In the beginning...
The church was opened in 1932 after land was given to local Baptists so there could be a Christian presence, in the then newly built Eastfield estate. On the first Sunday Sister Beatrice opened the doors to find 50 children waiting to come inside!!
The picture above is a drawing of the original church plans. The rooms that we have been meeting in since 1932 are actually only the school rooms. Just as building was about to commence on the main church hall, World War Two hit and plans were abandoned. The church was originally going to be called Park Avenue Baptist due to the road it sits on but was changed to Broadmead Baptist in honour of the Broadmead Baptist Church in Bristol, which is still there today. In fact, Broadmead Avenue itself was named after the church!
The vision for the church, as then, remains the same today: to reach the local community with the love of God. Currently over 300 people attend on a Sunday and many more, of all ages use the building for a variety of activities during the week. Just like at the beginning of Broadmead's life, we have a lot of children and children's activities going on each week, including the Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' Samuels Christian Nursery for pre-schoolers which runs every day during term time. Click here to visit their website.
The picture above is a drawing of the original church plans. The rooms that we have been meeting in since 1932 are actually only the school rooms. Just as building was about to commence on the main church hall, World War Two hit and plans were abandoned. The church was originally going to be called Park Avenue Baptist due to the road it sits on but was changed to Broadmead Baptist in honour of the Broadmead Baptist Church in Bristol, which is still there today. In fact, Broadmead Avenue itself was named after the church!
The vision for the church, as then, remains the same today: to reach the local community with the love of God. Currently over 300 people attend on a Sunday and many more, of all ages use the building for a variety of activities during the week. Just like at the beginning of Broadmead's life, we have a lot of children and children's activities going on each week, including the Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' Samuels Christian Nursery for pre-schoolers which runs every day during term time. Click here to visit their website.
the project Process
The existing building has for many years been inadequate for the needs of the church and the community activities, so in 2008 planning began to replace the current church with a brand new centre. This is much more cost-effective than extensions or renovations on the current building.
Fundraising began in 2010 with a launch evening where everyone was given a DIY fundraising kit to take home to get the ball rolling! We employed a fundraising consultant, Graham Collings, to work with us on a fundraising strategy, and As part of that strategy, we employed a part time fundraiser who has worked since 2013 to raise the required funds.
There are a lot of people who have been working on the project for many years. They include a fundraising team and a building team who meet monthly to work on various aspects of the project. We also have a project manager called Chris Haire and an architect called David Babister, both of whom have years of experience working on large building projects and come highly recommended.
Planning permission was first granted in 2012 and then renewed in 2015 with a start on site needed by March 2018.
Fundraising began in 2010 with a launch evening where everyone was given a DIY fundraising kit to take home to get the ball rolling! We employed a fundraising consultant, Graham Collings, to work with us on a fundraising strategy, and As part of that strategy, we employed a part time fundraiser who has worked since 2013 to raise the required funds.
There are a lot of people who have been working on the project for many years. They include a fundraising team and a building team who meet monthly to work on various aspects of the project. We also have a project manager called Chris Haire and an architect called David Babister, both of whom have years of experience working on large building projects and come highly recommended.
Planning permission was first granted in 2012 and then renewed in 2015 with a start on site needed by March 2018.
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Where are we now?
In the summer of 2017, we reached the point financially where we were ready to appoint a building firm to start the build. We went through the tender process to appoint a contractor and Watson & Cox were chosen to deliver the project.
On Monday 16 October 2017, the hoardings were put up around the church site and on Monday 23 October, the builders moved on-site to start the build. Demolition was completed
Phase one took approximately 42 weeks and we took possession of the keys to the building in December 2018. Samuels Nursery and BMAC opened in January 2019 and the church began to hold three Sunday gatherings as well as mid week activities in the building.
Phases 2 - the second floor will be completed sometime in 2019. This will consist of an large auditorium and meeting rooms as well as further kitchen and toilet facilities.
For the latest project updates, click here or visit our facebook page here
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'It is encouraging to see this church experiencing so much growth that it requires a new building to continue its valuable work in the community. I hope that the new Broadmead Centre will be a beacon of God's love for Northampton'
Lyn Green, General Secretary of The Baptist Union of Great Britain
Lyn Green, General Secretary of The Baptist Union of Great Britain