Diocese of Chichester

2025 marks 125 years since the church opened its doors as a place of welcome, worship and community. To ensure the building can continue to serve the local community into the next century, the church has big plans to complete a range of improvement works.

These plans include:

• Maintaining the building’s brickwork
• Maintaining the church hall
• Improving the church lighting
• Replacing some of the church pews with chairs

The goal is to raise £60,000 to pay for these works and meet the cost of the activities in this anniversary year.

The church will be holding a number of fundraising events in the hope to meet their target. These also include special birthday celebrations to mark their official anniversary date later this year.

A full list of fundraising events:

7th July - Golf day
19th July - Community Summer Fun Day
11th October - Barn Dance with folk band including harvest supper
15th November - Quiz & Puds
12th, 13th & 14th December - 125 Birthday celebrations including Christmas Tree Festival and Fire Pit with carols

Additionally, throughout the year the church has also been raising funds to complete essential works on the building’s bell tower.

The works are needed due to a failure in the pigeon netting, this has allowed birds to roost in the tower causing major damage.

The repairs will cost around £12,000, in which the church has already raised just over £5,000 through fundraising events. The work is set to be completed over the summer holidays 2025 to minimise the disruption to the church's playgroup and other community group meetings.

Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, the Rev’d Sam Maginnis said: “For 125 years, Holy Trinity Church has been a place of welcome and community in this part of town. We are excited to be celebrating this special anniversary and look forward to welcoming as many people as possible at Holy Trinity.

I am very grateful to those who have already contributed to our crowd funding appeal for the restoration of the bell tower. We have raised over half of the amount needed to repair the tower and are now looking for grants to complete the remainder of the tower work and our other plans.”

People can donate to the church's fundraiser via the below link or QR code: https://horshamteamparish.churchsuite.com/donate/fund/da7ciksi

Below is the prayer composed by Sam Maginnis for the launch of the appeal:

Almighty God, giver of all good things,
we thank you for the life of Holy Trinity Church
over the past 125 years:
for our witness, for our community,
for the generosity of all who have supported our life and work.
As we look to the future of this church and its mission,
so may our vision be aligned with yours
and our hope strengthened by the promises
revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ;
that our efforts may not prove fruitless,
but may be grounded in your service and driven by your love,
for the building up of your kingdom, and to the glory of your name.
Amen.

Photo caption: Holy Trinity Church in Rushams Road, Horsham, is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a special appeal