Cedar Rise – a Vision for the Village

We’re sure you’re aware that Cedar Rise, the wooden bungalow that sits below St. Catherine’s church in the village centre, has recently been put up for sale.Last week a small group from the village met with representatives from the Church Diocese and then subsequently our local councillor, David Summers, to see if the property could be used to provide much needed disabled access to the church and some degree of parking.

There is no doubt that the long-term usability and therefore sustainability of the church is under threat if access to it is not improved. With lack of use comes lack of revenues and funds, lack of local and wider support for grants and funding, and ultimately the threat of its closure. Put simply - use it or lose it.

Creating a Legacy

This cycle CAN be reversed if we can make the church accessible and usable as an integrated part of our community through using the building for both church and village events; meetings, concerts, clubs, village teas in the cloisters, as well as making it more attractive for weddings, funerals and the ever popular h.Art event. It really could be a focal point for our beautiful and much loved village.

The site would open up a fabulous opportunity of creating vehicular access to the church and sympathetically create a village community space, maybe a community garden with seats, benches and trees etc. The views back across the river meadow and Wye valley from the site would be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

But how?

The big question is financing the acquisition of Cedar Rise. It’s a lot of money, but firstly we need to gauge village and local interest in whether this is something we want to explore further.

With improved access, can we see the vision for the church building becoming a more integrated part of village life?

Could we ‘mobilise’ a workforce to create a space that breathes life into the centre of our beautiful and beloved village?

Together, could we leave a legacy for generations to come, that helps secure the future of one of the most spectacular churches in our part of the world?

Please join us

We’d love you to join us on Tuesday 23^rd February 7:30pm on Zoom to discuss further, and to try and answer some of the many questions.

We don’t have a silver bullet, or a pot of gold for that matter, but we do have a wonderful chance, in fact, a once in a lifetime opportunity to come together as a village to make something very special.It would be a defining moment for our community.

We need everyone’s support!

To Join Zoom Meeting co-ordinates are

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81795483621?pwd=R3dWUXZYblFac2dJYVNydzY3UHNIZz09

Meeting ID: 817 9548 3621

Passcode: 353872

Jeff Goulding & Peter Pember (On behalf of everyone in Hoarwithy)