The St Mark’s church hall is a hidden gem in the community; up to 800 people use the centre each week – more than four times the average Sunday congregation. It offers your place in our space to an incredibly diverse range of organisations and individuals in the Harlesden/ Kensal Rise community.

 

There is huge potential to open the doors to many more and make St Mark’s an even more important community resource, but the facilities need a makeover. Our ambition is to install eco-friendly and effective heating, new kitchen and toilets, and to redesign the layout to give more flexibility to the space and disabled access throughout. St Mark’s will then be able to support and adapt to changing community needs.

 

Launched in June 2009, The Makeover Project is an ambitious five-year redevelopment plan.  

 

Our targets are challenging - we are looking to raise £750,000 or more - but we are off to a good start: at the time of launch, there was nearly £90,000 in hand, partly from grants.

 

With fundraising now well underway, we’re looking forward to making steady progress with the help of everyone in our community and a proportion of our funding will be achieved through grants. 

 

The benefits of the Makeover Project will reach beyond the Church congregation to the whole local community. We want everyone, whether they worship at St Mark’s or not, to benefit from and use the facilities. And for that reason, we are inviting the whole community to help us on our fundraising journey.

 

There are lots of ways for you to help in making this project work. Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have an idea or want to contribute in one or more of the following ways:

 

Donations:

 

First of all, we need sustained giving – a little at a time – to build up to the figure we need. Here are some ways you can give as you feel able:

 

• a cheque payable to ‘St Mark’s Church’;

• a cash donation;

• standing order;

• a secure banking transfer;

• a loan.

 

Please don’t forget to Gift Aid your donations so we can claim back tax! For information or advice on any of the above, please ask our treasurers Jackie Nurse and Latham Noble. You can email them via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject heading ‘donation advice’.

 

Fundraising:

 

We have established a fundraising team to co-ordinate fundraising suggestions and events. If you have any ideas, small or large, then either email us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or use the suggestions box in the church. If you’re willing to get involved in organising an event, even better! But it’s not all about grand gestures: the Makeover Project is a great opportunity for involving lots of people in small ways. Could you address envelopes at home? Could you spare a morning if we need to clear some space in the church? Any time or resources you can spare will be gratefully received.

 

Skills and contacts:

 

All kinds of contributions will help us on the road to success. Do you have useful contacts, or know a celebrity who would put in an appearance at an event or donate an autographed item? Do you have a skill or talent that you could offer at an auction night? Do you have contacts in the building trade who might be interested in providing a quote when we put the building work out to tender? If you can help, please get in touch.

 

Prayer:

 

“And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” John 15:16

 

Pray for this project, and for all who come through our doors.