New Church Project

We have a new Church & Community Centre which will provide worship and service to the local community well into the 21st century. Building the new church has been a mammoth and what many felt, impossible task and has only been achieved through the hard work and amazing generosity of so many individuals and organisations. The decision to build a new church & community centre was made in 2013 when Cleggs Lane Methodist Church and Wharton United Reform Church agreed to join together as one church on the Cleggs Lane site. The old Cleggs Lane Methodist Chapel was in need of major renovation and the decision to be a brand new church was made.

In November 2014, Wharton United Reform Church in Highgate Lane was sold and the move to Cleggs Lane went ahead. The two congregations worshipped together in the old Cleggs Lane Chapel before formally joining together in June 2015 to become Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church & Community Centre. Discussions for a new building began almost immediately and the initial estimate to build the new church & community centre was £650,000. A fund raising appeal was launched and talks began with architects and planners. It was to be a long journey with many challenges to overcome. A contract to build the new church was finally signed in January 2019 with Rosslee Construction and groundwork began in March 2019. Whilst construction took place, church services and other community activities continued in the old chapel building until February 2020, when demolition work on the old chapel commenced.

The Covid 19 pandemic took effect in March 2020, causing extra delays in completing the new building. Construction work by Rosslee was completed in June 2020 and other jobs, including fitting the flooring and decorating the new building commenced (under social distancing restrictions). It was wonderful to hold the first service in the new church on 1st November 2020, before Government Covid restrictions prevented any further services for several weeks.

Work continued in early 2021, with a car park being laid and perimeter fencing fitted and church services resumed in April 2021. Community activities slowly began to resume in May 2021 and we look to the future with great hope and anticipation. The final total cost of the new building is £1.1 million. This has been raised through individual donations, special efforts and grant support from many organisations.

Sincere thanks go to everyone who has supported us on our journey to date. You have helped to provide a wonderful facility in Little Hulton which will be a great benefit for the local community for many years to come.

Thank you and God Bless.