The Church of the Good Shepherd in Poole wants to raise £1.5 million to replace its current home.

Although the church was established in 1931, the church still meets in the first building in the area, which was a ‘temporary’ wooden structure.

The original church building was expanded in 1949 with a hall and rooms added, which are used by a large number of church and community groups.

According to its Just Giving page, the plans are to create “an all-new building which combines excellent church and community facilities, serving the local area for the rest of the 21st century and beyond.”

The plans include a worship area which is also suitable for other gatherings, a hall of a similar size to the old one, a fully-equipped kitchen, a foyer/coffee bar, a meeting room, office, toilets, storage and a 20 space car park.

Rev Peter Homden from the church told Premier News Hour: “We’ve always had an amazing history in the parish of our outreach to children and young people and that’s developed over the years and evolved.

“We’re involved in various other projects in the area, specifically with our physically and mentally disabled folk.

“The church has to see itself as helping more socially in the community but we specifically have a history of it since it’s been built.”

The planning application was approved by the Borough of Poole last year and the project is supported by the Diocese of Salisbury and the Bishop of Sherborne, Rt Rev Karen Gorham.

Listen to Rev Peter…

The 2016 Mission Statistics also show the average-sized Church of England congregation typically attracts nine children to each service.

Approached about the issue, the Youth Officer for the Diocese of Chichester in Sussex told Premier that churches, too often, do not properly cater for older children.

Dan Jenkins said one issue was a shortage of volunteers leading to Sunday schools grouping teenagers together with younger children.

He told Premier: “If there do happen to be any teenagers [at church], then they’ll often just go out with the children and help with colouring.”

“That’s not enough to keep young people engaged and show young people that the church wants to invest in them.”

According to the figures, the typical medium-sized Church of England church can expect three youngsters at its service, compared to 35 children among the largest five per cent of congregations.

Calling for a more relationally-minded approach to Sunday schools and youth groups, Mr Jenkins said “young people commit to relationships, not programmes”.

He also cited potential for churches to work more closely with schools and parents, in order to encourage more families into church.

Mr Jenkins: “They [children] are committed to those that they’re in relationship with, those that they know; whether that is leaders, other adults in the church or to their own friends, that’s really what engages them with a particular activity.

Giving his reaction, former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord…

Leaders at Arocha UK have told Premier they are pushing for the payment, simply referred to as the T-charge, to be rolled out nationwide.

The organisation also said imposing the daily £10 fee on top of the existing £11.50 Congestion Charge was a justified burden for businesses.

Director of Conservation at the organisation, Andy Lester said: “The bottom line is it [pollution] is killing people.

“We have to think very hard about what is more important; whether a van can drive into central London or we start saving lives.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan introduced the T-charge, which largely applies to diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006, in a bid to improve the city’s “lethal air”.

The fee mirrors the Congestion Charge by applying only to the central London zone and cars operating weekdays between 7am and 6pm.

Mr Lester stated: “We are the second worst air polluters in Europe; figures from 2015 suggest 50,000 Britons died from exposure to man-made chemicals, and that’s nearly ten per cent of the deaths in the year, nationwide.”

“It [the t-charge] is a step in the right direction and, if you’re suffering from a health-related condition then you will be, excuse the pun, breathing a sigh of relief.”

The RAC automotive services company said Mr Khan is right to tackle the oldest vehicles but warned that “drivers may also see themselves as an easy target”.

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