Somers Park Methodist Church, Malvern Link

Image: © Jaggery Taken: 29 Nov 2014

At the junction of Somers Park Avenue and Upper Howsell Road. Church on the right, hall on the left. The church's website states that Somers Park Avenue Methodist Church had its beginnings in the 1880s with house groups meeting in Malvern Link. Numbers grew and by 1902 the land on which the present church stands was purchased. By 1906 enough funds had been raised to begin building work. In October 1907 the building on the left (now the hall) was opened. There were at the time only about 20 members. Though this number grew, the First World War saw setbacks. In the 1920s the church was thriving and had a large Sunday School, in 1928 over 150 pupils. By 1930 it was decided that the new church envisaged by the first trustees should go ahead. With hard work and generous grants from the Methodist Church Connexion the new church opened in April 1936. In 1960-1961, further building work joined up the two main buildings and added a primary room, kitchen and toilets. The church currently (2014) has a membership of 60+ with the number of adherents lifting the total to nearly 100. The church has a small but active Junior Church. It has a Ladies Club, house groups and regular games evenings. Each year at the end of August a very successful Holiday Club is held for a week. The church is active in Women's Network (raising money for World Missions), the Bible Society and other local ecumenical activities. Somers Park Avenue is also a Fair Trade Church.

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