First Of Five Church Halls

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31941, 19 March 1969, Page 14

First Of Five Church Halls

The foundation stone for the first stage of the new Rochester Hall, the Roman Catholic hall of residence at Ram, will be laid at a ceremony next Saturday.

The project is the result of the combined churches’ appeal for halls of residence at the new campus of the university. The small first stage of the hall will accommodate 41 stu-

dents and as more Government subsidies become available, the rest of the hall, with accommodation for 200 men and women students, will be constructed. The foundation stone will be blessed by the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) and will be laid by the Chancellor (Mr T. H. McCombs).

Accommodation only will be provided initially as the Government has not yet approved the proposed dining facilities. The Combined Churches’

Appeal Committee says that although the hall is under Roman Catholic auspices and the majority of residents will be Catholics, it is open to all serious students of sound character.

No pressure is brought to bear on any student in matters of religion or conscience and a minimum of regulation is aimed at to encourage maximum responsibility, the committee says.

In all, five church halls of residence are ■ planned at Ham to accommodate 736 students.

Christchurch College (Church of England) has already 120 students in the new hall at Ham and a Government subsidy of $345,600 has been received.

Working drawings for Rutherford Hall (Presbyter-ian-Methodist) are expected to be ready in April. A committee has funds of $150,000. The hall will accommodate 75 men and 75 women students.

Two other church halls planned are a Church of England women’s hall for 106 students and a Baptist hall for 60 men and 40 women in four blocks of flats.

Both these halls have yet to make an appeal for funds,

but the authorities promoting them say any appeal could be prejudiced unless there is an assurance that the Government subsidy will be available and the buildings able to proceed when plans are completed.