Celebrating Poundbury Magazine Issue 5: Celebrating 25 years of Poundbury | Page 12

NEWS
INSPIRING THE
Community
"Split over two floors the
new Dorchester Community
Church is set to offer facilities
such as a community café,
crèche, disabled accessibility
and wi-fi throughout plus
much more . "
The construction of the new Dorchester Community Church
continues at a steady pace along Peverell Avenue East and
Celebrating Poundbury took a tour inside to see the shape
of things to come.
O
Roger Frapwell and Paul Ellis
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Poundbury some years ago.”
ur guides for the tour
Split over two floors the new
were leader Roger
Dorchester Community Church is set to
Frapwell and youth
offer facilities such as a community café,
and family worker Paul
crèche, disabled accessibility and wi-fi
Ellis from the church.
throughout plus much more. Roger is
Building work began in early 2016 for
passionate to explain that regardless of
the relocation from the current site at
religion, the Dorchester Community
Acland Road in Dorchester.
Church will be a space to be used and
While the inside of the building
enjoyed by everyone in the community.
is currently a shell, the high-ceiling
“The new building is next to Damers
and flexibility of space is impressive.
School and being more than twice the
Walking around the building site, Roger
size of our old building, has been quite a
and Paul are thrilled at the prospect
leap of faith for us considering we are a
of becoming a part of the Poundbury
completely independent church with no
community, with completion expected
outside funding at all.
early next year.
“Pretty much everything that people
Roger says: “With there being so much
see within will have been provided by
talk over the years about the Charles
the members of the church. Hosting a
Street car park being developed in the
community café, purpose built kitchen,
town centre, it was really exciting to
main hall, creché, counselling room,
have been approached by The Duchy
wi-fi throughout, plus upstairs facilities
of Cornwall about the opportunity to
for children and youth, we're excited at
move to Poundbury.”
how the building will be able to be used
The new location offers two and a half
and hopefully
times more space
than the dated
"We're excited at how the building become a vibrant
resource for
Acland Road site.
will be able to be used and
local people
The community
hopefully become
especially.”
hall inside will be
Being the
named Acland
a vibrant resource for local
first church in
Hall and has the
people especially."
Poundbury,
capacity to seat
Roger and his team are planning how
140 people with an additional 60 if a
they will cater for their congregation.
partition is opened.
“With many people into spirituality
“Our current building in Acland
but not traditional 'church' we are also
Road is tired to say the least, having
rethinking how we might be able to
been built in 1904. With no church in
offer something different for people
Poundbury it didn't take too long for us
who wish to explore faith, like a café
to jump at the opportunity, so starting
church? Something for the parents of
with a blank canvas we began to plan
school kids?
facilities that we felt would attract a
“Breakfast-style church on a Monday
whole variety of people, regardless of
morning maybe?
their background,” adds Roger.
“It's an exciting time and people are
“We hope that this will complement
buzzing, but there's obviously still much
the 'Quiet Space' facility, which local
to do!”
churches ourselves included, initiated in
Top left: Free Family Fun Day on the Great Field
Above top: Fun at the kids Holiday Club
Above bottom: The bi-mothly senior citizen teas
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