The good news is that the new Gelert's Farm toilet block is now operational. Following fitting of the last doors (and ironmongery), the plumbing-in of the second shower, installation of a few fittings and a good deal of paint, the attic insulation was installed a few days after Christmas, and the shower first used that evening (Geoff Jenkins reaping the reward for the job of dealing with several rolls of fibreglass).
With heating now installed the building is kept nicely warm, and the initial condensation problems seem to be declining. A few jobs remain to be done, such as finish painting and finally cleaning the floor of all the remaining mess from the construction phase - some of this work will have to wait until later in the year. There are also a few more finishing touches to add, such as some proper benches in the shower rooms, in place of the present chairs borrowed from the mess. After a few initial problems with the plumbing, things generally appear to be working well. Andy Carter has already removed most of the fittings from the old toilet block, although the sinks and one toilet will remain.
For those who don't already know, the new building has been funded almost entirely by donations from a small group of regular volunteers, who make payments by standing order into a separate account. We are keeping this fund going to finance the construction of a new, permanent mess building, which will adjoin the toilet block, and for which planning permission has already been granted. In order to speed up the construction, we would like to have a higher proportion of paid labour in this job, particularly as access to the existing building will be difficult at certain stages. We are therefore looking for further contributors to the fund, preferably on regular basis. The amount being put in by current contributors varies from about £5 to about £15 per month, and the average is around £10 per month. If you would like to join the funding group, please contact me to arrange for a standing order form to be supplied. Alternatively, donations can be sent direct to Richard Sinclair with a covering note saying that they are for the Gelert's Farm Amenity Building.
I am sure all volunteers will appreciate the new toilet facilities, and will look forward to the opening of a new mess in less than the four years it has taken us to complete the toilet block.