Unfortunately some of our building was damaged in torrential rain in mid-May. We’re posting updates here so to keep you in the loop about what’s happening. The most recent updates are at the top of the page.

10.09.24

Things are moving on with out repairs and refurbishment! The Yellow and Blue Room floors have been fixed and this week the painters are in. We are hoping to place the order for our replacement kitchen within the week. Thanks for your patience during the upheavals! 

09.08.24

Following the floods earlier in the year, we are delighted that the contractors have been chosen and work starts on 20th August. It will take up to 2 months to rewire, renew and repair the affected rooms. During that time we don't expect our Sunday services to be affected, but if you are a mid-week building user there will be changes as some rooms are temporarily out of action. Please ensure you follow all health and safety signs and requirements when you visit the building.

09.07.24

Thanks for all your prayers and support for everyone involved in the building work post flood. We have been working our way through a long list of checks, surveys and inspections. This has been a real team effort; the Building Surveyor and Loss Adjuster have been outstanding. We expect electrical work to commence by the end of this month and we are hopeful that all the messy and disruptive building/decorating jobs will be carried out during the quieter summer holiday period. Update to follow once we have a firm start date.

14.06.24

We’re still running de-humidifiers in the Blue and Yellow Rooms and in the Cafe to dry out our floors and ceilings. The electricians have also been in this week to assess the scale of the damage and which parts of the building need rewiring.  Once the damage has been fully assessed, the Surveyor will list what needs to be done and we can go out to tender for the works. At the moment we don’t have a timescale for repairs but will keep you posted!

06.06.24

A message from Charly our Maintenance Co-ordinator: 

"The building surveyor has been to assess the damage and the drying is almost complete. Now the process of appointing contractors can begin. There is a significant amount of work to be done and we will update again when we have a start date. As well as fixing the damage indoors we will be making some alterations to the gutters and resealing the window frames to avoid any future flooding issues.” 

Please pray for the speedy resolution of these problems so that we can get back to welcoming  our community into the building and resume our full programme of events and activities. 

21.05.24

Following last week’s flooding we are delighted that our fire protection system has been replaced and we are able to meet together as a church family on Sunday. Two of our Kids Church rooms (Blue and Yellow) will be out of action for a while and the Cafe downstairs can be used to walk through but not to sit in. Don’t worry - we can still serve refreshments from the back of the Main Hall! 

The front entrance and car parking are not affected at all. However, to make the most of the space we have for Kids and Youth we are moving some of our groups around. If you are bringing under 18s on Sunday please let them know may not be in their regular groups and will not be in their usual rooms. If you can arrive a little earlier than usual to find out where to go and sign them in, it would be much appreciated! 

Please pay attention to safety signage and make sure your children and young people only use the rooms designated and you know where they are before and after the services. 

A huge thanks to the volunteers and staff team who were in the venue during the deluge and who grabbed every possible mop, towel and bin to try and soak up water and minimise the damage. We’re still in the process of getting the cause of the flooding evaluated and the damage assessed. We’re also engaging professionals to develop a plan to have work done as quickly and efficiently as possible. We know there is still some drying out to be done as well as spaces to be rewired, floors and equipment to be replaced and rooms to decorate. We’ll keep you posted!

Here are some photos of what’s been going on: 

17.05.24

Following this week’s deluge, some parts of our building have suffered water damage and are still being assessed. Power to some rooms is off and a number of floors are soaking wet, but most importantly our fire protection system is not working.

As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our morning service this Sunday (19th May). We’re sorry that we won’t be able to meet together but we would encourage you to use the time to gather with friends from your Life Group or with your neighbours. Don’t forget there is a great opportunity to worship in the evening at the Churches Together Pentecost service at HOPE Church Winchester at 6pm. 

We’ve set the wheels in motion with our insurance company for damage assessment & repair.  Our first priority is to reinstate the fire protection system, ensuring that the building is safe for everyone to meet in. We should have more information about this early next week. 

Storehouse will continue to operate serving the most vulnerable in our community. A number of smaller meetings and events at the building will be affected over the next few weeks. If this involves you, please check with your group leader before making your journey in. 

We will post updates on our Social Media channels and through the newsletter. In the meantime, please join us in praying for a smooth & swift resolution to this situation. 

With every blessing

Nigel & Jo Hemming

(Senior Pastors, Winchester Vineyard Church)