment has made in this building in only one year.
“This investment has been transformed by the hard work of the team at Centenary into the impressive project that you see before you today and will benefit residents’ access to skills, vital services and community and improve their experience at the church.
“It is, however, the team and their community volunteers who ultimately make these services happen and who make a difference to lives year after year. For that, I would like to pass my thanks on behalf of Boston Borough Council to Martin Criddle, Rev Dr Val Ogden and the team, both for delivering this project and for delivering warmly and tirelessly for our communities.”
Centenary Methodist Church project manager Martin Criddle said: “It’s been a long and interesting road with plenty of challenges along the way, but it’s done now and we are already seeing the impact.
“Groups were coming to us virtually before the paint had dried to enquire about using the space – there really is a demand for good quality space in the town centre.
“I want to thank everyone who has facilitated the grant and provided us with the opportunity.
“This grant was always about improving our community offer and I can put my hand on my heart to say that we’ve put the funding into just that.
“It’s helping the church while embracing the community and providing much better facilities for the people of Boston and the wider area.”
You can watch a video celebrating the project here: https://youtu.be/PhonWQeRWiE
