Moggerhanger Meeting Place

Background

In 1999, Rev. Nick MacNeill, vicar of St. John’s Church, and the PCC initiated a plan to make more use of the church building by opening it as a meeting place with a small shop.  The venture would be run by the village and not the church although to protect the sanctity of the church the vicar would be the de facto Chairman and the churchwardens would always be de facto members of the committee. The village welcomed these proposals and a committee was quickly formed to carry through plans to open a shop in the vestry and a meeting place at the back of the church.  A grant was applied for, insurance and a bank account were set up and a shop manager appointed.

In 2000, the first grant application having proved unsuccessful, another for £2000 was obtained by church warden Betty Barrance from the Anglia News/Scarman Trust ‘Can Do’ Awards.

In June 2000 the Moggerhanger Meeting Place and Shop opened – for 2 hours in the morning six days a week; for a short time it also opened some afternoons.  Weekly shopping was delegated to a team of 5 shoppers and the shop is still restocked weekly. Gradually frozen foods and some items for the fridge were added and these have proved popular. (The MMPS shares a fridge and freezer with the church.)

For a few years there was a library at the back of the church, stocked by people bringing books no longer wanted.

In 2006 the Moggerhanger Meeting Place and Shop was mentioned in the Church Times and even brought to the attention of the Church Synod that year – the first project of its kind in the country!

2010 saw the 10th anniversary of the project and it is still going strong today.

While the meeting place continues to thrive, it was reluctantly decided to close the shop in 2018 due to declining use.

To see more about our background and history please visit our Timeline page.

---