Invite goes out to see St Collen's future plans

 

St Collen's is encouraging people to see the plans it has for adapting the church for modern-day needs.

Last October vicar, Father Lee Taylor, unveiled an ambitious scheme to upgrade the centuries-old place of worship with the aim of making it a hub for a wider range of religious and social use.

The Genesis Programme proposals include:

* The removal of pews at the front of the nave to allow a raised platform stage to be built for worship and performance events    

* The provision of a folding kitchen to provide refreshments at cafe-style social gatherings

* Repositioning of the font to a more practical location      

* The installation of modern LED lights in the roof to highlight its historic beauty

* Fitting glass doors at entrances to allow the heavy oak front door to be left open to make the building feel more welcoming

* A new chapel for private worship where the current vestry is sited

* Replacing the traditional pipe organ with a digital version

When introducing the plan Father Lee said: “St Collen’s has for almost fifteen centuries been a place of worship for the people of Llangollen and beyond.

"The church has been cared for by succeeding generations who have seen fit to make some significant alterations to the building as its purpose has developed in a changing culture. 

“The challenge of re-ordering the church is to ensure that the church is able to reinforce its role as a focal point in the community. This means providing a building which is sufficiently flexible which the wider community can utilise for community gatherings, concerts, school performances and the like. 

“Our re-ordering project began with a community consultation process last year with an online presentation on zoom and with the distribution of questionnaires. This process is ongoing."

The latest community consultations are being held in church on the following days.

* Wednesday July 14 at 6.30pm

* Sunday July 18 at 12.15pm

The events are open to all. Refreshments will be provided. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP on 01978 861768, or email: stcollens@gmail.com