St Columba

The St Columba Development Project

Our aims as a parish are to be a church, which has a broader base in the community reflecting Kairos principles. To increase mission activity in the community and for our congregation to grow and to show their response to Christ”. This reflected the vision promoted by Revd. Ian Jagger in 1996, Looking out for Growth, which sought “to move from maintenance to mission” and “to prune the aspects of parish life which held us back from mission”.
We therefore feel that we can develop both a new church building and contribute to some of networkfareham’s short term aims in the following ways;

  1. alleviate the shortage of affordable housing by providing 24 new homes
  2. Help address the problem of local debt by a partnership with CAB
  3. Provide new facilities for children and older people which are lacking locally

We felt it was essential for our parish to include the network fareham goals in order to reach out and make our buildings relevant to the community. Speaking to a police inspector at a community meeting late last year we learned that although the Highlands area (which is roughly one third of a mile radius around St Columba church) has about 10% of the population of the borough it has nearly 25% of the problems, due to debt, unemployment, poor housing and alienation.

We want to help but our current “plant/equipment” is inadequate for what is needed. However, in our researches we have found inspiration and hope that we can make a difference. We have learned that when quality buildings replace old tired facilities people do flock to use them. Portchester Parish Hall built in 2000 is a good example. We have been challenged by our architect to prove we need X number of rooms etc. We have convinced him with our research and compromised on some aspects to keep the cost within what is affordable.

Our message

We are aware of our responsibilities under Kairos to be a church that is more central to or embedded in its local community. Accordingly, we want to share our facilities with as many people and organisations as possible.

Our Vision for this site

  1. That worship, learning, social activities and community engagement all belong together
  2. We need to be able to show clearly through our buildings, as well as our actions and words, that the Church is interested in all aspects of community life.
  3. Social activities are no longer a pleasant add on but an essential part of both parish and community development.
  4. St Columba is located in Fareham North West, which is, with Fareham South, one of the two poorest wards in the Borough. Fareham as a whole is a prosperous Borough and as a result, its’ small pockets of deprivation tend to be overlooked. We feel that our parish can help to redress this in a small way with our proposals for the new development.

Our latest plans incorporate our vision of serving the community more effectively as well as providing up to date facilities for our parishioners. The new church with its integrated community facilities will be located right on the corner of Hillson Drive where the present vicarage stands.

Artists Impression Of The 'New' St Columba Site

A "glimpse" of a possible new layout as viewed from Highlands Road.

N.B. no plans have been approved by the D.A.C. yet.

Because of the limited space and constraints of the sight we need to have a multifunction building in which some parts are shared e.g. the clergy vestry will also be a week day interview room while the room used by the morning pre-school group will be an evening meeting room used by (say) Weight Watchers.

It would be inappropriate to have a high building with spires, flying buttresses etc. that would stand out like a sore thumb from its neighbours. It needs more than symbols to be a welcoming place. It needs to be different but not dominate, to blend in with the surrounding houses so it does not proclaim its superior status. Above all the building must be economical to run in energy terms and be of a scale and appearance, which our neighbours can relate to. The quality of the building needs to come from the detail.

We need a mission oriented building that is bursting with life seven days a week. Where people come in and share activities such as yoga while a prayer group is reflecting in another space. Our consultations clearly show there is a need for what we are offering. The Borough Council know the area desperately needs such facilities and so supports us in our aim. We need to make people feel it is natural to cross our threshold any day of the week and not just for weddings, baptisms and funerals. The building will be primarily a church but with all its associated outreach functions close by. People will come through our doors because we have something to offer that they can relate to. Unless we meet people where they are now, we, as a church nationally, will not make the necessary connection with the alienated.

On 18th June 2007 the two firms of acrchitects made presentations and were interviewed and we are in the process of holding further dicussions with them regarding costs and the ability to work within budget. Visits to both firms were due to be made on 20th & 21st July to clarify the position of both firms and for them to submit some indicative costings.