New lease of life for Christian retreat (From Craven Herald)

New lease of life for Christian retreat

1:40pm Friday 20th March 2009 in Skipton & District

Scargill House is to get a new lease of a life – but it will remain a Christian retreat.

The future of the Kettlewell conference centre was thrown into doubt when the previous trustees decided to close the loss-making centre in July 2006.

The 100-acre complex – with its grade two listed chapel – was put on the market for £2.5 million and there were fears it could fall into the hands of developers.

But, last week, contracts were exchanged with the newly-formed Scargill Movement Council.

“Scargill will reopen with a Christian community at its heart and will run retreats and conferences in the future as it has done in the past. It is a new beginning,” said council chairman the Right Rev Chris Edmondson, who is Bishop of Bolton.

“We hope to complete by the end of March and then we will put in place a project manager and fundraiser. We have had a survey done, but we do not know in detail what needs to be done.

“We will have to do some refurbishment and appropriate development at the site so it is fit for purpose and the 21st century. We are looking at autumn 2010 before we will be fully open again. It is a fresh start.”

The council – a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity – was born out of the Save Scargill campaign.

Supporters got together in the summer to decide the way forward and in late autumn submitted a bid for the site. It was accepted just before Christmas.

Finances have come from individual donations and a loan from the Lee Abbey Movement, which runs a similar retreat in Lynton, Devon, and where Bishop Edmondson was previously warden.

In fact, the original vision for Scargill when it opened 50 years ago came out of a conference at Lee Abbey.

However, the bishop stressed it was not a Lee Abbey takeover.

“Without the practical support and prayers of the people at Lee Abbey, we would not be where we are now,” he said. “The governance of Scargill will be completely independent, although there will be two representatives from Lee Abbey on the movement council. It is a sister relationship.”

A celebration to mark the completion of the sale will be held at Scargill in early April and will include an afternoon worship, discussions and a picnic lunch.

And, on Saturday June 20, there will be a special event to mark the centre’s 50th anniversary and its new lease of life.

For more information, log onto the website scargillmovement.org