Diary

January
Sung Eucharist & Sunday School	Sundays		10.30	Church
Family Service with Eucharist	Sunday	January 4	10.30	Church
Baptisms	Sunday	January 11	10.30 /12.00	Church
Said Eucharist	Tuesdays		6.00	Church
Youth Group	Alternate Tuesdays	Jan 6 / Jan 20	6.30 – 8.30	??
Mothers & Toddlers Group	Tuesdays		9.00 – 11.00	Trimdon Village Hall
Bookings for Baptisms & Weddings	Wednesdays		5.30 – 6.30	Church
Baptism Preparation	Wednesday	January 14	??	St Alban’s Church Hall
Maintenance Group	Thursdays		1.30 – 4.00	Church & East Cemetery
Evening of Words & Pictures	Friday	January 31	7.30	BA Town Hall
Parish Christian Unity Service	Wednesday	January 21	7.30	Sedgefield Methodist
Skerne Folk Night	Friday	January 23	8.00	Labour Club
District Church Council Meeting	Monday	January 26	7.30	Church
February
Sung Eucharist & Sunday School	Sundays		10.30	Church
Family Service with Eucharist	Sunday	February 1	10.30	Church
Baptisms	Sunday	February 8	10.30 /12.00	Church
Said Eucharist	Tuesdays		6.00	Church
Mothers & Toddlers Group	Tuesdays		9.00 – 11.00	Trimdon Village Hall
Bookings for Baptisms & Weddings	Wednesdays		5.30 – 6.30	Church
Baptism Preparation	Wednesday	February11	??	St Alban’s Church Hall
Maintenance Group	Thursdays		1.30 – 4.00	Church & East Cemetery
District Church Council Meeting	Monday	February 23	7.30	Church
Ash Wednesday Service	Tuesday	February 24	6.00	Church
Childrens’ Society Sponsored Walk	Saturday	February 29	10.00 – 12.00	From Church

Loo and Vestry Project
Everyone who visits St Mary Magdalene Church, Trimdon Village, comments on what a lovely, welcoming building it is.  But it has ONE BIG PROBLEM!  No toilet!  The Diocesan Advisory Committee have recently given their stamp of approval to plans to provide this much needed facility at St Mary Magdalene Church. Providing that we receive faculty and local authority permission then an accessible toilet will be installed in a modified boiler house. If we can raise sufficient funds we will also extend the vestry to provide additional storage space and room to accommodate small meetings.

Toilet FAQs

Where will the new toilet be?
The boiler house will make a generous sized toilet, easily large enough to accommodate a wheelchair.

What about drainage?
An expensive part of the project is installing mains drainage. This church has water piped to it, but does not have mains drainage, so a link has to be created to the street drain outside the Black Bull.

Why don’t we install a toilet that doesn’t need mains drainage?
1. A composting toilet converts human waste into an organic compost and usable soil, through the natural breakdown of organic matter into its essential minerals. There would not be sufficient waste to sustain this system.
2. A septic tank is a small scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes.  There is not enough space to bury one behind the building in line with current regulations.

Will there be any alterations to the heating system?
 A new wall hung boiler will need to be installed and one radiator moved.

What will the visual impact be inside the church?
The new toilet will be accessed through a new doorway at the top of the north aisleand the door will match the new porch door (but without the glass!). 

What will the visual impact be outside the building?
This will not change.  The space between the outside door and the inner wall will house gas and electrics meters.

What are the advantages of having a toilet?
1. Since we do not have a church hall, it opens up exciting possibilities for developments in church and community activities, those for young people in particular. 
2. The comfort level for all who use the building will be greatly improved.
3. The central heating boiler needs upgrading anyway.


Vestry FAQs

Why does the vestry need to be extended?
1. This room is not large enough for modern needs.
2. The old built-in storage furniture is inadequate.
3. The church has almost no storage space, so we need to make the best use of the space in the vestry.
4. A larger vestry would offer storage for our Youth Group’s under-used computer-related equipment, which is currently stored and used by them in St Alban’s Church Hall, Trimdon Grange.

What will the visual impact be inside the church?
This will not change. 

What will the visual impact be outside the building?
1. The vestry will be extended eastwards, utilising an ‘empty’ corner of the building.
2. The ‘rubble’ finish to walls will be maintained.
3. If possible, the current window and surround will be re-installed,
4 .The slate roof will match the existing roof level.

How will the vestry be arranged inside?
We don’t know, yet, but it will need:-
1. A desk or surface to write on, with at least one chair.
2. Hanging space for vestments, albs etc.
3. Storage space for documents, service paraphernalia, cleaning equipment etc.
4. Room for people to move around without falling over each other!


Costs
The project is currently expected to need at least £75,000 to complete. Taking into account grants, donations, an amount from savings, fundraising and a very timely legacy we now have £40,847 available for the project. We’re still short of about £35,000, but with the support of people who would like to see our well-loved ancient building brought into the 21st century, we know it can be raised.  If you feel able to make a donation to the Loo & Vestry Fund, cheques should be made payable to ‘Trimdon PCC’ and sent to
   St Mary Magdalene Church Treasurer
   Mrs Joan Clifford
   Dropswell Farm
   Trimdon Village
   Co Durham
   TS29 6NL

Progress Report
The local authority have now received our planning application for the extension to the vestry and we are pressing ahead with quotations for the installation of the new toilet and the vestry extension.
Plans and information are on display in church in the following locations:-
   New Loo                        Top of the north aisle where the door through to the toilet will be.
   Vestry Extension           Beside the vestry door.

Fundraising
This began in earnest last month and raised £647.04
   Coffee Morning    £270
   Sale of personalised Christmas cards   £360 
   'easyfundraising' website   £17.04. 
Please keep using http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/smmtrimdon when you shop online.  If anyone wants to nominate another charity or organisation to raise funds this way, please use our unique referral number  http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/referral/14331  and St Mary Magdalene church will benefit again.  In fact more than half of our funds raised have come from one single referred organisation. 
We just need to keep persuading family and friends to shop online at over 600 Brand Name retailers. For example, spend £25 with WH Smith and 3.5% will be donated. You will have raised £0.88 at no extra cost to your purchase. Make any purchase from Amazon and 2.5% will be donated. Insure your car with Direct Line and raise £35.00 or purchase a mobile phone from O2 and earn £17.50 and so on!
Give it a try at http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/smmtrimdon  or get friends and family to give it a try.

Next Event
Folk Night with Skerne in the newly refurbished Labour Club on Friday January 23rd from 8.00 pm. Tickets are £6 and are available from
The Labour Club / Lesley Tate on 01429 880346 or l_tate@btinternet.com