Donation helps historic Earnley Church take first step towards new community hall

An historic 13th century church in the heart of a West Sussex village is a step closer to building a new hall – thanks to a donation from a local housebuilder.

Earnley Church has received a £500 gift from SME developer BRICS, which is building 30 premium homes nearby at its Earnley Grove development.

Church Rector, the Reverend Stephen Davies, said the money would be used to start the process of creating the church’s first community hall.

He said: “We are very grateful to BRICS for this fantastic donation, which comes at an important time in the history of Earnley Church.

“After around 800 years in the village, the decision has been taken to build our first hall for use by the church and the wider community.

“We have an overflow church graveyard that we plan to use for the building, which will include a reception and meeting rooms.

“We are just at the start of the project so this donation will be put towards the drawings and planning process.

“The Earnley Grove development has been very tastefully designed to be in keeping with the local area and the existing architecture. The homes look fantastic and we look forward to welcoming new neighbours as residents start to move in over the coming months.”

The oldest part of the Grade II listed church, the nave, dates from the 1200s, while the chancel, the section around the altar, was added in the 14th century.

BRICS started work on the new homes on Drove Lane in August this year, and the first properties are expected to be completed before Christmas.

The development will comprise a carefully considered mix of three, four and five-bedroom homes.

Jake Priddle, Marketing Manager at BRICS, said: “We are a growing SME housebuilder with developments in the south and south east of England.

“As well as creating luxury neighbourhoods for people to enjoy living in for many decades to come, we are committed to embedding ourselves within the local communities.

“Earnley Church has been a focal point of village life for such a long time and we are delighted to be helping them with this exciting new project.”

Earnley Grove has been crafted with families and down-sizers in mind, including a village green, new trees and a parkland area to encourage biodiversity.

Visit www.brics.co.uk for more information.