The historic Newport Minster will re-open to the public on 1st May, after a £2.6million refurbishment project is completed. The major refurbishment has involved a complete reshaping of the inside of the building, with an underfloor heating system installed, as well as better toilets, a new kitchen, new seating, and new meeting rooms. The idea is that the building becomes a magnet for community groups, as well as a spiritual hub for the island. Worshippers will welcome up to 400 guests on 1st May for a re-opening service with the Bishop of Portsmouth. It will be the first time the Minster has been properly open to the public since it closed for refurbishment last autumn. And the first community group to use the brand new facilities will be a toddler group that has been faithfully meeting in the nearby parish centre during the refurbishment. The Play Café, with Pitter Patter, has welcomed 65 families since it was launched at the start of 2024. They’ll start meeting in the minster itself from 7th May. 
“As a staff team, we’ve been following closely the refurbishment, and are absolutely delighted with the quality of the workmanship, most of which has been by locals. We’re really looking forward to being able to show it off to those from our congregations and communities from May onwards. “The new facilities will enable us to do what we’ve been aspiring to do for years: to be a thriving hub at the centre of our community. We are looking forward to welcoming the community into the building for exhibitions, concerts, meetings and plays, and to provide excellent facilities for our regular worship services. There are so many people who have worked tirelessly for this to happen, and we look forward to thanking them in this formal way on 1st May.”
The refurbishment inside Newport Minster comes after many phases of a project to conserve its exterior, including re-pointing, re-roofing, cleaning the historic stonework and restoration of the monuments. The external work saw the building removed from the Historic England ‘At Risk’ register, which was an important staging post in the preservation of its heritage. Hannah Griffiths, the minster’s community engagement co-ordinator, who helps to lead the toddler group based at the minster, said:
“We’re so excited about moving the Play Cafe into the minster in May. The extra space will be invaluable as we are starting to outgrow the space in the parish hall and the new six-slice toaster will really help with snack time!”
You can see a video showing the refurbished Newport Minster below https://youtu.be/5klfNZT0Ydk
People homeless, children starving and wars around world and yet £2.6 million on an old church – give a few years and all religion will be gone anyhow, especially Christianity!. More and more dropping year on year.
According to study Christianity is expected to lose a net of 66 million adherents (40 million converts versus 106 million apostate) mostly to religiously unaffiliated category between 2010 and 2050, it is also expected that Christianity may have the largest net losses in terms of religious conversion.
Depends who paid for it, although I suspect many grants were involved from the public purse. Bit disgusting really when the CofE is one of the richest institutions of England, have billions (roughly 25) invested in schemes which should make any self-respecting god-botherer blush with shame. As a whole in the last 5 years have pocketed some £750m from external funding whilst hanging firmly on to their own wealth, as you said, at a time when devotees are dropping off in their thousands. In fairness though, I suspect the same can be said for any organised religion. What they think they want to actually do with all that wealth is beyond me.
Yes but Welby is going to give a billion or two in reparation for our part in the slave trade !!!
No, apparently he ‘mis-spoke’; it’s been amended down to 100 million after they counted what was currently in the collections box and decided they couldn’t afford it, soz. Thou shalt not kill, my arse.
Odd that one of the main reason, other people who worship other religions thrive is because they leave their own lands of Muslim or Hindu faith and have to come here or to other Christian countries to survive persecution or more likely to have a better life (unfortunately at our expense).
So their Gods seem to not be taking such good care of their followers.
Perhaps it is they who ought to change religions.
Sadly I fear UK social Security has become a universal faith with a never ending world wide following now
God help us.
I’ve met seriously very very few Christians here. Met a lot of hypocrites though.
The article states that the church builsing will be suitable for all the community: toddler groups, cafe and so on. I don’t think people would like to see an important building in the centre of Newport allowed to deteriorate, like say, the Town Hall in Ryde. What is the alternative?
Your comment is quite right Freddie why spend money on an old out dated church when there are many far better things to use this vast amount of money on the FEAR of God is long gone and good riddance but still the church people hold their hands out for more donations from the easily conned ,this place will end up empty most days and all that money has been wasted .
It was a fantastic job working with Ruth the archaeologist, while we dug the floor . Loved the job and all the locals
Any choirboys bodies found?
Disgusting waste of money on what is basically a cult. They would have done better to spend the same providing background enhanced checks on their employees and then safeguarding in case some of them get through the safety net.
Sadly in 2024 Britain hardly anyone goes to church.
Wonder if, considering it’s down to 7 pensioners on a Sunday now, the hopeless bell ringers could keep rehearsals to a minimum? Seriously, what is the point in practising one bell? The totally out of time cacophony when they’re all going is predictable but why practise one every Monday? SHUT UP! It’s pointless and irritating. No-one is being called to worship and the few that are are probably deaf anyway. I SAID THEY’RE PROBABLY DEAF ANYWAY… oh just don’t even bother
That’s made me spit my coffee out!! Hahahahaha…..
You are all going to hell in a handcart. But it is not too late to repent your sins and put your trust in Jesus to save you.