Planned Works and Maintenance

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Achievements in 2007

2007 was a very busy year at St Hugh’s with our major project to extend the Lobby area being completed. The feedback from parishioners indicates that this has been a worthwhile project. The new Oak cladding enhances the external appearance of the church whilst the extended space adds a valuable resource to the Parish. The work also revealed some major repair work which was necessary to support the roof of the old lobby area. This was an unexpected task which added to the overall cost but which was imperative to keep the building safe.

This project was only possible due to the generous response of parishioners to the Planned Giving initiative in 2006 which provided a step change in Parish income. Fr Jeff then received the generous offer of a loan to enable this work to proceed before sufficient funds had been accumulated to finance the work. Sincere thanks to the anonymous donor who made this possible – thank you for your generosity.

Once the builders had completed their work in the church, many parishioners gave their time and elbow grease to clean the inside of the building and the raised bed at the front. Thank-you for your help which, with the building and re-decoration work, has transformed our church.

Final thanks go to Darren and Mike of Blue Valley Builders who were responsible for the major building and repair projects. Their responsible attitude to working within the church was greatly appreciated by all, keeping the building tidy, providing quiet time for services so that parish life could continue and being so flexible to meet the needs of the Parish and users of the church facilities. The table below provides a summary of the many other jobs which were completed to address some of the outstanding issues on our Health & Safety Risk Assessments. Whilst there are still a few outstanding issues to address, all the major items are now complete and the focus now reverts to maintaining and enhancing the fabric of our properties to address the changing needs of the Parish.

Plans for 2008

After the hectic activity last year, a quieter year is scheduled to allow some breathing space whilst the bank balances recover! The extended lobby was planned with the intention of providing a new, purpose built Repository fixture. Plans for this have now been finalised and the new unit should be available in the first half of 2008.

Last year’s appeal, for funding to clean and repair the statue of St Hugh at the front of the church, was generously supported. Lodge Brothers have now completed this work, restoring the very dirty marble to its original white state, making and fixing new fingers and thumb and re-attaching the top of the crook. Options to provide a cover for the statue to protect it from rain and the ravages of the English weather are now being explored.

The table below shows the outstanding tasks which need to be scheduled as time and resources allow.

Planned Maintenance and Improvements

  Outstanding Tasks Maintenance Health & Safety
1 Clean the statue of St Hugh on the front of the church and provide a weather shield cover Yes  
2 Decorate and re-order the sacristies to improve storage facilities and create a more fitting environment for the Sacrament of Reconciliation Yes  
3 Repair / replace one of the fire exit doors in the small hall. Yes  
4 Coat / paint the pebbledash facing panels on the rear and side of the church to waterproof and stabilise them Yes  
5 Replace the cast iron Hall guttering with low maintenance, lightweight plastic guttering Yes Yes
6 Replace the ceiling panels in the Hall Yes  
7 Replace broken window panes in the church Yes  
8 Install a new Repository unit in the church lobby Yes  
9 Re-fit the lobby furniture and a noticeboard Yes  
10 Update and re-fit the sign at the front of the church Yes  
       
  Tasks completed in 2007 Maintenance Health & Safety
1 Replace the Church side exit door, replace the door frame as the transom is bowing, trapping the doors. Replace the double doors with a single door to improve the exit capacity and secure with crush bolt. Yes Yes
2 Re-paint the interior of the church. Yes  
3 Install emergency lighting in the church.   Yes
4 Replace the 2 fuse boards in the church with new consumer units fitted with mini circuit breakers. Mark the power isolators and distribution boards in all buildings in accordance with regulations.   Yes
5 Extend the church lobby to enclose the area occupied by the narthex window – include a new fire exit door in this corner and create a new Repository area. Yes Yes
6 Re-lay the paving and steps outside the Presbytery, the steps leading to the boiler room and any slabs needing attention outside the church Yes Yes
7 Repair / replace the exit door from the ‘flower’ cupboard in the church Yes  
8 Create new storage facilities in the Hall for the Youth Club equipment, then empty the meter cupboard of stored materials and equipment   Yes
9 Extend the exterior lighting on the premises to include the rear and side of the church   Yes
10 Replace the timber fascias on the covered way with low maintenance UPVC boards Yes  
11 Improve the emergency lighting test points in the Hall and undertake maintenance as required Yes Yes
12 Decorate the Living room and 1st floor bed/sitting room suite in the Presbytery Yes  
13 Cut security vision panels in the Sacristy doors./td>   Yes
14 Repair the church floor where required and seal Yes  
15 Provide new water supply to the Ladies WCs in the Hall and decommission the water storage tank Yes Yes
16 Replant the raised bed at the front of the church Yes  
17 Clean the inside of the Aluminium widow frames in the church Yes  
18 Cut the hedges in the car park and repair / replace the fencing to provide a secure boundary Yes Yes
19 Repair damaged plasterboard in large hall Yes  

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       The Arundel and Brighton Diocesan Trust is a Registered Charity No 252878.