After more than a decade’s worth of fundraising and six months of delays after extensive flood damage over Easter, the re-development of St Bartholomew’s Church, Ripponden, is due to be reaching an end this Christmas.
Between the 16th October and the 5th December, St Bartholomew’s will be holding their final three fundraising events of the year – a concert, a craft fair and a winter market – with all the proceeds going towards the final stages of the project, which is due to be complete by the New Year.
Ann Teasdale, co-ordinator of the St Bartholomew’s Church fundraising, says, “We have been fundraising for over a decade, initially to replace our church roof.
“When we were subsequently advised the entire roof did not need replacing, we carried on with the fundraising as we needed to install toilets and a kitchen in our Victorian church.
“The work has been carried out this year, but the water pipes are not connected to these new developments yet as there has been a big delay.”
Ann explains, “Six months ago there was a big flood due to a blocked culvert nearby and the water poured down the church path, bringing down a large section of the river’s retaining wall. This was just a couple of feet away from the church.
“Repairs have now started on the flood damage but it has delayed the pipe work on the re-development, so we now have a lovely new Choir Vestry, kitchen and toilets with no running water - though we hope this will all be sorted by the end of the year.”
The first of the three fundraising events that will help with the final stages of St Bartholomew’s re-development will be the Calderdale Big Band playing at the church this Friday, the 16th October, from 7:30pm.
Ann says, “The last time they came was during the Tour de France weekend when we were open every day for a week and they put on a great show – we’re looking forward to having them back again.”
The Craft Fair will be taking place on Saturday 21st November at Ripponden Junior & Infant School, Halifax Road, between 10:30am and 3:00pm.
Ann mentions, “Various local people make the crafts – although we never have enough and would be delighted to have more.”
Along with the stalls selling the lovely craft items, including novelty gifts and knitted and sewn items, there will also be stalls filled with home-baking and home-made jams, marmalades and chutneys as well as jewellery and plants for sale.
Finally, the Winter Market will be held in St Bartholomew’s Church on Saturday the 5th December from 11am until 3:00pm, and they still have spaces for anyone wishing to hold a stall at the Market.
You could do all your Christmas shopping at the Market, with everything from Christmas decorations, jewellery, spice mixes and paintings, to home-made crafts, cakes and calendars all available to buy on the day.
With a wonderful surprise visit from Father Christmas along with beautiful candle arrangements, teddy bears and hedgehogs, it will be easy to get into the Christmas spirit in Ripponden this year!
Across the past decade the church have held a huge variety of other events to raise money for the re-development, including an annual Duck Race and Garden Party, Cream Teas and stalls at the annual Rushbearing festival, along with an annual Ladies’ Lunch at the Fleece Inn, Barkisland.
St Bartholomew’s has also held Epiphany Suppers, Beetle Drives and one-off events such as Pennies for Heaven, which involved the whole community collecting pennies in plastic milk bottles to raise money for the re-development project.
Members of the church also run market stalls in Halifax as well as events like the Ripponden Gala and the Tour de Yorkshire to add to the fundraising pot.
To register your interest in making some crafts for the Craft Fair or holding a stall at the Winter Market, please email Ann Teasdale on: amteasdale@btinternet.com
For more information on the Big Band concert, visit the ‘Event’ page here: http://www.westyorkshiredales.anglican.org/content/calderdale-big-band-concert
For more information on the Craft Fair, visit the ‘Event’ page here: http://www.westyorkshiredales.anglican.org/content/st-bartholomews-craft-fair
For more information on the Winter Market, visit the ‘Event’ page here: http://www.westyorkshiredales.anglican.org/content/st-bartholomews-winter-market
To find out more about St Bartholomew’s and its re-development, please visit their website here: www.stbart.co.uk