In the year 1955 most of the parishioners of West Parley live at a considerable distance from their Parish Church. This state of affairs was foreseen as long ago as 1928 and in 1930 Lord Wimborne gave a site for a church in the vicinity of Parley Cross. For years that plot of land has remained just moorland, with hardly a house in sight. Today the plot is almost surrounded by houses and appears, more than ever before, to be the perfect place on which to build a church. The building of a house of worship in the centre of the parish is a project that has been before the West Parley Parochial Church Council for some months, and the Council has now decided that the site shall be developed.

As the building of a church could not be undertaken for much less than £30,000, the P.C.C. are planning to start with a hall which can be used for religious services. The hall would also be used for Sunday School and other church - sponsored activities and should cost about one-fifth of the money required for a church. The P.C.C. is fortunate to have at its disposal, thanks to grants and loans, sufficient funds to enable a start on building to be made. Loans, however, require repayment and it is estimated that for this purpose £250 must be raised annually for the first ten years and £150 annually for a further ten years.

Some of this money can be provided by church collections and some may be raised from the proceeds of sales of work and entertainments, but the major part of it must be found by the parishioners themselves, and this is where the Friends of West Parley Church have their opportunity.

The Friends of West Parley Church form an Association whose immediate purpose is to assist in the provision of a house of worship in the midst of the homes of its members.

You may become a Friend of West Parely Church by doing one or more of the following things:-

 (i) Making a donation to the West Parley P.C.C. Building Fund;
 (ii) Making an annual subscription to the same Fund;
 (iii) Covenanting for seven years a sum of money to the Fund.

Anyone who pays income tax is entitled to make a Deed of Covenant and whoever does the latter benefits the Fund not only by the sum covenanted but also by the addition of the income tax appropriate to the covenanted sum. It is, therefore, upon Deeds of Covenant that the West Parley P.C.C. must chiefly rely for repayment of its loans.

There are two points which must be stressed. The most important if these is the fact that it is not intended that the erection of a new hall or church will remove the necessity for holding services in our ancient Parish Church. The second point is that a church hall will never compete with the West Parley Memorial Hall, which is, of course, the people's hall and therefore dedicated to the entertainment of its patrons, whereas the new hall is to be entirely a church affair.

Will you, therefore, become a Friend of West Parley Church and send your contribution, whether it be by donation, subscription, or Deed of Covenant to :-

The Hon. Treasurer, Mr. C.T.W. Boulton,
Heathside, Dudsbury Road, Ferndown.

Any of the following forms can be detached and used for the purpose. Postal orders and / or cheques should be made payable to the West Parley Parochial Church Council.
  Every contribution will be acknowledged.
W. J. FREEMAN
Rector

C. T. W. BOULTON,
C. J. CHARLEWOOD,
November, 1955.Churchwardens.

AREA A
New Road (both sides) from Parley Cross to Kinson Bridge.
Longfield Drive, Ridgeway and all new houses in that area.
Dudsbury Hill (both sides) from Parley Cross
to Hampreston parish boundary.

AREA B
Christchurch Road (both sides) from Parley Cross
to Barrack Road. Barrack Road. Church Road.

AREA C
New Road (both sides) from Parley Cross to
Corner Garage. Dene Walk, Brierley Avenue, Oakland Walk.
Birch Avenue. Winnards Close. Mags Barrow.
Wight Walk. Dudsbury Road.

AREA D
New Road (both sides) from Corner Garage to Braeside.
Golf Links Road from New Road to Carroll Avenue.
Lone Pine Drive. Aldridge Road. Lone Pine Camp.