The option to purchase the Hall from the Ogilvie family officially commenced from 28th February 2026 and this currently agreed option can be exercised no later than Friday 18th December 2026. As the total figure includes other capital projects, we may be able to proceed with the purchase with a lower total raised. However, £2m represents the realistic sum needed to make the necessary improvements alongside the purchase.

We are asking for donations towards the Sizewell Hall Purchase and Site Development fund, the money donated is designated for these purposes and not entered into general funds. Although we are exploring all avenues for funding (including grants/mortgage/loans) there is a possibility that we will be unable to exercise the option to purchase prior to the December 2026 deadline. At that point we will need to enter into further discussion with the Ogilvie family about extending the purchase option or renewing the lease. In the event of successfully securing an extended lease, further capital projects could proceed to make the necessary improvements to the facilities using the designated funds.

We will continue to provide updates regularly over the year via our newsletter and social media pages. As of 1st July 2026 we have raised a total of just over £600,000 thanks largely to the generosity of our core supporter base and a few grants from Trusts. Our hope is that as churches and individuals partner with us in sharing the news of this fundraising effort, the information will spread further afield to as many people as possible that have been positively impacted by the Hall or are encouraged by the impact Christian residentials can have on lives.

Sizewell Hall is in a healthy financial position in 2026. As you will likely know the Covid pandemic was difficult on the hospitality sector broadly and we were no exception, with the main Hall being closed to guests for almost 18 months. We were able to make use of furlough and a bounce-back loan to sustain us through the closure, alongside the incredible generosity of our supporters throughout that time. During the first year and half after reopening, we incurred significant losses as churches returned in smaller numbers or not at all. However, in the last 2 years we have seen a real resurgence in the number of guests using the Hall. We have been able to recoup much of those losses and reach a point where we are financially stable once again. We have had to operate with a leaner than normal staff team to help facilitate this recovery, though we are now in a position to look at recruitment possibilities, to relieve some of the strain on the staff and trustees.

You can view our most recent audited accounts on the charity commission website where we are registered as Sizewell Hall Ltd (charity no. 269157)

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/269157

As trustees and staff, we have been looking at the possibility of coastal erosion impacting the hall and grounds, particularly considering recent developments in Thorpeness. As you may have heard, with the construction of Sizewell C power station, there are efforts ongoing to strengthen the coastal defences in the area along the beach towards the Sizewell C Site. It is hard to know for sure what impact that will have on us positive or negative. From the reports we have seen the estimated timeframe for possibly starting to see some impact on the estate is 30- 50 years. Which would initially impact the stairs and terrace area rather than any sudden threat to the buildings themselves. We will all continue to monitor the situation over the coming years, but a key factor in our discussions has been that the agreed purchase price would still be less than the rent we would be due to pay if we were to operate for another 30 years leasing the hall. In the opinion of the Trustees the positives of the purchase in terms of securing its continued use as a Christian conference centre and placing the control of any preventative measures needed in the hands of the charity, is the best action we can take to protect the hall for the long term.

It is hard to demonstrate the exact impact of the events that run at Sizewell Hall. Often the impact is felt in the time after the church/groups’ stay at the Hall, as people are drawn closer into their church community and relationships with God and each other are strengthened. Our hope is that in your churches there are people that are willing to share with the wider congregation how God has influenced their life through visits to Sizewell Hall or similar Christian conference centres. We have also produced a video with guests who have shared some of what Sizewell Hall has meant to them over the years, to help illustrate the impact. The video is included in the resources provided to your church along with this FAQ.

Purely from a statistical point of view, we are now much closer to pre-pandemic visitor numbers, which we are very encouraged by.

in 2022 our first full year open after COVID we had 2632 Guests, 113 under 5’s and 178 Day visitors. This has gradually increased year on year and in 2025 we were up to 3950 guests, 142 under 5’s and 301 Day visitors.

Most importantly please keep us in your prayers, whether that is through a specific prayer event, as individuals or in your regular prayer meetings. We believe in an all-powerful God who still very much has a plan to use Sizewell Hall for the building of His kingdom and the encouragement of his people, for many years to come. We have been able to secure a very reasonable price with the Ogilvie Family for the purchase of the Hall, and have seen God’s hand in the process at every stage. The trustee’s have felt a clear prompting from God to step out in faith with this process but there is much work to be done over the coming year, so please do keep us in your prayers.

Share the news – Please keep spreading the word about this opportunity, we know there are people out there who are keen to support this fundraising effort but havent yet heard. It is a time-sensitive opportunity so we need to act swiftly to secure the future of the Hall.

Giving days/events/collections - please consider whether you could have a specific event or day where money is collected towards this fundraising effort. It could even be included as one part of a giving day where proceeds go in part towards the Sizewell Hall Fundraiser and in part towards your churches owns needs. We want to encourage creativity and boldness with this opportunity, you could consider setting a target goal for the fundraising.

There is also the opportunity for a trustee or representative of Sizewell Hall to visit your church to share about this opportunity. If you think that would be helpful please contact us to discuss the practicalities of a visit.

Sizewell Hall’s Memorandum of Association states the aim of Sizewell Hall, as ‘To advance the Protestant and Evangelical truth of the Christian Faith’

Sizewell Hall Ltd as a Charity is governed by a Board of Directors who are trustee’s of the charity. You can find their information listed on the charity commission page linked in question 5 above. All trustees are required to subscribe to the Evangelical Alliance Statement Faith that has been adopted by the Board as part of the Sizewell Hall Board Code of Conduct Policy. You can find this statement of faith here – https://www.eauk.org/about-us/how-we-work/basis-of-faith

Sizewell Hall is available as a resource to Churches and Christian organisations for residential stays, camps and events. We also welcome Scout groups and Schools for residential stays during term-time when Churches are less likely to require the Hall’s facilities. On the basis that we have an opportunity to share some of what goes on at Sizewell Hall and model the hospitality of the wider church to the children who visit.