Celebrating 25 years of caring for community every day of week

A CELEBRATION was held at a church in Henley on Saturday to mark its silver anniversary.

More than 100 residents joined the party at Christ Church in Reading Road to meet past and present hirers, who showcased their groups, charities and classes.

The United Reformed Church, originally Henley’s Congregational Church, replaced an earlier independent chapel. The project to create the centre, to be used by the local and wider community, cost £1.2m and was completed in April 2000.

The new facility linked the existing church with multi-purpose function rooms, operating on to a garden area with facilities being specially designed for the disabled, young and old.

The centre, which has six areas for hiring, not including the sanctuary in the church, which seats 250 people, holds a variety of events, such as coffee mornings, toddler and pre-school groups, sessions for people living with Parkinson’s disease and concerts from the Henley Symphony Orchestra.

About 10 groups and charities set up stalls displaying their work, including the Rotary Club, the Abbey School in Reading and the University of the Third Age.

Sara Davies, 48 of Greys Road, who has been a member of the church for six years, displayed art from the Bluebells dementia group and Art 4 the Heart, which is run in partnership with the Hart and Bell surgeries.

She said the artistic outlet, particularly for the older generations, helps reduce the effects of those living with anxiety or loneliness.

Ms Davies said: “The centre represents what the church is about in a very physical, real and tangible sense. The outreach into the community has always been a major part of what the church is.

“Since covid, we have noticed that people are more isolated and lonelier, as we have become more isolated and stuck behind a screen. I think the centre’s work is vital, not only for humanity, but because it’s intrinsic in God’s message to look after our fellow neighbours.”

Glyn Millington, a minister of the church since 2011, read a speech written by Peter Pearce, the minister who helped to start the project.

He said: “Sadly, I’ve been unwell and only recently came out of the hospital, and I was especially sad not to be able to come since it was a project I was so integral in getting the ball rolling.

“Having initiated the process and seeing it through the planning, I then felt called to leave, hopefully leaving a legacy for others to develop and grow.

“I wish to thank all those who shared the excitement, who worked so hard in planning and helping others to see the vision and committed to the task of raising the funds to do it.”

Rev Millington reiterated that by providing space for a wide variety of groups, the facility fulfils its objective of serving the needs of the community.

He said: “The centre grew out of the vision that Peter described, with the aim of successfully reaching out to Henley seven days a week. Now, church members and succeeding ministers continue to keep that vision alive, hopefully for another 25 years.”

Before concluding with a prayer of thanks, he described lessons he has learnt during his 14 years as minister from two opposing age-group sessions at the centre, discovering the link between ballet and God.

He said: “From the Bluebells Daycare Centre down the far end, I have learned how good life can be and how much you can get out of life, even at a very advanced age and even a long way on in dementia.

“We have a prayer box, which is not much used, but a little girl in the ballet class regularly adds her contribution. This week, she said: ‘Thank you for letting us live and have a world to live in as well as people in it. If we didn’t have you then we wouldn’t have a world with people in it. Sorry for the badness that we bring.’ There are wonderful young people alive out there.”

Brian Gegg, 94, who has played the organ in the church for almost 60 years, emphasises the value of bringing happiness to others through music.

He grew up in Gloucestershire as a member of the Congregational Church, learning piano and later the organ when he moved to Reading.

He trained as an optometrist at Wembley College in London and went on to run Brian Gegg and Partners that was based in Hart Street, Henley, for 30 years until he retired in 1996.

Dr Gegg said: “I enjoy making other people happy. I know money is important but there’s more to life. The saying: ‘Have you made somebody happy today?’ resonates with me because I hope I do when I perform.”

Peter Entwisle, of Nicholas Road, enjoyed tea and cake in the hall with his wife, Frieda.

He said: “We don’t resonate with it intimately but we just thought we would pop along as we thought it was interesting the number of people and societies that use the place.

“The community benefits from different people using the facilities, after it was extended 25 years ago.”