Neilcott are undertaking the construction of a new Worship Facility and Church Hall at Esher Green Baptist Church.  During demolition of the rear Hall we located a Victorian sealed glass preserving jar. It was located in a cavity in a foundation stone placed in a side wall. The foundation stone, which was engraved as being laid by Mrs J Perrin (wife of the first Pastor, Rev John Perrin) on 1^st August 1870, was carefully removed as the Church wished to re-place it elsewhere in the new building.

The contents of the jar, which was undamaged, comprised a beautifully written two-page ‘Address’ given at the laying of the foundation stone in 1870 together with five booklets and papers of material published by the Sunday School Union in that year. The Address was a particularly appropriate encouragement for this redevelopment in 2013 as its references to the uses of the Hall and to the work of future generations.

The Church had no idea that this had been placed there, so its finding gives them a new sense of continuation with the past. Current plans are to re-place the contents just found, with a note of the opening in 2013, in a new location near to where it is planned to re-place the old foundation stone. This will be in the interior wall of the proposed front reception area. A new foundation stone, recording the present re-building, is planned alongside, to include a 2013 time capsule.

The “Fit for Legacy” programme, which is a partnership between private and public sector organisations including:

• Newham College for Further Education (Lead Organisation)
• East London Business Place – Canary Wharf Group Limited
• Neilcott Construction Limited
• Royal Borough of Greenwich
• London Borough of Newham
• London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
• East London Business Alliance
• Olympic Park Legacy Company
• London Borough of Redbridge
• London Borough of Havering

The project has been established as a flagship local procurement and business support project which carries on the work of the East London Business Place (ELBP) and New College of Further Education’s Centre for Innovation and Partnerships (CIPs).  It aims to support a diverse range of London SME’s and although Pan London will focus on the Thames Gateway area, to take advantage of new market opportunities through the provision of practical advice and support and transparency of future pipelines of work.

A “Meet the Buyer” Event will be held later in the year to provide information on the range of projects coming up.  The aim is that by increasing the proportion of value contracted with local SMEs, directly or indirectly, through East London developments it will:

• bring a significant return to the local economy, with less leakage to external markets/economies
• achieve social and economic benefits for local communities; and higher levels of community cohesion as a result of greater representation of local businesses in supply chains