We have developed this premises into a communal place:
basic teachings of all doctrines of humanity. We have developed this premises into a communal place:
TO PREVENT & REDUCE POVERTY
TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS
TO PROVIDE FREE RECREATION
FOR DEPRIVED ONES
TO PROMOTE ARTS & CULTURE
OTHER CHARITABLE WORK
It is the pioneer project offering COMMUNITY services in PRACTICE to:
Bring harmony amongst diverse COMMUNAL ORIGINS to create an atmosphere of ACCEPTANCE.
Help community and the government to reduce crime .
Our Objectives:
The promotion of religious harmony for the benefit of the public by:
POVERTY
The prevention or relief of poverty in Stoke on Trent and the neighbourhood around by providing: grants, items and services to individuals in need charities, or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
EDUCATIONS
Educating the public in different religious beliefs including an awareness of their distinctive features and their common ground to promote good relations between persons of different faiths
Faith
Promoting knowledge and mutual understanding and respect of the beliefs and practices of different religious faiths
WHO WE ARE
We are a group of persons working as a CHARITABLE ORGANISATION under the title of AL-MARYAM [registered with The Charity Commission for England & Wales – no:1181384]. We got hold of an old run-down CHURCH, comprising of TWO halls + more rooms having 7440 sq ft space at 0.91 acres of land quite near the city centre, but closed since about 12 years [St Paul’s Church in ST2 0LL].
It required extensive repairs as there was no power, no water, no gas, no doors, no toilets, no flooring, ruined driveway, boundary-walls nearly non-existing – in short it was only a structure of bricks & mortar; the address being.
WINCHESTER HALLs Winchester Ave, STOKE ON TRENT ST2 0LL.
We’ve made it ready for community use. It was being used by delinquent people for anti-social activities; BUT has been restored back with the above address.
Our message will, of course, reach in the neighbourhood so their youngsters at home would come up as better citizens in due course.
Still some work is going on over the premises – and in fact much is to be done yet but we’ve started our activities for the community service. The main halls are now available to the people [Tc & Cc apply] for their family party functions.
The local MP, the councillors and the STOKE COUNCIL have also appreciated our plans enthusiastically. The community around the premises has welcomed the project and in fact they are delighted at large.
Re – Opening of the ST PAUL’s CHURCH after Dec 2009
Ist Community MEETING of 30th Nov 2018
WINCHESTER HALLS [ former ST PAUL’s CHURCH] in Stoke on Trent [ST2 0LL] was re-opened on 30th Nov 2018 after its closure in Dec 2009 [at least] though some local residents held that it was closed about TWELVE years ago – then it went looted, burgled, broken, ruined, arson-ed, destroyed and devastated.
The reconstruction, rehabilitation and re-opening of this premises has been made possible because of committed, devoted and dedicated plans & efforts of three veterans named:
- Cllr STEPHEN FUNNELL
- Cllr SHEILA PITT
- Cllr AMJID WAZIR
Without their sincere response, guidance and encouraging push it could have taken more time towards regular opening of the Church premises.
On this occasion of re-opening, the two community leaders of Ubberley & Bentilee wards, Cllrs Stephen Funnell & Sheila Pitt, held their monthly community meeting here in which office holders of various organisations and charities serving the local neighbourhood participated. Community Police Officer Richard Simpson also attended the meeting with great enthusiasm – he represented the Stoke on Trent chapter of Staffordshire Police.
The management team of St Paul’s Church [now WINCHESTER HALLS] paid special thanks to the community leadership, ladies & gentlemen, who spared their precious moments to come there and encouraged us though there were numerous shortcomings like – the Church hall [and the rest of the premises too] was not properly warmed as there is NO GAS yet at the building; the toilets were under repair and the only usable toilet was without warm water and the parking space was not adequately dressed.
Even then the participants were delighted to be there – it was their greatness AND it became a cogent boosting factor for all the team members who managed the whole show.
Through these words, St Paul’s Church [now WINCHESTER HALLS]’s team also convey special thanks to:
- LINDA A DAVIES, the officer of STOKE ON TRENT COUNCIL
- the former Cllr Muhammad Aumir
- Dr [Miss] Alka & Mr Rajiv
- Kh Waseem Altaf of the HUMAN CLUB
- Najeebullah of GOLDEN ARTS M’CR
They correctly understood AL-MARYAM’s cause, also spared their financial resources & skills – and thus cheerfully acknowledged the efforts being done by this CIO, AL-MARYAM, in furtherance of need for more exhaustive community services.
Some images of the event are placed below for reference & record:
