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£50k given to West Midlands church for better access

7th September 2014

A church in Sedgley, near Dudley, has been granted £50,000, which will be spent on improving the facilities and accessibility of the church. These improvements include demolishing the old entrance and replacing it with an entrance at street level, which will benefit those who use wheelchairs or walkers due to having mobility issues.

The church in question, St Andrew's URC Methodist Church and Community Centre in Bilston Street, is regularly visited by elderly residents in the neighbouring areas where they often struggle in navigating the entrance, being used to home electric stairlifts and other such aids in the home the church is far from accessible in comparison.

“A welcoming facility that the whole community can be proud of”

The grant has been awarded by leading waste management company Biffa Group Limited as a result of their Biffa Award and is set to revolutionise access for those with mobility difficulties looking to attend the church. As well as improving the church entrance through the old entrance’s demolition, to be replaced by a fully glazed and central entrance vestibule, the money is also due to go towards creating a community café.

Of the work volunteer coordinator for St Andrew’s Outreach Committee, June Weaver said in this article, “I know that there are many lonely people in Sedgley who will benefit from our proposed new coffee bar” and “Also, with the new improved entrance leading directly from the street, people with mobility problems can either be dropped off easily or will not have far to walk.”

In addition, Biffa Award programme manager, Gillian French said, “We’re pleased to be able to support the renovation project at St Andrew's URC Methodist Church and Community Centre, which will create a welcoming facility that the whole community can be proud of.”

The refurbishment is set to benefit a whole host of local residents whereby elderly citizens will be better equipped to leave the help of their motorised rise and recliner chairs in order to attend church via the new accessible entrance.

This news article is from Handicare UK. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only.