‘Relief’ after new kitchen and toilet facilities opened at town church

A church community have said they feel “relieved” after opening the building’s new kitchen and toilet facilities.Some 80 people packed into All Saint’s Church in Lynn for a celebratory service of thanksgiving where the Bishop of Norwich Rt Revd Graham Usher blessed its brand-new amenities on Sunday.The event, which began at 4.30pm, saw borough mayor Cllr Margaret Wilkinson and the High Sheriff of Norfolk, David Flux, attend.

“It was lovely to be there and share the celebration with prosecco and canapes served from our new kitchen,” said the church’s rector Revd Canon Adrian Ling.Previously, the church only had a standpipe with no basin, meaning there was nowhere for people to wash their hands. Churchgoers were also forced to go to the “derelict” community cafe, which had no electricity if they needed to use the toilet.

“It was so embarrassing before having to say that we don’t have a toilet,” Mr Ling added.“We believe in hospitality as an important aspect of Christian service – our weekly mass is always followed by coffee in the church and any special event can be marked with a glass of bubbly.”Parishioners had been fundraising for several years and were supported by The London Porterhouse on London Road, which gathered thousands for the cause.

However, things really started to pick up when they received a grant from the borough council’s community infrastructure levy as well as the Anglo-Catholic society and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.“We’re so relieved to have new facilities because we were struggling for such a long time,” Mr Ling said.In the future, there are hopes that it can become more of a community asset, hosting concerts and weekly lunches, and becoming a place for charities and groups to use for meetings.

On its Facebook page, the church said: ”We could not have come this far without all your donations, hard work, and support and we cannot thank you enough for helping to make all this possible.”

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