Open day for open space

THE team behind the recently overhauled Sebastopol Uniting Church are opening the doors to the space next month and welcoming in the wider community.

With all Christian iconography removed from the space, the site is being repurposed with the aim of making it available for general use.

Project manager Marcia Eveland said the event, which will take place on Saturday 4 November from 10am to 1pm, will be a great opportunity for people to see how they might utilise the old church.

“It’s a chance to say hello to our neighbours and let them see the space because we really want people to come and use it,” she said.

“We’re hoping to also have some special offerings from the op shop as well which will be in the hall itself, things like newer books and jewellery.

“There’ll be some tea and coffee, and light refreshments for them too.”

Decommissioned as a place of worship for about decade, the site is run under Ballarat South Uniting banner and has continued to be used as an op shop location and workshop space.

Since opening the site up to the community, the Ballarat Nepali Samaj have signed on to make use of the space while other two groups are in talks to start using it at the start of next year.

“Anyone can come and use the space. It can be a cultural group, religious group, social group. We’re open to whatever the world brings,” Ms Eveland said.

“We’re also hosting the next Sebastopol community organising group on Halloween. The first meeting was held in September and this is the second.”