CHURCH trustee Christine Sykes is proving a formidable fundraiser.
Christine, also property manager and a steward at Trinity Methodist Church in Mirfield, has a task few would envy.
Christine has been spearheading a 10-year bid to completely refurbish the grade II listed town centre church.
It’s no wonder Christine has a hard hat for all the hard knocks she takes.
Christine is the one who seeks out grants and funding from a variety of sources and has to get used to rejection.
“I usually get two knock-backs for every success but you have to keep going,” said Christine. “I am fighting my corner and can’t let it get me down.”
The church is currently in the middle of a £585,000 refurbishment scheme and part of the church is a building site. The old Sunday school building at the back has been demolished and inside the church is being re-modelled with community rooms, a kitchen, toilets and a lift.
The church is still about £200,000 short of its target and Christine continues to chase down grants.
This month she went before Mirfield Town Council to ask for £5,000 towards a new heating system, but was turned down.
But that was good news. Town councillors said they didn’t want to pay towards heating, but instead offered £6,500 to install kitchen appliances.
Christine, not surprisingly, couldn’t believe her luck.
Next month Christine will go to the Denby Dale, Kirkburton and Mirfield Area Committee to ask for more money.
The first time Christine asked for £42,000 for the toilets and lift but was told that wasn’t possible as the area committee’s total annual budget was only £50,000!
Instead she has asked for £9,000, half the cost of the lift, and £8,000 for the toilets.
“I don’t want to be greedy but we have to get as much as we can,” Christine added..
The fundraising started in 2001 and phase I – a new roof and other modernisations – were carried out in 2008.
The latest works are scheduled to finish on June 21 and Christine hopes any shortfall will be covered by a loan from church bosses.
