"The Vision" news - recent milestones

In 2009

• Exhumation works were undertaken in the churchyard at St. Mark’s. Reburials, with a service of prayer and blessing, were in the Surbiton cemetery, where a section has been set aside for this purpose.
• Work started on the refurbishment of St. Andrew’s Church, and the church remained closed during the year, with the exception of a brief opening during the Surbiton Festival on 26th September 2009, for people to see the progress of the works.

In 2010

• St Andrew's Church re-opened on 25th April with a service of re-dedication led by the Bishop of Kingston.
• A new vicarage was completed in the churchyard at St. Mark’s, and David Houghton moved into it. In December David finally became the vicar of the parish, after spending three and a half years as priest-in-charge.
• The site in Church Hill Road containing the old vicarage, hall and parish office was sold. The sale proceeds should be sufficient to ensure that the building works that support the Vision project can be completed.

In 2011

• Work started in June on the refurbishment of St. Mark's Church, and the construction of a new hall on the north side of it. Our intention is that the church should continue to function as a parish church; but also that both church and hall should be available for a wide variety of community uses. The construction work is scheduled for completion in Spring 2012.
• Further improvements have been made to St. Andrew's church. In particular the baptistery ceiling has been restored; the church yard has been landscaped and re-planted; and new railings have been erected around the perimeter wall to replace those removed in World War II.

For any enquiries please contact our project coordinator, Bob Wilson, via the Parish Office.