IT’S not often that a vicar gets to smash a sledgehammer into a church building.

The Rev Mike Duff removes the first stone to launch the £2.4m project to re-order St Jude's Church

But the Rev Mike Duff was given the chance to demolish the first stone from St Jude’s Church as work began on a £2.4m project to re-develop the Southsea building.

The ambitious project aims to put the church at the heart of the Southsea community – creating a stunning new glass-fronted entrance facing Palmerston Road shopping precinct, new kitchens, toilets and community rooms on the ground floor and raising the worship area to the first floor.

But the first thing builders are doing is removing the north porch – a more recent addition to the original Victorian building. Worshippers met to pray for the project before the vicar ceremonially removed the first stone.

The Rev Mike Duff said: “It was great to launch this project formally with prayers for its future. It was also satisfying to be able to knock out that first stone. I don’t plan to knock out any more, though - I'll leave that to the experts! After all the planning, it is very exciting having the builders here at last.”

The project is a flagship one for the Diocese of Portsmouth, which has launched a ‘Kairos: Buildings’ initiative, to help parishes find ways of using their church buildings more effectively to reach out to those living nearby. This project is a prime example, which echoes many of the key principles behind that process.

The first phase of the work includes creating the new glass-fronted main entrance facing the shopping precinct. Builders will also create a new kitchen, offices and toilets to ensure better facilities for community groups.

Worshippers have already raised £750,000 for this phase, through sacrificial giving, grants and donations. This first phase should be completed by Christmas. While this is happening, worshippers will continue to hold services in the church, although some midweek groups and Sunday School groups will meet elsewhere.

The second phase will involve moving the worship area to a new first floor and creating community rooms underneath. Its facilities can then be used for sport, catering, conferences, theatre and music performances, youth events and meetings, as well as worship. The current chancel will become a day chapel, which will be open all day to passers-by.

Church administrator David Cain said: “It is a very dominant building, but when you get close to it, the door is shut and the building looks closed at the moment. It is on a very busy corner and we want to open it up and welcome people in. We hope that people will come in and use the day chapel as a spiritual oasis of calm.”

To make this re-development possible, the church’s historic organ is being dismantled and given a new home. It will go to St Barnabas Church in Ealing. The three-manual, 45-stop William Hill organ started to take shape in 1877 and its specification has remained largely unaltered since 1912. It is thought to be one of the finest examples of an English romantic organ.

To mark its departure, the church has organised a weekend of activities in May, including the chance to play the organ for the final time. On May 22, there will be a concert by the cathedral choir at 7pm. And there will be a gala concert and supper at 7.30pm on May 23 featuring previous directors of music at the church.

Sunday’s service, on May 24, will be a joint one with worshippers from St Barnabas, Ealing, and organ-lovers will get their chance to play it for the final time on May 25 – in return for a donation to the re-development fund. The organ will then start to be dismantled the next day.

The parish is also selling a CD of well-known pieces of music played on the St Jude’s organ by Ian Tracey from Liverpool Cathedral. It costs £9.99, and all proceeds will go to the building re-development fund.

For details, contact David Cain on 023-9275 0442 or office@stjudes-southsea.org.uk.