Progress and Plans

Outline of phased development

This page gives an outline of our plans for the development of Pardshaw Quaker Centre, as well as updates on how we’re progressing those plans.

The Preparatory Phase

Once a decision was reached that we were undertaking this project, funds were raised to cover the costs of the Preparatory Phase of work which included:

• urgent roofing repairs (funded by Cumberland Area Quaker Meeting)
• installation of a new distribution board to bring the electrical system up to the latest standards
• electrical backbone cables and ductwork installed to facilitate the next phases of works
• emergency lighting installed to current standards
• fire and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms: to meet current regulations, stand-alone battery powered fire and CO alarms have been replaced with a linked system of detectors and sounders for heat, smoke and CO throughout the buildings
• foul drainage and safety: fencing erected to discourage access onto septic tank soakaway
• creation of a French drain along the front of the schoolroom to limit water ingress from the road
• clearance of invasive vegetation in the burial ground to both keep it tidy and prepare for creating a sloping pathway to improve accessibility
• discussion with a qualified arboreal consultant to advise on immediate and long-term management of the trees in the burial ground and behind the former hostel
• drawings and preparation for building an access ramp
• removal of damaged plaster allowing the walls and timber beneath to dry out
• removal of aged and flaking paint ready for repainting with breathable paints

In addition to the physical works we also:

• created a website, newsletter and Facebook page for outreach and marketing
• met with the Conservation Officer to prepare to commission a heritage statement
• liaised with Cumberland Area Quaker Meeting and advice bodies regarding suitable legal structures to take the project forward
• set up a small charity – Friends of Pardshaw Quaker Centre and drafted a constitution for a Charitable Incorporated Organisation to take over the running and development of Pardshaw Quaker Centre.

Completion of this Preparatory Phase took over 500 hours’ work which was mainly carried out at workcamps in 2019 and early 2020 by 18 volunteers and 2 professionals. For more information, see Work Camps page.

Phase One – A Simple Camping Barn

The first main phase of works ran from 2020-2024, and included:

• a tree survey
• designing of heating systems for meeting rooms and schoolroom
• clearing out of roof-space in schoolroom and improving insulation
• investigating solutions to access issues for people with limited mobility or other impairment
• installation of handwash water heaters in all washrooms and kitchen
• setting up the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
• removal of plaster in preparation for a professional lime plasterer
• replacement of the stove in the large Meeting room

Having established accommodation of a simple ‘camping barn’ standard in Pardshaw Quaker Centre, we have since 2024 begun to hold annual open days and allowed the building’s hire by a wider range of users.

Phase Two – A Safe and Accessible Pardshaw

Our current project focus is on making Pardshaw Quaker Centre more accessible to current and potential users, with a focus on disability access so that nobody is prevented from coming to Pardshaw. Specific projects include:

• Reinstatement of the North Door to provide an additional fire exit
• An access path down to the North Door in order to make the site wheelchair accessible
• Restoring the old library to provide a quiet room
• Tackling dust, mould, smoke, damp, and other sources of poor air quality through better ventilation

We are proceeding as our time and fundraising allows, in consultation with disabled people as to what best would make the building accessible to them. If you would like to contribute to this project, please check out our donations page!

Phase Three?

We have a variety of project ideas that we’d like to complete if the time and funding is available. These are about raising the accommodation standards Pardshaw can provide, and include:

• Additional toilets and showers
• A renovated kitchen
• A low-carbon heating system
• More parking beyond our current 5 spaces, enabling usage by groups who do not carshare.

Legal Structures

Pardshaw Quaker Centre is currently owned and managed by three different legal entities:

Cumberland Area Quaker Meeting Charity Number 1161207 owns the building and manages the site’s Quaker burial ground, which is in active use for burials. This is a charity ultimately responsible for the property of a number of Quaker groups in the area, as well as a spiritual community and a part of the wider Religious Society of Friends. You can find out more at https://www.cumberlandquakers.org.uk/ .

The Pardshaw Quaker Centre Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Number 1193476 (PQC CIO) was recognised by the Charity Commission on 10th February 2021. This charity has aims compatible with Cumberland Area Quaker Meeting, manages a lease of the building from Cumberland Area Quaker Meeting, and has its trustees formally appointed by Cumberland Area Quaker Meeting and the Friends of Pardshaw Quaker Centre. This body fundraises for and carries out the major project works for Pardshaw Quaker Centre.

We also have Friends of Pardshaw Quaker Centre (FPQC) – a small charity set up in August 2019. This charity allows a wider membership body and its purpose is to increase participation and promote Pardshaw Quaker Centre, with a focus on attracting and retaining members who feel that Pardshaw Quaker Centre is valuable to them. Membership is £10 a year per household and allows you to come to Members Gatherings at Pardshaw Quaker Centre, Zoom-based socials, FPQC Members meetings where you can advise on what you’d like to see out of Pardshaw Quaker Centre, and most importantly: the ability to hire the building for your group. You can become a member by visiting our Membership page.

Costs and Fundraising

The costs of the Preparatory Phase were approximately £13 000, and the costs of Phase 1 were approximately £26 000. The total costs of Phase 2, the Safe and Accessible Pardshaw project, could be upwards of £50,000, though we are prioritising improvements based on their cost-effectiveness in order to make the best use of our funds. Funding for our project comes from a mix of individual donors, grants from Quaker-linked funding bodies, and grants from local community funding bodies.

In addition, we need to cover the usual running costs of Pardshaw Quaker Centre, which total about £6000 a year. This is done by a mixture of bookings income and regular donations: we are in the process of increasing the percentage of running costs covered by bookings income through attracting new building users.

You can now join us and become a member for a small annual fee, and/or all donations, of whatever amount, are most welcome.

JOIN US OR MAKE A DONATION HERE

Thank you