Freethorpe Church to get a toilet at last!
For nearly thirty years All Saints Church, Freethorpe has been hoping for a toilet. As we all know, a toilet in a church is not mainly for the benefit of the regular congregation, but for visitors – mainly weddings, baptisms and funerals, but also for others who visit the church or churchyard for any purpose. At last this long-felt need is about to be satisfied, thanks to four of the many charities who give grants to help out with projects of all sizes. They have given or pledged nearly £10,000 between them, out of a total requirement of about £13,900.
The toilet will not be in the church itself, but at the end of the churchyard, in a stout wooden building made for the purpose. It will be a ‘composting’ toilet – a proven system, already installed in many churches, which is particularly appropriate where the average usage is fairly low and there is no water supply. Without going into details (though I can supply these if requested), there is no odour and no need for a septic tank – again, an advantage in a churchyard where available space is limited.
It is a condition of some of our grants that the toilet should be available to the general public, whether or not they are coming to the church, and we will ensure that it is kept unlocked during the times that the church is open (normally daylight hours). It will also be fully kitted out for disabled access.
The project will already have started by the time you read this, and should be completed by the autumn. We are very grateful to the four charities who have supported us:
- Norfolk Community Foundation (Broadland Heart of the Community capital grant) (www.norfolkfoundation.com)
- The Geoffrey Watling Charity (www.geoffreywatling.org.uk)
- Allchurches Trust (www.allchurches.co.uk)
- The Garfield Weston Foundation (www.garfieldweston.org)
and to several local people who have made donations to help us.