One of Hove’s oldest charities is launching a £1 million fundraiser to redevelop the former church it has used as its HQ for more than 70 years.
Grace Eyre, which supports people with learning disabilities and autism, runs daily sessions at the Montefiore Road building.
It’s also a venue for community events such as the inclusive club night Purple Clubhouse, various Brighton Fringe productions at its Purple Playhouse theatre and – each May – an Artists Open House exhibition.
The charity says it’s now in urgent need of modernisation and improvement and hopes to launch a regeneration project early next year.
It wants to build eight flats for independent living and an arts centre with a theatre and cafe.
Chief executive Eva Eriksson said: “We are very excited to be so close to our long-awaited Big Build, which will be transformative and create hundreds of new opportunities for the people we support, now and in the future.
“But we need our community to rally together to be able to make our plans a reality. Every donation will bring us one step closer to unlocking the potential of our building. Please help us by donating today.”
Kirsty Pentecost, Grace Eyre Trustee and Ambassador, said: “I can’t wait for the Big Build to happen as the new building will be so much more accessible with Active Lives and the theatre all on the ground floor, as well as eight accessible flats.
“It’s exciting to see how the space will evolve. Please donate to help us build the future.”
Every donation will contribute to an inspiring and inclusive space for people with a learning disability and autistic people to learn new skills, gain confidence and increase their independence.
Visit www.grace-eyre.org/bigbuild to find out more and make your donation.
Oh dear. Sounds like a beautiful building is in danger of ruination. Is it listed?
I have attended many events there and It seems to work really well just the way it is.
Surely they can build some ugly flats somewhere else and leave it alone.
It is not statutorily listed, but it is on the city council’s Local List of Heritage Assets. It was built in 1904 for a congregation of Bible Christian Methodists, incidentally.
Hi there. On behalf of Grace Eyre, you can be assured that respecting our heritage and the community space we occupy is a core priority of this project. The exterior façade will be restored only, rather than changed, so will continue to look the same as it does now. However, the internal space will be completely reconfigured to provide a vibrant space that meets the needs and aspirations of the people who use it and create a sustainable building to complement and enrich our community. Having loved being there since 1950, we’re looking forward to an exciting future in Montefiore Road! We hope to be welcoming you back to more Grace Eyre events soon.
A charity for people with disabilities is fund raising to do up the facade of a building? Costing £1m?
Wouldn’t it be far more cost effective to find a property that was more suitable, and could be easily adapted rather then a former church?
Hi. No, we’re only restoring the façade of our building (which hasn’t been a church for a very long time), while the main work will be to the interior, with designs that make sure we meet the needs and aspirations of the people we support, now and in the future, in as innovative, sustainable and cost-effective way as possible. Do have a look at http://www.grace-eyre.org/bigbuild for more info and feel free to get in touch via the contacts on that page if you’d like to know anything else about our plans or to discuss them
Grace Eyre has already secured most of the funding for this, if I’m correct?
Hi, we’re very grateful to have raised a significant amount through grants but we’re now calling on our community to help reach our target
Good luck! I hope you reach the target!
Some of the exterior has been spoilt already with the main original wooden doors having been replaced with modern glass monstrosities…I hope this is not a portent of things to come…the building has great character inside and out and was a pleasure to work in…please keep it aways from the more extremist architects who would certainly destroy it as they often do with buildings that form part of our heritage.
Am I right in thinking it’s bigger than it is-to get 8 Flats ( however small or big in there)
I mean I think it’s a good idea, and more Events are needed within Grace Eyre for all to Attend, Can members of public go into chat, play Bingo etc
I mean from the outside it looks great, never been in, but my Friends attend sometime.