Ryde Town Council is working closely with a number of bodies so that the St Thomas Church building becomes a focal point for the community. Among other potential uses the building is seen as the natural next home for the fast-evolving youth service – Network Ryde who desperately need the extra space to cope with growing demand and to expand their offer to young people. Young people are very much at the heart of this purchase and will be involved at each stage of the decision-making process to ensure that we develop a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for young people.
There are a number of items that have been happening behind the scenes at St Thomas this year, but we will be the first to admit that the transformation of the church has been slower than we would have liked.
However, we now have a number of areas of development to announce.
We are set to work with Brightspace architects on the project – helping us to create something very special for Network Ryde. Consultation with young people is being arranged for January and February 2022 to help shape the project and outline how Network Ryde will use the building. Brightspace Architecture website
Paul Ronan Roofing are going to be fixing the roof in the new year with a target finish time of March 31 2022. This is a £30,000 piece of work that needs completing before the internal works can properly begin. Paul Ronan roofing website
