New life for Christian centre

THANKS TO the determination and missionary zeal of the Wirral Christian Centre, a derelict and badly vandalised Birkenhead church dating back to 1886 has been saved from wrack and ruin with an extensive £1 million restoration project. Sadolin Classic wood protection has been used extensively throughout the project to bring the interiors back to their former glory.

Whilst some areas of what was formerly the Oxton Congregational Church have yet to be renovated, the building has been transformed after 15 years of neglect into a new home for the Christian organisation, and is once again providing a place of worship and focal point for the local community.

A key member of the restoration team was Kevin Murphy, proprietor of Shropshire based Painting and Decorating Services. He commented: “I was brought up just a mile from Oxton and remember this lovely old church from my childhood,” he said. “It was heartbreaking to see it fall derelict, so I was delighted when the Wirral Christian Centre managed to raise the funds to acquire and restore it. It’s been a personal source of pride for me to be part of the team charged with giving the building a completely new lease of life.”

Kevin recommended to the church leaders that Sadolin Classic should be used to decorate and protect the newly restored barrelled ceiling of the main building and all other interior wooden features needing translucent protection.

He said: “We wanted to use Sadolin Classic because it offers great protection for new and
previously stained wood and the finish allows all the natural grain and detail to show through. It’s pleasant to work with and goes on really well as a base and secondary coat.”

Because of timescales, Kevin had to bring in his team to start decorating whilst restoration work was still underway. “It’s never easy trying to work alongside other trades,” said Kevin “but we worked around each other in order to meet our deadlines.

When it came to the ceiling we really did have to pull together. We couldn’t do anything at all until the whole roof space had been completely cleaned up. You wouldn’t believe how much damage and dirt a flock of pigeons can create if they decide to make a place their home for a few years! It was in a dreadful state and to keep the project on schedule everyone, including my men, had to get stuck in to clear away the horrible mess up there.”

Because the ceiling had also suffered serious water and fire damage, many new sections of
wooden panelling had to be fitted. “Our challenge was to blend these bare new panels with original and repaired sections, all with different colouring and absorbencies, and somehow achieve a consistent colour across the whole area,” explained Kevin, “Luckily there are lots of quite finely differentiated shades to work with in the Sadolin Classic range. Crown Paints gave us a lot of help with samples and by experimenting with different shades and numbers of coats, we soon had a system in place to build up a rich and warm teak colour across the whole ceiling.”

24-year old Jimmy Woolley, who has only recently completed his apprenticeship with Kevin’s company, was put in charge of this important part of the project. Over a period of five weeks he singlehandedly completed the redecoration of the ceiling, applying the Sadolin Classic to the panels by brush, painstakingly selecting the appropriate shades and building up the required number of coats.”

“It was a long and laborious task, made more difficult by having to work at heights, but Jimmy was ready for the responsibility,” said Kevin, “He did an absolutely fantastic job and has very definitely left his own long-lasting mark on this building. The ceiling looks stunning and it’s usually the first thing people comment on when they enter the church.”

Senior Minister of the Wirral Christian Centre, the Reverend Paul Epton, is full of praise for all
the work carried by his decorating contractors. “Kevin and his team have done a superb job
decorating the main church building, community hall, crypt and corridors. They’ve helped to
restore this lovely old church to its former glory and create a beautiful, warm and welcoming place of worship for our congregation.”

For further information about Sadolin woodcare products please call the Sadolin Customer Relations Team on 0844 7708 998 or click on www.sadolin.co.uk