Jesmond United Reformed Church (JURC) will be celebrating the end of a four month renovation project with a re-opening service at 3pm on Sunday November 16th.

Jesmond URC are putting the final touches to phase one of their regeneration project. The main body of the church has been redecorated, the pews replaced by comfortable chairs and a new, brighter colour scheme introduced. The new design is intended to make the church more of a community centre, allowing the building to be booked for other events.

The 19^th Century church could originally seat 700 people, but with congregations dropping across the country throughout the 20^th Century, the Elders at Jesmond URC elected for a practical redesign.

Alison Shiel, the church secretary, told JesmondLocal that the development group, formed in 2006, aimed to make the church building more useful for “activities sacred and secular.” The church joins Jesmond Library in embracing increased public use of its buildings to help preserve its position in the community.

The renovations started in August 2014, overseen by Graham Hatt. Alongside the changes in interior decoration, Jesmond URC has installed new heating and lighting systems, making the building more efficient.

Shiel reports that “work on the [church] hall, new foyer, new toilets and exterior landscaping with full disabled access” is ready to begin. Phase two starts on Monday 17th November and is predicted to last until March 2015.

The money to fund the renovation works been raised in part by the congregation, and in part by donations from both the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and Garfield Weston Foundation. A substantial donation was also received from the Northern Synod.

Haldane House Community Garden has also been subject to a redevelopment by Jesmond URC, and will soon to be “open to members of the public to use as a quiet oasis,” Shiel said.