Church refurbishment project recognised in Scottish Parliament
Published on 18 February 2019 1 minute read
An ambitious project to transform a church into a multipurpose community hub has been recognised in the Scottish Parliament.
Cross-party MSPs congratulated members of Mayfield and Easthouses Church in Midlothian for their sterling work and wished them well for the future.
The building underwent a £450,000 refurbishment to create a versatile and flexible space to enable the congregation to serve the local community in more imaginative ways.
Remodelling means the building is suitable for a wide range of activities like music productions, film screenings and exhibitions – opening up the possibility of being open seven days a week.
MSPs backed a motion lodged at Holyrood by Colin Beattie, who represents the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency.
He attended the official opening of the revamped church on February 7.
Mr Beattie said: "It is fantastic to see that the work to create a modern, comfortable church in the heart of Mayfield has now been completed.
"I hope that this will be a real asset to the community and open up opportunity for people to get involved and see the future possibilities for the church."
The building on Bogwood Road, Mayfield, which first opened in 1955, has new toilets, a smart heating system, modern kitchen and floor to ceiling windows which means it is flooded with natural sunlight.
A community café with children's play area and charity shop, selling a variety of items including clothing and bric-a-brac, offers the community a place to gather and share refreshments.
Mabel Currie, Session Clerk of Newbattle Parish, said: "We are absolutely delighted that work to create a modern, comfortable building in the heart of our community has now been completed.
"It is a source of great pride and joy for the congregation which has always used the church in creative ways and the refurbishment allows us to take that to the next level."