Renovate Life Church Reveals Island Purchase Plans
Renovate Life Church in St Annes has revealed plans to rejuvenate The Island at St Annes into a dynamic leisure destination and community hub.
The organisation hopes to combine its knowledge of the building and the area plus drawing on a wide range of volunteered professional skills amongst its members, to breathe new life into the iconic leisure destination.
Renovate Life Church held services every Sunday at The Island in St Annes until its surprise closure on the 27th September.
Church Pastor Ann Strickland said,“The Renovate Life Church is putting a bid together to save The Island in St Annes. The venue has played a crucial role in the success of the church during its short lifetime. We understand just how important it is to the area and want to protect it for many years to come.
“As a church we regularly donate more than 240 man hours per week to local causes and projects. We are now redirecting all our efforts to make sure this massive project is a success.
“But we have a long way to go. We have begun a consultation phase with local hoteliers and key businesses. Their input will be crucial. We need to find out what people want – and why they feel the Island may not have performed to its full potential in recent years. We are also visiting several innovative leisure destinations, to seek out new ideas to breathe new life into The Island.”
Despite being in the early stages, Renovate Life Church can confirm that initial discussions about future use of The Island will focus on:
A Children’s Discovery Centre for young enquiring minds where families can play, laugh and grow together in positive and stimulating surroundings with everything from physical Zone, Imagination Village to the Lab of our future scientists and not forgetting the arts and music zones for our budding prodigies.
A State Of The Art Auditorium, Theatre and conference Centre that will be multifunctional in its usage and will host speakers and Celebrities from around the world.
A dynamic new events programme. Renovate Life Church also plans to host quarterly 3-day events, like the Bill Wilson Metro Ministries event which recently saw more than 500 people attend in May this year – the largest event the Island has seen for a long time.
Ann adds, “The church has a wide number of people with many skills all pulling together to build a landmark venue of which St Annes can once again be proud. Our experience in running events which capture the imagination of the locality and the northwest region will boost the local economy in ways the Island has failed to do in recent years.
“We have already had discussions with a range of financial backers. There is not an inexhaustible pit of money. Far from it. But we are confident that we have enough collateral, enthusiasm and knowledge to position us as a credible potential owner of the site.”
- If you want to know more about this exciting project, please contact: Pastor Ann Strickland on; 07974764180 or email ann@renovatelifechurch.org.uk
- Ann Strickland is the leader of Renovate Life Church. Previously she has been a director of a multimillion pound Company, sat on the Board of the Wigan Borough Partnership alongside Lord Peter Smith and is a member of the Business Development Association here on the Fylde coast.
Renovate Life Church was launched on the 1st June 2008 and was officially opened by the then Mayor
of St. Annes Cllr Mrs Barbara Mckenzie. It is an associated church of the Assemblies Of God of GB
and Northern Ireland and is a registered charity. The church is currently meeting in The YMCA St. Albans
Road St. Annes for their sun 10.30am service. The Youth are meeting in the Garden Street Eaterie St Annes on Fri nights 7 til 9, and all the other meetings, events and Leadership Academy are meeting in
various other locations duly announced. A contemporary expression of church. A community of Faith,
Hope and Love..where “No Perfect People Are allowed”…where the uniqueness of each individual is
celebrated regardless of gender, colour or creed…where men, women, boys and girls are uplifted by
contemporary music and are inspired by life principle talks to live life to the max, by loving God, loving
people and serving the world around them.
NOW HEAR ANN EXPLAIN HER VISION TO TONY LIVESEY ON BBC RADIO LANCASHIRE. (Tues 10/11/09) Click here; ann-r-lancs1