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The Development & Community Use of Church Buildings
Tina Andrew
Church Heritage & Conservation Officer
Course Programme
• Community Services, Facilities & Property Audits
• Skills Assessment
• The Target Audience
• Local & Wider Consultations
• Project Sustainability
• Options Appraisal & Pilot Projects
• Legal Issues
• Resources
The Project
• “A community project should be just that – a project created by the community, for the community, to solve a problem in that community”*
• There is no “one size fits all” solution – you will need to do some research
• The initial project idea might need to change after analysing your research – There may even be several ways to achieve your
project goals so an “options appraisal” might be needed to decide which is the best one
*Quote from “Crossing the Threshold”
http://www.hereford.anglican.org/churchgoers/community_partnership_and_funding/about_us_and_latest_news/index.aspx
Community Facilities & Services Audit
• What does the community already have? – eg. a community hall, health centre, pub, etc.
• What are the opening hours? • Are any closures scheduled?
• What is missing? – eg. post office, bank, shop, etc.
• Are these really needed? eg. there might be a Post Office in the next village only half a mile away
• What do local people think of the existing facilities & services? – Could they be improved or expanded?
• What ideas do local people have about improving the current facilities & services or the provision of new ones?
Property Audit
• What condition is the building fabric in? • What facilities do you currently have?
– eg. kitchen, toilet, meeting rooms, etc
• What utility services do you have? – eg. electricity, gas, water, etc
• Do you have an extra land that could be developed or sold to generate income?
• Are there any environmental factors that may prevent or restrict you developing your building? – eg. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Site of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Local & National Development Plans, etc
Skills Assessment • You may need a diverse range of skill sets for your project • Therefore need to assess the skills you already have in the parish &
community and match them against the project requirements – eg. accountant, stonemason, builder, surveyor, etc
• Would these people be willing to help? Ask them!! • Alternately you could “top up” or refresh already existing skills
– eg. using retired, semi-retired or part-timer volunteers
• Perhaps consider training people “from scratch” or offering work experience to students – eg. NVQ work placements, gap year students, etc
• The larger your community project team the better – “It is easier for (say) ten people to give a little bit of free time than it is
for two to find a lot of free time!”*
• Don’t forget the professional (paid) skills you may also need – eg. architect
*Quote from “Crossing the Threshold”
Inspiration From Other Projects
• Visit other successful community projects in your area to get an idea of how they did it – Would they be willing to help guide/advise you? – They might be able to point out the pitfalls, shortcuts, sources
of finance, etc • Thus saving you a lot of time, money & energy
• Ask the Diocesan Office or DAC Secretary for examples of successful “church” projects
• Be aware that what works in one parish/community will not necessarily work in another – Therefore do your homework
• You will probably not get funding if a similar project already exists in your area – However ... greasy spoon cafe vs quality cafe may work!
Mission, Ministry & Outreach Work
• Do you already have links with the local community through the above? – If so, use this opportunity to discuss your current provision
• There is always room for improvement!
• Do you want to “grow” these areas or create new ones? eg. street pastors, food banks, meals for homeless people, etc – If yes, make sure that any development plans for the wider
use of your building are compatible with these aims
• Are these areas new to you? Where do you go for advice? – Most dioceses have a Mission & Ministry officer and/or a
Social Responsibility Officer
The Target Audience
• Who will be your “target audience”? – eg. local people, tourists, businesses, etc
• How can you measure whether there will be enough people to sustain your project? – eg. footfall, demand for your particular service, demography,
new schools, housing, etc – Can you keep them coming through the door?
• What would prevent people using your building? – Poor transport links, similar facilities nearby (maybe cheaper or
better quality!), limited opening hours, etc
• How will your project grow ? – eg. increase facilities, diversify, go commercial, franchise,
partnerships – the world is your oyster!
Local Consultation • Approach as many local people as possible! • Gather data by using:
– Personal interviews • Chat to people and fill in a form/questionnaire for them as you talk
– Questionnaires – Consultation day/festival/fete
• Canvass opinion during the day/events
– Suggestion boxes/walls
• Also consult community groups & businesses – You may even be able to enter into partnerships with them to
provide facilities/services • eg. scouts/guides, WI, Age Concern, etc
• Does your Local Authority have a community development or liaison officer? – What LA initiatives/projects are out there?
Wider Consultation
• Are there any Welsh Government policies or strategies that may affect your proposals? – eg. education, housing, poverty, etc – Could you obtain funding for your proposal if it helps to satisfy
Government targets?
• Are there any public sector or not-for-profit organisations that you could work with collaboratively or in partnership? – eg. provision of a drop in centre/room for local community
police officers – eg. leasing a church building to a housing association
• Are there any private sector organisations you could work with? – eg. having a church cafe run by Costa Coffee or Starbucks!!
Conservation/Historic Research • Is the church listed?
– What are its special features? • eg. architectural, historical, liturgical, etc
– Is it part of a coherent group of buildings? • eg. church, hall, vicarage & school
– Is it in a Conservation Area or AONB?
• Are there any other historic buildings, structures or landscapes nearby?
• Will any project work affect the above (positively or negatively)?
• You will need to prepare a “Statement of Significance” or “Statement of Justification” for larger projects – However, even with smaller projects it is always a good idea to
consider how any “material change” to a church will affect surrounding features • Be prepared to justify these changes when applying for the necessary
consents
Project Sustainability
• Any project should be sustainable – ie. able to continue into the future after its initial implementation
• This will include several elements: – Economic sustainability
• Can the project support itself financially after the initial start-up costs?
– Social sustainability • The project should be flexible enough to adapt to the changing needs of the
community • Make sure you review this on a regular basis (and don’t forget to consult the
community!)
