The Goodliffe Hall
building a vision for a new community centre
Most people who have attended Christ Church will be familiar with the Goodliffe Hall. Even if you have not visited the church, but live in the area, there is a good chance you have been in - even if it was simply to vote.
The Goodliffe Hall is the main hall of Christ Church. For the last 40 years it has fulfilled all the usual functions of a church hall. It has it been the home of tom-bolas, cake stalls, jumble sales and Sunday Schools. Today it is also the base for the parent and toddler group - Playpen, a lively Brownie pack, a children's dance group, a support network for refugees, keep fit sessions, art classes and much much more.
However after decades of wear and tear, it has become rather jaded and is in bad need of repair.
That is why the church set up a working group to plan for the hall's redevelopment. Its aim is to turn the hall from a slightly tatty, leaky 1960s box into a high quality community centre. One that is fit for the demands of the diverse community in which the church is based and can be shared by church and non- church goers alike. It needs to support the many community groups a healthy neighborhood needs.
The exciting thing about the redevelopment project is that it gives Christ Church the opportunity to seriously consider what services it can provide the community.
The Church has an emerging idea to focus on children and young families. This could be based on the already thriving mother and toddler group, Playpen and also build on the work the Church has previously done with Sure Start. This would not mean that the hall would be for the exclusive use of just children and young families - far from it. The hall will have to work for all the other groups that may want to use it too. It will just give the redevelopment - and the future of the hall - a much needed focus.
But it is important that this idea has a base and support. Not only from within the church but in the wider community. That is why a further stage of consultation was recently started. Between February and and April, Andrew Rumsey, the Church's vicar will meet with ten key community partners (including representatives from Paxton School, the Crystal Palace Community Association, Gipsy Hill Sure Start and Paxton Surgery). These one-off meetings will give the Church a chance to communicate the church's vision, consult about the needs of the community and look to ways to co-operate in the future.
If you are a member of Christ Church, you will not miss out - the early feedback from these meetings will be shared and the congregation as a whole will be consulted widely. On March 26 there will be a special session for members of Christ Church to get involved.
A project of this size will take a necessarily long time. The important decision that something needs to be done has been taken and some intitial scoping work has been completed. However, there are some distinct stages that need to be gone through. These are:
1. Define the vision:
Once the consultation is complete, the vision for what goes on inside the hall will need to be refined - or possibly changed. What does the hall need to cater for? What groups and services need to be supported? If there is not a clear vision for the future of the hall - there is no point changing the structure!2. Develop the plans:
Once the vision has been agreed the Church will have to develop the practical plans for how the hall will need to be changed. A budget will need to be set and planning permission applied for.3. Raise the funds:
If we have a clear plan - we expect to be able to raise the majority of funds from charitable trusts. But no doubt there will be some local fundraising too - who knows the tombolas and cake sales may return!4. Get building ........!
It will be a marathon and not a sprint. But the church has a vision for a hall that is a hub for the community. A centre that is of use for the neighbourhood, providing a service that is useful and necessary. We will keep this web site up to date with progress - but if you are interested or have an opinion on what we should be doing please