What? When? Why?...
In January 2010, The Oakes will begin work on an extension to add eight rooms on to the back of the house. This page will tell you more about our plans. Make sure you check out the links to the right, which will point you towards more extension fun!
Problems and Solutions
| When The Oakes is at full capacity... | Eight more rooms will provide... | |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Staff bedrooms may house up to four team members. Even when team move downstairs to ‘dorm lead’ crowded conditions don‘t always improve (explained below). | New staff bedrooms will provide more team space with no ‘extras’ moving in at busy times. |
| Support Team | Support team (generally older teens) who help out during camps use the team’s vacated rooms. | Two rooms will become ‘bunk-rooms’. These will be used for separate girl/boy support team accommodation. |
| Guests | Visiting leaders (e.g. teachers or Sunday school leaders who accompany their groups) may also be required to sleep in staff bedrooms on a full camp. | New guest-rooms will provide our adult visitors with accommodation separate from the staff. |
| Bathrooms | Team, support team and visiting leaders all share top floor showers and toilets. | New showers and toilets will ease pressure on the existing facilities. |
| Offices | Current offices are very cramped and in separate areas of the house. | Linking the ground floor office with a new, upstairs office will alleviate crowded conditions and ease communication. |
The Plan
Phase 1: Building and Roofing - £110,000 (contract signed)
The Oakes will close for camps January - March 2010. The roof will come off the single storey at the back of the building, resulting in the temporary loss of the ground floor office and kitchen. External walls will be built up to provide a second floor. The new structure will then be re-roofed. A contractor has been chosen to complete this initial work.
Phase 2: Internal Work - £70,000 estimate
The Oakes will re-open for in camps April 2010. Work on the extension will continue, adding internal walls, doors, plastering, electrics and plumbing.
Phase 3: Completion - £20,000 estimate
Decorating and fitting out the bedrooms, bathrooms and offices will finish the work.
Time Scale
Phase One will be completed by the contractors at the end of March 2010. If funding allows, the contractors will carry on with Phase Two. If this is not possible, Oakes team will tackle phase two as and when time and finance are available. This will clearly impact the timescale of the project. The decorating and equipping involved in Phase Three will be done 'in house'.
Target completion date: 1st July 2010
Target funding figure: £200,000
1st July will be the 10th anniversary of the opening of The Oakes. This is an ambitious time scale (only 12 weeks to complete phases 2 and 3) but the extension is urgently needed and the new facilities would be a great birthday present!
Can You Help?
The Oakes Extension Fund was set up in 2007. As of 1st December 2009, generous gifts totalling £54,000 have already been received and we are so grateful to God for this very encouraging start. Many of the things needed for the extension are itemised on the 'Gift List' . If you are able to donate a gift or help in any way please not hesitate to contact us . Please also see the prayer suggestions to help you pray for the work.
