We need to begin at least some of the project by Jan 2025 at the latest otherwise we will lose our planning consent. We are targeting the beginning of work late 2024.

The exact date will depend on how quickly we can get a Faculty, how quickly we can raise funds and how quickly we can get tenders back from contractors and their lead times.

We are hoping there will be minimal disruption to worshipping life and staffing through the project. Some contractors may be able to plan the work to enable us to stay in the building (but this can push up costs).

As some work is needed to replace the whole kitchen, and as there are plans to renew all the heating and mechanical systems, it is likely the kitchen, café and building will need to be closed for at least some time.

We are working on the assumption we may need to be out of the building for 6 months.

We are already working on contingency plans for how we will keep our worship life not just ticking over but thriving if we need to vacate the building.

During the previous building project (in 1989/90), the church met for worship in two different locations for morning and evening services, and a full programme of children and youth ministry continued.

We are also working on contingencies to see how we might continue to operate our café and bookshop ministries, while their areas are refurbished and if the building needs to be closed for a time.

We will keep you updated on whether we need to be out of the building, and our plans if this becomes a reality, as soon as we know.

The heating systems of the church are extremely inefficient and costly to run. They cannot be smartly programmed or zonally operated so are either ON or OFF in the whole church, and draws on a very old and inefficient boiler.

The new plans will replace the existing boilers with a significantly more efficient system, including the controls that will enable these new more efficient boilers to heat the church far more effectively.

This will make a significant improvement to our carbon footprint, and should secure our Bronze Eco Church Award.

New windows will be at least double glazed and there may be an option to replace some existing windows.

Solar panels could have a slight impact on energy costs but permission to install them would be needed.

Yes, there will be more space and it is anticipated that the new rooms will be fully utilised, although the exact use is hard to predict at this stage. We are aiming for all new rooms to be multipurpose.

A new moveable screen between the café and the Nave will add flexibility to create more worship space.

Accessibility will be improved with lifts between different ground floor levels in the youth and community centre. There will be enlarged and improved toilet facilities, including new disabled facilities.

The Nave decoration will be refreshed and wiring installed for updates to the sound system in the future.

Please continue to PRAY for the project. We believe this project will enable us to better the fulfil our God given vision to be a church of Worship, Witness, and Welcome to Woking and the World. We will only complete this project if “the Lord builds his house” and provides for what we need.

Please GIVE to the project – we will only complete the project with the sustained, generous and sacrificial giving of the whole church congregation, with gifts large and small. Every gift matters!

Please HELP support the project – this could be by lending your time, lending your skills (creative, practical, professional), or supporting fundraising efforts. Every offer of help is gratefully received.

The Gateway Project came out of recognition that the church needed more SPACE through the week for its growing ministry to the church and mission to the town through the week.

At the same time, it was clear many of the key systems in the church were beginning to breakdown and need replacing (est. cost £1.8m), so there is now an urgent need to UPDATE the building to be fit for purpose and become far more environmentally friendly.

We want to create dedicated space for youth and community work, to better reach out to the young people and vulnerable of the town.

We also want to improve our welcome in the church and café area to help connect people in the town to the church and enable better access.

To do the whole of Phase 1 of the revised plans (welcome and entrance improvements, new rooms and offices, updated facilities and systems, Community and Youth Centre, refurbished nave) will cost an estimated £4.99m*

The cost of the Community and Youth Centre will be approximately £900k.

To just do the café entrance, kitchen and toilet refreshes and system upgrades is estimated to cost £3m*.

£4.5m would allow all the internal improvements, including entrances and new youth and community rooms but it would not be able to include the external extension*.

These prices* are professional estimates. The actual cost will be discovered when the project goes out to tender and contractors submit firm proposals for the cost of the project.

Tenders can come in under or over the estimated costs, but the estimates do include an amount for inflation into next year, and also include a contingency amount.

Our aim is to raise the majority of the funds through congregational giving, gifts, and legacies.

We also may be able to raise a smaller amount from grant making bodies.

We could take out a loan on 4 Orchard Drive, though we want to keep the amount of money borrowed to a minimum.

In 2016 an initial Gateway Gift and Pledge Day, including Gift Aid, raised £2m in a variety of pledges, gifts and promised standing orders. Around £1.2m was given in gifts and has come in through standing orders.

Money has been spent on professional fees, including architect’s designs (which were revised once to alter the design, and were revised again due to a post-Covid re-evaluation and escalating costs).

Following Gift days in 2023, we have around £1.3m in the bank for Gateway as of November 2023 which, together with pledges, takes us to a total of £3m raised so far.

We have planning permission from Woking Town Council for the full project, which lasts until Jan 2025. The planning consent may need to be amended to take into account of the phasing.

We will need to get permission for all the internal changes and external extension from the Church of England by applying for a Faculty (planning consent for churches, granted by the Church of England). We have begun to apply for this, which can be granted once we can show a pathway to 80% of costs.