Fundraising at St Mark’s Church

St Mark’s raised £95,000 for a new roof, and now has even more ambitious plans ...

After raising £95,000 for a new roof, St Mark’s Church in Newby are looking to raise £250,000 to build a new annex.

After raising £95,000 for a new roof, St Mark’s Church in Newby are looking to raise more in order to build a new annex. This one is an ever bigger task, however. But it is one the church isn’t backing out of.

They need to raise £250,000 for their new annex, £10,000 of which they’ve managed to do so far.

With such a huge task comes hard work, not just in planning, but in catering for everyone, something St Mark’s hope to do.

The events currently planned at St Mark’s include Breakfast with Santa on Saturday 15 December and an eighthour sponsored ‘Hymnathon’ on Saturday 16 February.

There will also be a Memorial Tree in the Lady Chapel throughout December.

However, the planning hasn’t stopped there, with plenty more in the pipeline.

The church is holding a 10day art exhibition, with local artists invited to display their work, along with a number of concerts throughout next year, though who they will feature is yet to be confirmed.

Some parishioners will take on the Three Peaks Sponsored Walk in May, too. Recent events have included a talk by Egyptologist Joann Fletcher, showing that there will be something for everyone as this project continues.

Project manager Trevor King said: “We’re really excited as we have lots planned

‘The annex will provide us with a lot of new ways in which we can use the church’

as part of our fundraiser.

“We currently have about £10,000 towards the £250,000 we need for the annex. We have already raised £95,000 for the new church roof.

“We plan to make further grant applications to various charitable trusts, seek personal donations and legacies, and we have a series of fundraising events planned over the winter and into next year.

“The annex will provide us with a lot of new ways in which we can use the church within the parish and in our community.”

St Mark’s Church began as a Sunday School class in 1929 in barracks near the present site. By 1934 larger premises were needed and the Diocese gave approval to purchase a large house nearby, the lounge of which was extended to create a hall to accommodate 140 people, while the rest of the house was used as a vicarage.

In 1935 this hall was dedicated as St Mark’s Hall to be used for the purpose of worship and social events.

The congregation continued to grow and the decision was taken that a larger multi-use building was needed.

The site chosen was the sunken rose garden in the grounds of the vicarage, and on October 27 1938 the present building was opened and dedicated.

By the mid-1950s the decision was taken to convert thebuildingintoapermanent church and a new sanctuary and tower were added at the east end.

The building in question is still in use today, with around 70 parishioners attending services week on week.