ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH HASLINGFIELD
SOFTER SEATING SCHEME
As you can see, the new chairs have now been installed and the redundant Victorian Pews have all been sold to local villagers. If you haven’t done so already, please come and see and feel the wonderful difference that this makes to the comfort, warmth and flexibility of uses that we have long planned for the church.
This is an exciting time for the future of All Saints’ Church as we seek to extend our welcome and bless this community we serve in new ways.
We are extremely grateful to all who have already contributed to the scheme by generously bidding for the old pews and by making donations towards the cost of the scheme. This stage includes the cost of the chairs and the cost of reducing the size of 10 medieval pews so that they will fit into the side aisles. The next stage is to agree a scheme for the replacement of the tired old red carpets and broken tiles and to enhance the appearance and potential use of the Chancel while fully respecting its use as a sacred space. We plan to consult with the Village on these proposals in the very near future.
Over 50 of the 174 new chairs have been generously sponsored and we are still offering the chance to become a part of the history of this lovely Grade 1 Listed Church as a sponsor. Every contribution of £100 will sponsor a chair either as a donation or in dedication to the memory of a loved one. A small brass dedication plaque can be attached to the chair. The money needed for improving the church seating is £24,000 and our architect estimates that the associated improvements mentioned above would cost around £15,000 subject to details. Smaller donations are of course very welcome.
Every person/ family/ group/ company who formally donates to the Softer Seating Scheme will be listed in the “Book of Sponsors” as a permanent record available for inspection in the church.
We hope you are able to support our efforts to raise this money quickly by making a donation or sponsoring a chair(s). Please contact David Rutherford (01223 871585) or the Churchwardens Jenny Gore and Neil Staples for a form to confirm your donation. If you are able to Gift Aid your donation, this would be greatly appreciated.
Please note that the sponsored chair remains the property of the Church and does not imply any particular seating rights. The chairs are designed to be moved and stacked when necessary. There is no undertaking to keep a sponsored chair in any particular position. The chairs are expected to last for many years and every effort will be taken to avoid damage and to repair where viable. However, it is impossible to guarantee the life of any particular chair in the church. In the event of severe damage in the short term, the plaque may be moved (on request) to one that has not already been dedicated.