Building fund boost after church art fair

Held from May 1-3 at the church on Balmoral Avenue, the event was visited by over 700 people from throughout Northern Ireland over the three days.

For sale and on display were arts and crafts produced by members of the Whitehead Methodist Craft Group, along with pieces from local artists such as Joanne Campbell, Stephen Martin and Robert Gaston.

Carol Magowan, a member of the craft group commented: “We are very, very pleased with the fantastic turn out.

“Whitehead Methodist Church is delighted to be able to show off the artistic skills of local artists and crafts people.”

To date, Whitehead Methodist Church has generated approximately £120,000 towards their building fund with a number of fundraising events.

Earlier this year, a 160-strong crowd gathered at the church to hear a performance from local songstress Niamh Kavanagh.

In November, over £3400 was raised after church members set up craft and bric-a-brac stalls along with a cafe in the church grounds as part of the popular Whitehead Victorian Fair.

And last September, a group of eight brave volunteers abseiled down the front of the Europa Hotel, raising £4000 in the process.

Meanwhile, the church has also been running soup lunches in aid of the building fund on the second Sunday of each month after the Sunday service.

With an overall target of £150,000 for the new extension, it is hoped that work on the project will begin in early 2015.