Blandford Forum in Dorset has won a top Wessex Watermark Award for £1,500 to enable their Parish Church to fit a sustainable water system into its new Parish Centre. Dr Julian Dennis Wessex Water’s Director of Compliance and Sustainability met Revd Tim Storey and other members from the local community recently to presents them with their winning Watermark cheque.

Blandford Forum’s Victorian pre-fabricated church hall has been replaced with a purpose built modern community facility due to open in February. The new Centre is specifically designed to reduce its environmental impact and is the first example of a ‘green’ church community hall in the area. By installing the latest water saving devices the new hall will save on its water use and reduce waste and running costs. Insulated panels, a ground source heat pump and solar hot water, will all contribute to the hall’s sustainable character.

“We have consulted widely with the community” Tim said “and everyone’s imagination is fired up by the Church’s new building. We want to demonstrate environmental sustainability in all its amazing technological scope and being the first ‘green’ church hall in this part of Dorset is very exciting. So we are particularly delighted with Wessex Water’s support, which has enabled us to install the latest water saving technology.”

The photograph shows: Tim Storey (Rector of Blandford), John Turnbull (Architect)
Lynn Lindsay (Mayor of Blandford), Sara Loch (Church Warden), Julian Dennis (WessexWater), Pat Ellen (Church Warden), Bob Henley (Hall Steering Group)
David Rake (Hall Steering Group).