Lift for north London parish

Cllr Jean Roger Kaseki, Cllr Catherine West, MP Jeremy Corbyn, Bruce Kent waiting for the red ribbon to be cut

People with disabilities at one north London parish are going to find it much easier to get to Mass and other services and social events, now that a state-of-the-art lift has been installed in their church.

MP Jeremy Corbyn, Islington Council Leader Cllr Catherine West and Cllr Jean Roger Kaseki attended the opening ceremony at St Mellitus Church in Tollington Park on Sunday.

Funding for the £40,000 project came from the St John Southworth Fund, other donations and the New Court Trust, a charity formed when the old Congregational Church was sold to the Catholic Diocese in the 1960s. Parishioner Bruce Kent said: "This is really the story here. The Trust has always kept in contact with St Mellitus and contributed to different things. It is really ecumenism in action."

During the opening ceremony, Jeremy Corbyn praised the energy and community spirit of the parish and commented that in spite of Mayor Boris Johnson's rhetoric about transport - Finsbury Park station nearby still doesn't have a lift.

One parishioner said: "This is going to make such a difference. Until Sunday there were two flights of stairs to get into the church and another flight of steps to get down into the hall. For those in wheelchairs access was virtually impossible. "

St Mellitus has also built a community garden with support from 'Greening the Gray' Parish priest Fr David Ardagh Walters said they felt it was especially important in times of recession for the church to offer a restful green space for people.

The church will be holding a Peace Concert on Friday with Patricia Hammond and friends at 7.30pm to raise funds for the lift. For more information e-mail: percy.aggett@Lineone.net or see:
www.patriciahammond.com