Category: Uncategorized

Everyone welcome

After much refurbishment of Temple Park Centre we held an open day for our local community, funders and families to come and see and hear about our work. A lot of fun was had on the day, with lots of cake too! If you would like to see what the day was like and find out more about MCCP click here

We are delighted to welcome Lisa Wigfield, our new Community Cohesion and Outreach Worker to our team. Lisa will be working across the Manor community and alongside our partners (old and new!). You may get to know her when you pick up your children from MASKK or bring them to a dance lesson at Temple Park Centre. She'll be present at our craft activities (watch this space, new dates coming very soon!) or chat with you at a local group. She is very approachable and looks forward to getting to know you.

We look forward to working with Lisa and to re-shape the relationships and partnerships with local people and organisations.

See more about Lisa and the Manor Church and Community Project team here: About Us

Manor Church and Community Project ran its first craft and activities afternoon on 18 December at Temple Park Centre since the completion of its major refurbishment of the community centre. The event was a great success with many families attending. There was much creative fun with children designing their own Christmas decorations and gifts. Watch this space for more events during 2023.

Temple Park Centre meeting rooms and spaces have been given new names inspired by Women of Influence in Sheffield and the Manor. The new room names have been added to the plan of Temple Park Centre and details of the Women of Influence have been added to the website menu.

The refurbishment of Temple Park Centre was completed on 18 September 2020. We have made a video of the work which shows how the community centre has been transformed into a modern multi-use building for the Manor community:

We are very pleased to announce that Biffa Award has awarded Manor Church and Community Project a grant for £58,637 in support of the Temple Park Centre refurbishment. This grant is made from the Landfill Communities Fund which is used for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites.

The Biffa Award funding will be used for:

• Demolition of the office/boiler room and relocation of boiler and pipework
• New folding wall to separate the stage from main hall and to create a new room on the stage
• New opening and folding wall between the sanctuary and meeting rooms 3 & 4 to create a flexible space that can be used separately or as one open plan area
• New corridor in the hall to provide access to all parts of the centre and separation for multiple groups to be using the building at the same time
• Redecoration throughout the Centre to complete the refurbishment

The refurbishment work has started on 6 July and is scheduled to complete by the end of September.

Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award Grants Manager, said: “Now more than ever it is so important that we continue to invest in community spaces, like the Temple Park Centre, which will provide a place for people to meet and socialise as we come out of lockdown and life returns to some sort of normality. By re-configuring the space, providing new lighting, flooring and redecorating throughout, Biffa Award has made a huge difference to those who will use this building on a regular basis.

Biffa Award:

Since 1997, Biffa Award has awarded grants totalling more than £175 million to thousands of worthwhile community and environmental projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The programme administers money donated by Biffa Group Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund. www.biffa-award.org

We are very pleased to announce that Veolia Environmental Trust has awarded Manor Church and Community Project a grant for £43,522 in support of the Temple Park Centre refurbishment. This grant is made from the Landfill Communities Fund which is used for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites.

The Veolia Environmental Trust funding will be used for:

• Installing completely new toilet facilities including a disabled toilet.
• Decoration of the new toilet block

The refurbishment work has started on 6 July and is scheduled to complete by the end of September.

This grant from Veolia Environmental Trust follows on from previous funding in 2018 for a new central heating system, double glazing throughout the building and new LED lighting.

We are very pleased to announce that Viridor Credits has awarded Manor Church and Community Project a grant for £99,359 in support of the Temple Park Centre refurbishment. This grant is made from the Landfill Communities Fund which is used for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites.

The Viridor Credits funding will be used for:

• Removal of trees along the boundary wall with our neighbours
• Development of a new shared car park area to the side of the Centre
• New access paths, ramps and steps from the car park
• New accessible pathways to the front entrance and emergency exit
• New entrance area with a reception desk providing controlled access to the building
• Demolition of old toilets, office and vestry area
• New disabled toilets in the rear of the Centre

The refurbishment work has started on 6 July and is scheduled to complete by the end of September.

We are pleased to announce that Temple Park Centre has been given a new lease of life thanks to tens of thousands of pounds in grants from Viridor Credits, Biffa Award and Veolia Environmental Trust providing finance through the Landfill Communities Fund plus financial support from the Methodist, Anglican and United Reformed Churches and other community organisations. 

Temple Park Centre is part of The Manor Church and Community Project (a charitable incorporated organisation) and refurbishment work is due to come to an end in this Autumn after five years.  

Thanks to the vision of the Methodist, the Anglican and United Reformed Churches the building has had a massive overhaul to create a modern versatile space which the whole community can benefit from.   

Working with Manor Assembly, MASKK (Manor School Kids Klub), the Manor Community Childcare Centre (MCCC), Manor & Castle Development Trust/Best Start as well as the S2 Foodbank and Food Club, the Centre can be used for all sorts of different activities and as a hub at the heart of the community.

Thanks to the financial support of our sponsors and the excellent progress being made by our contractors, Woodward & Taylor, the following work is being carried out and will be completed by the end of September:

A new carpark, landscaping, new access paths, ramps and steps, a new entrance and reception area, new toilets, new lighting, new meeting rooms, conversion to allow multi-use of the building, redecoration throughout, new emergency exits, upgrades to alarm systems, replacement windows and asbestos removal.

Reverend Julie Upton said: “Our approach has always been to work with the local community and with other organisations who work within the area. We very much believe in building trust and connections with local people and the different organisations working in the Manor area.

“Through this partnership approach, we have also been able to help establish new groups of uniformed organisations (Beaver, Cubs and Scouts) which are very popular.

“The redevelopment of the outdated and tired building of the old William Temple Church, now Temple Park Centre (TPC), has been part of our vision from the start and constitutes a key factor of securing a good community asset for the use of the local community for party and activity lettings, as well as a base for MASKK.

“Working together with MASKK, Best Start and MCCC, Manor Church and Community Project has been a partner in providing Stay, Play and Eat sessions during the school holidays. They are very popular, and our seasonal Craft & Fun afternoons cater for up to 50 children and their carers, offering a safe space for creativity, stories and shared food, all leading to building community with local people.”

Once the refurbishment work is complete there are plans to increase the services available to the local community and offer it for hire for dance classes and private functions as well as expand family play times.

Reverend Debora Marschner added: “Building community is something we as churches are good at, and providing a safe space for conversation, training and parenting, as well as enabling people to make friends and break cycles of social isolation are all part of our vision.

“We also believe that we may have a role to play in bringing together those who have lived on the Manor for generations and those who have only recently moved in the area. As a continuous presence on the Manor estate, and through the trust we have built over many years, Manor Church and Community Project could be instrumental in building bridges and creating opportunities and encounters that model good community cohesion.

“We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the project with funding, their time and also their prayers. Without you none of this would have been possible. We have created a Centre which will be a huge benefit to the local community for a long time to come.”

News of refurbishment grants

See separate posts for details of the Viridor Credits, Veolia Environmental Trust and Biffa Award grants.

Landfill Communities Fund:

The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is an innovative tax credit scheme enabling landfill operators to contribute money to organisations enrolled with ENTRUST as Environmental Bodies (EBs).  EBs use this funding for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites.  Landfill operators are able to claim a credit (currently 4.2%) against their landfill tax liability for 90% of the contributions they make. Since its inception in 1996, over £1.6 billion has been spent on more than 56,000 projects across the UK.  For further information please visit www.entrust.org.uk or see HMRC’s general guide to landfill tax.