Living at The Gables in Bognor Regis, Alice once remarked: “Out east, Felpham is growing and there is nothing for folk out there.”

She started a small Sunday school at number 1 Sea Road in Felpham.

Unfortunately, due to the First World War and illness, her dreams were put on hold for a time.

But in 1932, she met another woman called Mrs Hole and together their plans recommenced.

Prayer meetings were held in an upper room at the Methodist Church in Waterloo Square.

This early prayer group consisted of six women, but they were forced to seek new premises for their weekly meetings when their room had to be redecorated.

One of the women was aware there was a small site in Felpham described as a tin hut.

The hut was situated in the Flansham area and the group contacted the owners, who were members of a sect known as the Loxwood Independents.

When the women told them they were in fact Methodist, the owners commented: “We couldn’t have anyone like that out here.”

Eventually, however, they were allowed to use the hall for a fee of a ‘shilling a week for a Sunday service, but they had to find the oil for the lamps’. These were the humble beginnings of the Methodist church in Felpham.

On October 2, 1932, when this small group of Methodists began their services, they were still without an organ, but one was offered to them at the last moment.

Without any form of transport, the organ was moved to their new little church in Alice Boyling’s bath chair.

In actual fact, Alice and her maid trundled the organ the two-and-a-half miles to Flansham all by themselves. There were apparently 23 people present at their first meeting, 12 of whom had moved from the Bognor Regis Methodist Church to help and encourage this small group of enthusiastic worshippers.

As time past, word spread and so numbers increased.

At the time of their first harvest festival service in October, 1933, the congregation was of sufficient size to warrant a newspaper article, in the Bognor Post, advising the fruit and vegetables which had been donated were to be given to the Felpham Sunshine Home and the Bognor Hospital.

This little church was now becoming established and recognised locally.

According to reports at the end of the year, 770 adults had attended services, they had 34 Sunday school scholars and there ‘were 14 members on their books’.

The rent had risen to 4s 1d per week but the weekly collections of between four to five shillings per week helped to cover this sum.

The coming years saw many changes including the commencement in 1934 of a women’s group named the Sisterhood.

As there was no provision within the hall for gas, water or even a stove for heating, the women brought necessary items weekly to allow them to have their much needed cup of tea.

This system continued for more than five years.