– Environmental sustainability • By adapting an existing building you are already reducing your environmental
impact • Try to source local building materials, labour & products • Ensure that any refurbishment or new build is as “environmentally friendly” as
possible eg. use of green tariff electricity/gas, water meters, installing solar/PV panels, rainwater recycling, etc
Options Appraisal
• Could there be more than one way to achieve the project’s aims? – If so, what one is best? How do you decide?
• Compare the options objectively – Create an options table – Carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks of each option – Prepare a summary for each option – Do this as a group exercise
• An appraisal demonstrates to potential funders that you have carefully considered all your options
Option Benefit Drawback Summary
Consider a Pilot Project
• This is a good way to gauge whether there will be a need for your project without committing to major investments of time and money
• How you do this will depend on your proposed project – eg. if you already have kitchen & toilet facilities, a small cafe
could be run for a few months by volunteers to gauge whether people would actually use it • If this proves successful you may want to think about increasing or
upgrading the facilities to accommodate more bums on seats
• However, not all projects will lend themselves to a pilot scheme – eg. if you will require extra space in the form of an extension or
new build for community activities • Here you have to commit to the extra building work before people can
even use your facilities. Remember! if you have done your research beforehand the chances of failure are minimal
Legal/Ownership Considerations
• Ownership of Property – Generally, title is held by the Representative Body
– Principle of Trustees and Beneficiaries – who gets the cash?
– Check at an early stage if there are any title issues that may affect your plans
– The property may be subject to a trust deed that might limit use such as: • A restriction on the title preventing new uses
• A ‘reverter’ that may be triggered if the use changes
Sale of Property
• The RB (or potentially the DBF) must approve any sales or lettings of property (via RB Property Committee)
• A Chartered Surveyor’s advice or valuation will be required
• Any sales must be shown to be best value in terms of the mission and ministry of the Church in Wales
• Legal, valuation and sale aspects will be handled by the RB Property Services Department
• Costs deducted from sale proceeds
• Any property sale will be openly marketed – no private deals!
Third Party Arrangements
• Community projects involve other people • There is often an assumption that funders will
not fund a church project • it can therefore be tempting to form a new group
to manage a project, however be aware: • A third party would have an interest in the property eg. lease • Need to demonstrate best value so a rent would have to be charged • PCC could lose control
• Any lease must be granted by the RB – talk to us at an early stage – Permanent Use: An agreement (lease) must be in place before
third parties take possession – Temporary Use: Hiring agreement for occasional discreet uses
User Groups
• In order to demonstrate the involvement of the Community, a User Group can be very effective
• It is a formal, consultative group of representatives from users of the facility
• Can be worth starting as a Consultation or Steering Group as you develop your plans
• Gives a framework for feedback and advice and commits the PCC to providing the facility to serve the needs of the Community
• Sample constitution/operating guidelines available from the RB
Permissions
• Seek advice! Architect; DAC Sec; RB; Archdeacon • Proposals for changes to a church or churchyard
will need a faculty • Listed Building Consent and/or Conservation Area
Consent (except for churches as covered by faculty) may also be required
• Planning Permission will be required for any material physical alterations or change of use
• If you have a scheduled ancient monument in the church or churchyard, then consent will be needed from Cadw
Local Help & Advice for Volunteer Groups
• County Voluntary Councils (CVCs) – Based in each Local Authority
– Provide advice and information to local voluntary and community organisations
– Know what help (including funding) is available locally
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) – Umbrella body for all CVCs
– Excellent source of downloadable information
– Lots of funding advice • Caters specifically for the “third sector” in Wales
http://www.wcva.org.uk/funding
http://www.wcva.org.uk/
http://www.wcva.org.uk/funding/catalyst-cymru
Resources • Crossing the Threshold (Diocese of Hereford)
– A “toolkit” to help parishes get the best from their buildings for wider community use
• New Work in Historic Places of Worship (Historic England) – Guidance for those wishing to alter or extend historic POWs
• Renewable Energy and Your Historic Building (Cadw) – Installing microgeneration systems in historic buildings
• Chapels in Wales: Conservation & Conversion (Cadw) – Guidance for conversion to alternate uses
• Church of England ChurchCare website – Shrinking the Footprint (resources to reduce carbon footprints in
churches) – Opening up Your Church (advice & guidance to encourage visitors &
wider use of churches plus lots of case studies)
• Eco-congregation – A tool to help churches address environmental issues
http://www.churchcare.co.uk/shrinking-the-footprint
http://www.hereford.anglican.org/churchgoers/community_partnership_and_funding/about_us_and_latest_news/index.aspx
http://ew.ecocongregation.org/about
https://www.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/new-work-in-historic-places-of-worship/
http://cadw.gov.wales/docs/cadw/publications/Chapels_in_Wales_EN_CY.pdf
http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/open-sustainable/how-we-can-help
Resources • One Church, 100 Uses
– An organisation that can assist parishes with the regeneration of their churches for wider community use
– Lots of online information & downloads available
• Faith-based Regeneration Network (FbRN) – Multi faith network for community development, community
regeneration and social action – Lots of online information & downloads available
• Route Map for Sustainable Communities – PLANED (Pembs Local Action Network for Enterprise & Dev) – Some good examples of community action plans
• Church Urban Fund – A Christian Group that aims to tackle poverty – Produces a lot of information on engaging communities &
supporting them
http://www.fbrn.org.uk/ http://www.planed.org.uk/
http://www.onechurch100uses.org/cms/index.html
https://www.cuf.org.uk/
CiW Resources
• Policies & guidelines – eg. child protection, equal opportunities, bullying &
harassment, etc – Available to view or download from website on: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/resources
• Employment & work contracts – Contact Human Resources
• Legal issues – Contact Alex Glanville or Paul Rees in first instance
Any Questions?
To download copies of this presentation go to:
http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/heritage/
