Witham House, located next to the University of Lincoln Sports Centre, is to be converted into a multi-faith and meditation prayer centre in time for the beginning of the 2014-2015 year, it has been announced.
The building currently houses the offices for members of the School of Life Sciences, however, since it will be vacated at the end of the current year, it is viewed as the ideal location for a prayer centre.
Although still in the early stages of planning and preparation, the Witham House is seen as the ideal size and space to ensure that the needs of students from a wide variety of backgrounds are met. Andrew Twagira, the Student Union Vice President for Welfare and Diversity, spoke to The Linc to explain the aims and objectives of the conversion.
Twagira said: “The prayer space will be there for students who need a quiet space to contemplate, have services and engage with people of the same religion. We’re aiming to simply have the facilities there to fit their needs and for them to access it whenever they need.”
Upon being asked about the conversion itself, Twagira said: “The work will hopefully commence next summer. The plan is to get funding from the Senior Management Team of the university.
“Once the funding is put aside, we can then confirm the arrangement of how the space will look. The university and the Student Union shall work together to find out what the needs of the students are.”
He continued: “Once we know the needs, we shall go back and forth with an external architect to draw up plans. Subsequently, from these plans, we shall commence with the conversion.”
The news has been well received by students. Joe Willan, 20, said: “I think it’s a really good idea. It promotes different cultures and religion and I think this is important in modern day society.”