Inverness church to share space with nursery
An ambitious revamp is being planned at one of the biggest churches in Inverness in a bid to see it being put to greater community use.
Members of Crown Church congregation have agreed to rent out the lower floor of the church hall to Highland Council to form two classrooms to accommodate nursery children from Crown Primary School.
The proposed development, which would involve improvements to the lower and upper halls, could pave the way for a bigger second phase refurbishment to the church itself, to create a flexible space.
In total, the two phases could cost an estimated £750,000.
Rev Douglas Robertson, who has been Crown minister for just a few weeks, said the primary school needed more space to accommodate three and four-year-olds.
The church will also make some land available to build cloakrooms and toilets.
In return, the council will carry out some improvements to the halls, including the installation of a lift, and pay an annual rent.
Mr Robertson said before his arrival, the church’s Crown 2020 Group had been looking at how it could be more involved in the community and more meaningful.
“I share this vision to create a warm and welcoming place of worship and community activity, fit for future generations,” he said.
The congregation is also exploring longer-term plans for the church itself such as replacing the pews with chairs to create more a more flexible and accessible space.
“We see it as part of the Christian mission to work with the community and understand what the needs are,” Mr Robertson said.
Crown Primary School head teacher Miriam MacDonald, said: “I really do think it will be a leader of change in so many community ways and I’m excited to be part of it.”