The Mancy Room - the story of a legacy
When I first lived in Winchester in the late 1980s, I found my spiritual home at All Saints, Highcliffe. This is truly a parish church; the school/church complex is at the heart of the community and local people feel very strongly that it is their church. The parish fete is one of the community highlights of the year.
Phoebe Mancy was a former Churchwarden, long time resident of Highcliffe and taught at All Saints School her entire working life. Her sister Joan was also a teacher who ended her career teaching in Stockbridge. The Mancy sisters lived together in the parish and were stalwart members of the congregation. Joan died first and when Phoebe died, All Saints was left a substantial legacy.
After consulting with the congregation and visitors, the PCC decided to build a group of rooms in the north aisle (including a kitchen) and redecorate and upgrade the rest of the church.
The church was closed for a few months over the summer and reopened in time for the Harvest Festival.
In that time the church was transformed:
- The old dark pews were replaced with comfortable blue fabric chairs;
- The main church floor was re-laid with big light stone slabs;
- The north aisle was redesigned into a series of rooms;
- The Mancy room is the main new room which is carpeted and makes an excellent meeting room or small party room.
- Moveable glass doors extend along the side of the north aisle looking onto the church from the Mancy room
- In the corner of the Mancy room is a small kitchen.
The result of all this – the church is transformed! The whole effect is light and welcoming. So welcoming, that the congregation has been inspired to open the church for coffee on Saturday mornings from 10 to 12. I strongly recommend a visit to see what can be done. All it took was a willingness to think boldly and …….. a legacy.
Obviously, we can’t all leave enough to finance major building works but every little helps. It is easy to add a codicil to your will (you do have a will, don’t you?) and even the government is encouraging people to leave more to charities.
Hopefully, the church would not receive your legacy for years to come, but when it does, who knows what your legacy could achieve. Mmm, ‘The Little Room’, it has quite a ring don’t you think?
Lesley Little