12 October 2021
Work has begun this week to prepare the site for a brand-new church and community centre to be built in the Springfield and Ringlestone Area of Maidstone.
St Faith’s Centre will be a modern, bright, accessible multi-purpose space for the local community to enjoy. It will also serve as the local Anglican church, replacing the original St Faith’s building in the centre of Maidstone, which will be sold to help fund the project.
The Revd Canon Arthur Houston, Priest-in-Charge of the Benefice of Maidstone St Faith, said “We can’t believe that after all the hard work over the last few years that we are ready to start the construction of the St Faith’s Centre, it’s just so exciting.”
“This is the first new church to be built in the Diocese of Canterbury in many years,” added the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, “and it signals an exciting new phase in the life of this community. The creativity, commitment and tenacity of those who have birthed this project over many years is something for us all to celebrate and learn from.”
The old St Faith’s Hall - which has been the only community facility in the area for many years - together with the adjacent vicarage, will be demolished to make way for the new building. This week, local building firm Harry Barnes Homes has moved onto the new site to begin this work.
A team from St. Faith’s Church and the Ringlestone Community Centre Development Group is leading the project and have worked with architect Richard Hawkes to develop plans for the sustainable and environmentally friendly building. Wherever possible, building materials are being sourced locally and from UK suppliers.
People can donate online to the project via the JustGiving page and will be able to follow the development of the site and new building on a dedicated Facebook page.
It is anticipated that the new building will be open and ready for use in Autumn 2022.