Church group in care home hopes
MEMBERS of a Christian group are bidding to take over an unused former care home to transform it into a community hub.
The Penkhull Christian Fellowship has made an undisclosed six-figure offer to Stoke-on-Trent City Council for Hilton House, Hartshill.
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26-02-10 -- Daniel Chan is assistant minister with the Penkhull Christian Fellowship. The group wants to purchase the former Hilton House Care Home as they are oversubscribed at their current buildings on Franklin Road and Newcastle Lane. Reporter. Dave Knapper. Category. News - lead.
Members of the group, which has centres in Franklin Road and Newcastle Lane, Penkhull, say they have outgrown the venues.
Organisers say hosting children's clubs, youth groups and senior citizen gatherings has meant they have ran out of space.
Fellowship senior minister Mike Broad, aged 58, who has been with the group for 19 years, said: "We have two buildings at the moment, but are bursting at the seams."
Hilton House, in Hilton Road, has stood empty since closing in 2008.
And the fellowship has also indicated it would be interested in using some of its 47 rooms as a hospice or as accommodation for members.
Mr Broad said: "We would like to investigate the idea of leasing it.
"If we could move we are interested in introducing counselling services."
The fellowship's assistant minister Daniel Chan, aged 37, from Oakhill, said: "Moving would solve some of our problems, as we could put more facilities into one site.
"Obviously we would like to buy it, but that depends on what price the council wants. I don't think we could afford to pay the market value."
Should the bid be successful, it is thought the fellowship would look to retain the Franklin Road venue, while the building in Newcastle Lane would be put up for sale.
Small Steps day nursery uses the fellowship's buildings.
Owner Andrea Simcock-Bull, aged 36, from Knypersley, said: "We have a nursery in Stone Street, Penkhull, and started to run another club from the fellowship a week ago.
"If they were to move to Hilton House we could expand. We have more than 200 children on our books and a venue like this would be great."
Fellowship member, Bernard Blackband, aged 66, from Penkhull, said: "There is no room for us at the moment and we want to expand the youth work we do."
A council spokesman confirmed the authority owns Hilton House and said: "We are considering offers for the premises."
It is not known how long the period of consideration will last.
3 Comments
by Vicky Howells, Stoke
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 1:03PM
“I am a member of Penkhull Christian Fellwship and I do alot of the Childrens and Youth work there.
I really hope we manage to get this Place as it would make such a difference. At the moment we are Bursting at the Seems in the Children and Youth groups. Hilton House would give us the opportunity to Expand our work, giving us more space and have a place for these Young people to get off the streets and help make a difference in their young lives, hopefully helping them to stay away from crime and drugs.
It makes me happy seeing Parents come and collect their children at the end of the night having big smiles on their faces. I hope with this new place we can see even more happier faces and families.
Also with Hilton House, It would give us more opportunity to reach out into areas of the community that we possibly haven't been able to in the past due to the lack of space.
I really hope the community and the council can support us in this move.”
by J Holdcroft, Rode Heath
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 8:31AM
“Agreeing with the above comment, I sincerely hope that when considering offers for the unused former care home, that the Council look beyond the £££s. The proposed transformation by the Penkull Christian Fellowship will have a positive effect on the lives of so many in the community.
John Holdcroft (Rode Heath).”
by chris dowling, Inverness
Monday, March 01 2010, 1:44PM
“Every day we turn on the news to find out another young person has been stabbed or how an elderly person has froze to death in their own home.
We also hear how our goverment resources have run dry, we are not only a broken Britain but a "broke" Britain.
In the UK today 1 in 4 young people have tried drugs, over 4 million have life controlling problems related to drugs & alcohol, between 85 & 2000 the number of drug related deaths rose by 55%.
66% of young people spend less than 30 minutes a week speaking to their parents about things that matter.
since 1970 their has been an icrease of over 48% in the number of Children under the age of 16 involved in a marriage split.
Alcohol related sickness costs the NHS £3 Billion a year.
Age concern have found that one in 5 over 65 year olds spend more than 12 hours alone, 1 in 4 do not have a best friend & 1 in 3 use the supermarket as a place to meet people.
So how does a broken & "broke" country, community & local council deal with all this?
We all have a responsibilty & need to play our part in putting the pieces back together.
I was so excited to hear about these plans as here is a forward thinking church who is ready to meet the challenges & needs of it's community head on & most importantly, meet the costs themselves.
As they have said themselves it is unlikley they will be able to pay market valuation but the amount & diversity of service the will be able to provide the community would more than make up for any short fall.
What ever your religious views, we have to put each other & our communities first & It would be a bold & courageous local council that took up this offer.”