Saint Edward Brotherhood Building Fund

The Saint Edward Brotherhood of monks, which at first was housed in the two derelict chapels that once served the old Necropolis Railway at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, has over the past twenty years carried out extensive repairs and restorations to these buildings. During this time, they have established a flourishing and active Church serving a broad community of both immigrants from traditionally Orthodox countries, and an increasing number of British converts to Orthodoxy.

The Brotherhood has been self-supporting by means of making incense and candles, icon framing, and bookbinding. However, the income generated is no longer adequate as a new monastic house is necessary. The Brotherhood’s increased activities, both monastic and pastoral, cannot now be accommodated in the existing monastic house.

The new monastic house, illustrated above, which has already full planning permission from Woking Borough Council, has been designed appropriate to its historic surroundings, and will provide basic accommodation that is suitable for the simple monastic life. New workshops will allow the monks to expand their income-generating activities. The existing house will be upgraded to better accommodate Church meetings. The former monks’ cells will be refurbished and furnished as visitor’s rooms. It will also house a small permanent exhibition showing the history of the site. The architect is parishioner Mrs Irina Aldersley, R.I.B.A. (hobleuk@yahoo.co.uk). View PDF files of the architect's drawings of the Site Plan, Elevations, Ground Floor, First Floor, and Cross-Section (Adobe Acrobat is required to view these files). See photos of the construction progress here.

This project is a vital part of our religious and historic inheritance. For many, monasticism is at the heart of Orthodox Christian life (all hierarchs are monks) and still has a resonance and significance deep within our daily lives. Our purpose is to protect a valuable past and to preserve it for the future of the Church, the Body of Christ.

As a small community, the Brotherhood does not have the resources to complete the funding. We are seeking support from a range of outside sources and would be grateful for support of all kinds, including single gifts or pledges, In Memoriam gifts or bequests. All donations will be handled by the King Edward Orthodox Trust Company Limited (registered charity no. 284929/0), and held in an account designated solely for this project.

For more information please contact us by post or leave a message on our answer phone at:

Saint Edward Brotherhood,
Saint Cyprian’s Ave,
Brookwood,
Woking,
SURREY,
GU24 0BL
Telephone: 01483 487763
E-mail: info@saintedwardbrotherhood.org

Download Building Fund brochure in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat is required to view this file)