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PLANS to transfer the Norwegian Church to a new charitable body led by the Welsh Norwegian Society will be presented to Cardiff Council Cabinet this Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report proposes that the WNS take on the lease, assets and day-to-day management of the church and requests approval to write off the church\u2019s \u00a3122,808 trading deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Norwegian Church is one of the most iconic buildings on Cardiff Bay\u2019s waterfront and we have to find new ways of protecting it for future generations,\u201d said Councillor Russell Goodway, cabinet member for investment and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will hopefully provide a sustainable future for the church while respecting its links with our colleagues in Norway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cardiff council was elected as a trustee to the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust in 2006 and has since subsidised the trust due to its average annual deficit of \u00a320,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By transferring the church to the WNS through a new charity \u2013 Norwegian Church Cardiff Bay \u2013 the council hopes to address its financial liabilities for the Church\u2019s operating and maintenance costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is estimated that \u00a390,000 is needed to bring the building up to standard, but this hasn\u2019t deterred the WNS from wanting to take on the church\u2019s existing lease and requesting a 25-year lease extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Welsh Norwegian Society have already secured some funds and are actively seeking further funding should a transfer be agreed,\u201d said Councillor Peter Bradbury, cabinet member for culture and leisure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe society understand the traditional values of the Norwegian Church and plan to invest in and improve the building while honouring its original features and history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consecrated in 1868, the Norwegian Church was a Lutheran place of worship for Scandinavian sailors at a time when Cardiff Docks was the world\u2019s greatest exporter of coal. The church is also the place where best-selling author Roald Dahl\u00a0was baptised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo me, the church represents a strong tangible reminder of the international heritage of our capital city,\u201d said Dr Martin Price, chair of trustees for the new charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cI want it to be an important part of the visitor experience of Cardiff Bay. I want people to understand why it is there and why Norway was so important to the maritime and industrial heritage of South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the past, there have been many community groups using the church and we will be reaching out to them. We also plan to work with local primary schools as they implement the new Curriculum for Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n