School rescues chapel (From Gazette Series)

School rescues chapel

HILLESLEY'S 275-year-old Baptist chapel has been rescued from disrepair and given a new lease of life as a hall for its school and community.

The Diocese of Gloucester's Board of Education has bought the chapel, which has been disused for the last five years and listed building in Kilcott Road will be fully refurbished to become a hall for Hillesley Church of England Primary School and an arts centre for the wider community. The current school hall is very small and used for a multitude of purposes throughout the day.

Gillian Hayward, chairman of Hillesley School governors, said: "The chapel will give us space dedicated to music, gym and dance, whole-school assemblies and performances which means our current hall can be a more focused teaching area, particularly for design and technology.

"At the moment, our space is very cramped and staff spend a great deal of time moving furniture and equipment in order to fit everything in. We also hope to turn part of our current hall into a staff room and quiet area so we no longer have to do one to one reading in the busy corridor."

Head teacher Janet Raven said: "Hillesley school is at the heart of the village. The chapel will give us the opportunity to draw more people into the school, to share our facilities for a range of uses and boost community spirit."

The Rev David Russell, rector of St Giles' Church, in Hillesley, and foundation governor, said: "I am so glad to see the diocese make this investment in the life of the school and the village. We have inherited a great resource from generations of worshippers and have a great opportunity to use this to the benefit of the children and the community."

Rob Stephens, of the Diocesan Board of Education, said: "In view of the fact that the school has no existing land to develop, we're pleased to have come up with a solution, and delighted to have found a use for this dilapidated old building that has real potential."

Although the diocese has purchased the building, the school will pay for the running costs and is set to embark on a major fund-raising scheme.

A service of thanksgiving for the last two-and-a-half centuries will take place on Sunday (3pm) in the Baptist Chapel and a public meeting will also be held to discuss the refurbishment plans once the drafts are available.