We are completely amazed and totally grateful to them. The application was made in August, and since then we have been in conversation about our eligibility for the fund, as well as how the nature of our project affects people in Pontypridd and what we hope to achieve when we complete the building work.
At the end of September we were able to demonstrate the site to some members of the fund, and to explain to them our vision for helping make lives better here in our community. This resulted in the award, which includes £50,000 which must be spent on environmentally sustainable parts of the building project. We are investigating the option of integrating a new biomass boiler to heat the whole site.
Obviously we are all very excited! This project has been a part of our lives for four years now, and it feels like we are coming to the sharp edge of things. We need one more grant to come through and we can start the building phase. The possibility of actually opening the completed works at New Year 2012 is something of a dream for us, and one we are beginning to allow ourselves to dream.
God is good. We are trying to be faithful to our calling as his church in this place to serve as many people as we can in transforming lives and building community, loving our neighbours as ourselves, caring for young and old, and it is truly humbling when organisations from our national government recognise our work and our vision and decide to help us in such a wonderful way. Thank you!
There is still work to be done. One grant remains outstanding, and if we do not achieve it by February 10th 2011 we lose half of what we have gained so far. Pray for those working on; and pray that we might make this final grant so that we can renovate the hall and build better lives for all sorts of people in our community.
