We are pleased to be able to update everyone that we have now agreed Heads of Terms with the PCC for the carpark and the Diocesan Registry has been instructed to draw up the lease.
During negotiations with the PCC we shared our vision for St Michael’s and the Daily Bread, which we would also like to share again with others. The aim has always been to bring this important heritage building back to the heart of the community.
The commercial aspect of the bakery will ensure the building can be financially sustainable, but an integral aspect of the Daily Bread is to enable people to use and enjoy the building on a regular basis.
During the day the micro bakery and café will welcome people who drop in to purchase fresh bread and pastries, also to enjoy a drink and cake or light snack in the beautiful environment.
To supplement the daytime café offer our vision is for the baker to put on evening events, such as Pizza and Pudding Evenings for the whole village and supporters to enjoy.
In addition, we hope the baker will offer various training courses, bread making, patisserie etc on a rolling programme across the year subject to demand.
In addition to events organised by the baker we hope the building will be used for a wide variety of purposes, all appropriate for the building and the village. These could include:
- Musical activities, to benefit from the wonderful acoustics, such as choirs, orchestras, musical theatre groups – this could be regular practice bookings and performances
- Heritage activities, local history societies, heritage talks, genealogy classes
- Art and literature, book clubs, photography societies, exhibitions, craft classes
- Food and local produce, taste it evenings, bring and share.
This is just a flavour of how we hope the building will be used.
Although the church remains a closed church we will welcome back occasional worship and the space may also be used for bible classes, church meetings and all the other things that go on regularly in churches beyond Sunday worship.
Throughout the year BAcRG will be aiming to put on various fundraising events and activities and will encourage the local community to enjoy and take responsibility for the building.
The Daily Bread project seeks to ensure St Michael’s has a sustainable future for generations to come and never again faces the risk of redundancy and deterioration from under use and lack of community support.
We are hoping to host a community meeting at St Michael’s later in the year, once Covid restrictions have hopefully eased. More details will follow later in the Spring.
We are looking for more people to get involved in the Daily Bread project. The project has been in development for nearly 10 years. We have secured the necessary planning permissions and consents and completed the Phase I repairs. We hope that over the next 12 months we will be able to secure the funding to finally make the Daily Bread happen.
If you would like to get involved, please contact one of the Trustees, Jo Pilkington, Tom McCarthy and Oliver Marshall or email: info@thedailybread.org.uk
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