Aviva Community Fund has provided £16,165 of match funding
Green Transformation
Woking, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To provide reliable heating by replacing an old and unreliable gas boiler and achieve the CoE net zero carbon target.
Who are we, and what is our project about?
St. Andrew's is a friendly, community-focussed Church at the heart of Goldsworth Park, Woking, where all are welcome.
Being in an excellent central location we run various groups, including baby and toddler groups, Hearing Aid clinics, social gatherings and church activities. In the community café (Andy’s) a weekly warm hub is held and we provide food and drinks on a “pay as you feel” basis. Other local users include Woking Hospice, NCT and various choirs.
The project is a huge one for St Andrew’s. The good news though is that we already have plans in place to start the transformation in our adjacent “A2” community hall. This includes changing to LED lighting, adding solar panels and batteries and installing an air source heat pump (ASHP).
The next stage is to turn our attention to the main building. This building has two floors – upstairs is the main church auditorium and downstairs is Andy’s. The plan is to seek funding for ASHPs as well as improving the fabric of the building to achieve the project aims stated above.
Our unreliable and inefficient gas boiler, which is over 30 years old and had significant repairs 18 months ago, has an uncertain life, and will be replaced by these ASHPs.
We want to reduce the effects of climate change and reduce our carbon emissions in line with the Church of England targets. Air source heat pumps and solar panels are key components of this plan.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We want to raise money to replace our boiler and also to recognise the long term climate issue we are addressing. We believe that reducing our carbon footprint is important and it is our responsibility to take this action. The project will benefit all who visit St Andrew’s.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Our precise plan on fund usage will depend on how successful we are in raising funds. The plan will be to address specific items which range from quick wins (LED lighting changes), to changes from single glazing to double glazing and to add Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) to replace the aged boiler.
We are aware that changing from single glazed windows to double glazed windows is expensive, but there are opportunities to change these in stages. In a similar way the addition of ASHPs could also be progressed in stages, by for example considering different areas of the building in turn.
Much depends on the success of this fundraising and also grant applications from other organisations.
How you can help
There are two simple ways to get involved and support our project:
1. Make a donation
Every donation gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too. Whether it is £25 or £250 each donation will make a difference. Thanks to the AVIVA Community Fund each donation will be match funded, doubling the impact of your contribution (up to £250 per person, £50k in total).
2. Spread the word
Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.
Thank you in advance for your support.
This project successfully funded on 2nd November 2025