PEACE OF MIND: BARRATT HOMES MAKES £1,000 DONATION TO CHURCH GARDEN PROJECT

Barratt Homes has donated £1,000 to Midge Hall Methodist Church in Leyland as a contribution towards its Peace Garden.

The Church first opened for worship in 1867, with the chapel consisting of just a single room before works began in 1996 to create extensions. As well as the addition of more modern facilities, an entrance hall and a vestry office, the latest project undertake at the Church was the creation of the Peace Garden.

The garden has been beautifully crafted with blossoming beds of colourful flowers, newly planted tree saplings, carved wooden features and benches for church-goers and local residents to sit and enjoy the tranquillity of the area.

This donation was made through the developer’s Legacy initiative, which aims to support local community projects and organisations throughout the areas in which it builds. Midge Hall Church is located close to Barratt Homes’ Centurion Village development on Longmeanygate.

Leigh Naylor, Trusts and Grants Fundraiser at Midge Hall Church, said: “The Peace Garden came about when we were looking for space to remember loved ones by planting something.  As we had a huge field alongside the Church it seemed an ideal space to do this, and so the Peace Garden idea was born.

“As well as our congregation, we have had help from people in other churches in our circuit and we also have help from a Syrian refugee, who was a farmer of 15 years in his homeland, so he loved the opportunity to be involved in nature again.

“Our next project is to make raised beds for a Community Vegetable plot. With the financial crisis as it is, we hope to help those in need in our local community.”

The Peace Garden was supported by numerous organisations, including Barratt Homes, The Woodland Trust and South Ribble Borough Council, with a hand-carved plaque being unveiled by the Mayor of South Ribble, Councillor David Howarth.

Leigh added: “From the opening ceremony, we have made contact with new residents from the Barratt Homes development behind us and they are now active in the church with us. We also have people coming to relax in the space before or after a service or activity in the hall, and it has also been used for photos after a wedding or a christening.

“Barratt Homes has been great to work with and I hope we will be able to keep in touch with the development behind the church and continue to grow great links with the new residents.”

With Midge Hall Methodist Church being the direct neighbours of Centurion Village, the developer wanted to make a positive impact on both the local community and the new community that the development is bringing.

Michaela Lancaster, Sales Director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “As a leading developer, it is important that we support organisations in our surrounding areas in order to leave a positive impact in the communities in which we build.

“The project that Midge Hall Church has undertaken is a fantastic addition to the local community that will provide both the congregation and local residents the chance to relax, contemplate, grieve, or spend time with loved ones in a beautiful outdoor setting.

“We encourage all of the residents in the local area to ensure they enjoy the garden and treat it with the respect it deserves.”

To find out more about Midge Hall Methodist Church, visit its website at www.midgehallmethodistchurch.net/.

For more information or to book an appointment at the development, call the Barratt Homes sales team on 0333 355 8474 or visit the website at Centurion Village.