In 2022, the congregation undertook Phase 1a which aimed to move us towards clearer ideas of what was required. There were two extra steps at the top of the existing stone steps going into the chancel (where the altar is). This was a wooden box on top of the tiles installed after a fire in the 1970s. By removing this, we could see that the plans for the chancel (two small rooms) were no longer necessary. It returned the chancel to its original size and proportions.
On 18 November 2024, HM Raitt moved into the building as we started Phase 2. This will repair the fabric, including putting in secondary glazing and insulation, reworking the kitchen and installing a fully accessible toilet and redecoration. We are hoping to reopen the church for worship and community activities in April 2025.
Here you can see the progress through the project … each week a short reel of photos is posted on Facebook and Instagram…. these are archived here.
We are extremely grateful to all our funders: the National Churches Trust, the FCC Foundation, the Scottish Episcopal Church (including their Net Zero Fund), the National Heritage Lottery Fund, the Baird Trust, the Beatrice Laing Foundation, the Benefact Trust, the Congregational and General Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Portobello Amenity Group and the James T Howat Charitable Trust. This will the release of church reserves and fundraising has raised the necessary £750,000 to enable this work to take place.
We are still seeking funds to install kitchen units and appliances. If you would like to contribute, we would be so grateful, please follow this link:
