Community group so close to buying village chapel

A SHARE offer to buy a former village chapel has raised £112,000 of its £150,000 target, with just days remaining on the scheme.

Kingsley Holt chapel closed to religious services in 2019.

The Kingsley Holt Centre community group immediately set about raising funds to buy the building with a view to using it as a community centre.

A share offer was launched a few weeks ago.

Following its success, the Kingsley Holt share offer has now been extended and will now remain open until Friday, May 6.

If the community group is successful in the purchase of the building it could be used as a community centre for all organisations plus the possibility of a shop and cafe.

A spokesman said: “We are so very close to our optimum target of £150,000 – can you help us get there?

“This project is so vitally important to our community. We must make every effort to make a realistic and fair offer for this community building. With your help we can do this.

“The planning status for this building is D1 non-residential institutional and religious use and we want to see it stay that way.

“Within the Staffordshire Moorlands development plan there is regulation that supports and encourages the continued use of community buildings, buildings that are a vital part of the development plan structure to enable cohesion and reduce isolation within communities.

“This is exactly why we have taken all the steps we can to protect this asset.

“It will soon be down to the Methodist Church to decide who they sell to; will it be a community ready and willing to offer a fair and realistic price or will it be a developer that hopes to overcome planning issues and ignore the heritage of our village.

“Together we can do it, together we can make this happen please help in any way you can, write to your local council, your MP, donate, become a shareholder.

“Now we want to reach that optimum of £150K target, please don’t wait until it’s too late, help save our space, become part of something exciting and special today.

“Our Share Offer closes on May 6. A fabulous building is empty, unused, waiting to become part of our community again, please help in any way you possibly can.”

Call 07443 37522 or visit www. kingsleyholtcentre.co.uk to find out how you can help or email info@ kingsleyholtcentre.co.uk