The Hive is an exciting community space in Rayleigh. The building has been serving the community for 160 years, but we've extended, remodelled and restored it, and it will soon be available for the benefit of the community once again.
We’ve already raised the original project cost of £1.25m. But due to some unexpected developments along the way, we still need to raise a final £100,000 to complete the project.
We need £50,000 to finish the works we've committed to, and another £50,000 to get the final elements completed. This is a story which is 25 years in the making, about a project which was supposed to take 37 weeks, but is fast-approaching 2 years.
We had issues with our builders along the way (who doesn't?!) - minor issues at first, but they started to increase. In July they left the site and we agreed to end the contract, which left us with the responsibility of managing the final stage ourselves. Since they left we’ve made huge progress, but we need a little bit of help to get the project over the line. We're about 98% of the way to opening (finally!) but it's not been straightforward.
We're busy decorating, setting up TVs, putting up signage, and completing a deep clean ready for our “first glance” opening on 19th October. The lift has just been installed and is waiting to be commissioned, the final bits of plastering are on the way and the external rendering is ready to begin. The new building will be fully accessible, with flexible spaces to suit all needs, available at affordable prices, and has been built with sustainability in mind.
The money raised to date has come primarily from gifts & loans from Rayleigh Baptist Church members and supporters (£1.18m) and from a few grants (£69k).
Any money you are able to give will be used to help meet the final costs to get the building open for the benefit of the community.
This is the 225th year of Rayleigh Baptist Church, during that time we've consistently been at the heart of the community, and this extended, remodelled and restored building will be at the heart of our community service for years to come.
To find out more about the building and the facilities it will offer, take a look at The Hive website (we'll be adding photos as areas are completed) and for regular updates, head over to our Facebook page.
Join us for a look around the Hive on Saturday 19th October - sign-up for our fundraising event the same evening - full details and sign-up here...
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