A CAMPAIGNER against the closure of a church hall in Dovecot, within the diocese of Liverpool, is trying to lift funds to purchase it for continued community use. The constructing is in the marketplace for £150,000.
The Church of the Holy Spirit, with which it was allied, was itself closed under the Mission and Pastoral Order 2011, in September. A petition began on the web site change.org by a resident of Dovecot Knotty Ash, Toby Thistlewaite, lamented its loss as “a spiritual haven” and a “beacon of community”. The proposed closure, he said on the time, “leaves the area people without the advantages our church provides way beyond its religious offerings”.
A press release on the sale of the church hall, requested from the diocese, said: “Following a protracted period of discernment and consultation with community groups, the parish decided it not had the resources to sustain the management of the church hall.
“However, we’ve all the time maintained a desire that if possible the constructing is used for the community. Prior to our marketing exercise, we sought to work with existing users and encourage them to bring forward viable proposals. We proceed to hope that through the marketing exercise, we are going to find someone who can use the church and hall for the advantage of the community.”
Wayne Blundell, who coaches ju-jitsu classes within the hall, has opposed the sale, telling the Liverpool Echo: “Selling the hall can be detrimental to everyone — kids in addition to adults. It would have a terrible impact on the community if we couldn’t use it any more. The hall needs saving. It’s vital.”
Mr Blundell referred to activities held within the hall, including a foodbank. He has arrange a GoFundMe page, on which he writes: “Church constructing halls play a central role within the social fabric and social infrastructure of communities in ways we don’t even necessarily take into consideration until they’re not there.
“They are greater than amenities. . . The isolation that got here with the pandemic has affected our society in profound ways, and plenty of communities are fractured. People have to feel that they belong again.
