South East

The following few case studies, some of which were used in the report Building Faith in the Future, are from the South East region. They follow the same order as the chapter headings in the report.  Please note that it may not have been possible to find case studies for every heading.  If you know of other cases which may be of interest, please let us know.

CHURCHES AS A CENTRE  OF VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITY

300 people came to the opening of a recent art exhibition at St Andrews, Hove  a Church Conservation Trust church. This church was declared redundant in the 1980s and sat unused, neglected and vandalised for ten years.

A report: Diocese of Oxford, Faith in Culture: A Faith Contribution to Cultural Strategies, a report from an ecumenical working group, Diocese of Oxford, 2004 www.oxford.anglican.org

“The fact that many of the eight regional cultural consortia established by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have failed so comprehensively to recognise the significant contribution of faith communities to the cultural life of their communities, or to reflect them in their cultural strategies, has caused widespread dismay among their members”.  (Source: Faith in Culture: A Faith Contribution to Cultural Strategies: Diocese of Oxford. March 2004)

"The nation's music, art, and architecture have all been massively enriched, both locally and nationally, by the work of faith communities."

“Any truthful presentation of heritage needs to acknowledge the role of faith in sponsoring and inspiring the building of churches and cathedrals, the sculptures, art, glass and woodwork within them, the evolving composition of great works of music, the standards of craftsmanship, and its flowing out into the community in social work, in education and in hospitals.  The monuments and memorials around the walls of churches tell many individual stories of faith related to the achievements and crises of daily life.”

“All of this is an invaluable resource for schools wanting pupils to understand their local heritage and the implications of citizenship.  It also offers a wide range of cross-curricular learning through measuring, counting, language, lettering and design.”

“Many of us have come to realise that, because as Churches we have often failed to ‘tell our story’ beyond our own congregations it is not altogether surprising that we were ignored. Yet the fact remains that we, as faith communities, are the largest family of voluntary organisations in the Thames Valley, and our involvement in a wide spectrum of cultural activities is second to none”.

(Source: The Rt Revd Colin Fletcher, Bishop of Dorchester in Faith in Culture: A Faith Contribution to Cultural Strategies Diocese of Oxford. March 2004)

Case studies included in this report:-

1. St Mary’s Church, Adderbury, a few south of Banbury. Medium sized rural village with a population of about 2,700.

“The choir’s contribution to Carol Services and other choral based worship frequently sees a full church experiencing the combination of local people offering of their best combined with the atmosphere of the church building”.

For a  village of 2,700, the scope of cultural activity is vast, and contributes significantly to the high quality of life experienced in the village”. (Source: Vicar, Revd Stephen Fletcher)

Music is very important to this church and is the home of the widely recognised Adderbury Ensemble. The choir and the Minstrels musicians who accompany worship provide opportunity for singers and musicians, young and old and of a wide variety of ability and experience to play alongside each other.

Church House houses the Adderbury library, a lending library and internet access point and which also provides excellent facilities for meetings and social gatherings including rehearsal space for the Adderbury Theatre workshop.

2. The Churches Together in Earley and East Reading (CTEER), Schools Project.

Earley and East Reading are a mainly residential area to the east of Reading, a major centre of the Thames Valley’s IT industry.

“The aim of the Schools Project is make resources of the churches and other faith communities available to local schools so that they can better fulfil these educational requirements, (namely that every child should take part in a daily act of worship, and must study R.E. in every school year). The aim of the project is, “to enable schools and their pupils to develop spiritually and engage creatively with faith”. (Source: Faith in Culture: A Faith Contribution to Cultural Strategies Diocese of Oxford. March 2004)

There are 16 churches in CTEER and each church contributes £500 and considerable amount of time into supporting cultural activity in the 12 primary schools and 1 secondary school in the area they cover. CTEER engages with these schools in the following ways:-

• Ministers and church workers take assemblies in 8 of the primary schools and in every year of the secondary school;
• Help the pupils in the secondary school set up and run discussion groups, sometimes with a panel of people from different faith communities on issues around faith and topical interest. This had now developed into a bi-annual (every two years) national symposiums on spiritual development taking place called “Dare to Engage” for 16-19 year olds;
• Five teams of volunteers involving nearly 50 people from local churches work with 8 of the primary schools helping to deliver R.E. lessons. These lessons take place in seven different churches including the local mosque;
• Ministers and church workers visit every class in year 7,8 and 9 in the secondary school as ‘class room resources’ to take part in R.E. lessons. Also resource two half day conferences for the sixth form.

3. St Mary’s Church, Henley on Thames. A town of some 11,000 people in south Oxfordshire. A major appeal in 2000 raised over £500,000 for the church and a further £1m for the adjoining medieval Chantry House. This is to carry out necessary renovation work and also to facilitate the community use of the buildings.

While Henley has a small theatre and a cinema, it has no concert hall despite a having a thriving choral society and symphony orchestra. Occupying a focal point in the town and with a seating capacity of 700, the church can accommodate both performers and an audience.

“The church has sought to develop partnerships with local schools and organisations and encourages community use of the building to promote the arts and enrich the spiritual life of all who enter building for whatever reason”. (Source: The Revd David Pritchard, Rector of St Mary’s Faith in Culture: A Faith Contribution to Cultural Strategies Diocese of Oxford. March 2004)

Over the past four years, St Mary’s has hosted the following:

• a performance of “Murder in the Cathedral” by the Henley Amateur Dramatic Society;
• a performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” by the pupils of Henley College;
• many concerts including by the Henley Choral Society, the London Baroque Ensemble, the London Male Voice Choir, the Reading Male Voice Choir, the Vaxjo Cathedral Choir from Sweden;
• exhibition of sculpture by award winning William Fairbanks;
• regular flower festivals;
• carol services. The church has its own fine choir.
• organ recitals
• many other one-off activities

In 2004 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the appointment of the first recorded Rector of Henley, extensive celebrations are planned including a medieval pageant involving all the schools in Henley.

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THE CHURCH AS A CENTRE OF VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITY

Tim Lawrence, Being Here: How the Church is Engaging with the Communities of Brighton and Hove, Engage, The Brighton and Hove Churches Community Development Association, April 2004 (Engage, St Michaels Community Centre, St Michael's Place, Brighton BN1 3FU)

“Many groups and projects are not seen as being part of the voluntary an community sector. Much of what the Church is doing in the community goes on below the radar. It is easy to underestimate the Church’s contribution to the community in terms of supporting other voluntary and community groups, schools and other service providers, whether that be corporately or individually”.  (Being Here April 2004)

This report was of a survey carried between May 2003 and February 2004 of 83% of Christian congregations and Christian Voluntary Groups in Brighton and Hove who were interviewed. There were 250 examples of congregations collectively supporting another voluntary organisation by giving: money, representatives, space and other resources. There were 135 examples of individuals from a congregation volunteering for another voluntary or community group ranging from hospitals, to the Brighton Soup Run and the Samaritans. As much of this is anecdotal, the real figure is probably much greater. There were 92  examples of congregations and organisations running or contributing to community events and festivals such as Fundays, concerts, exhibitions and Children’s Holiday Clubs.  There were 33 examples of congregations running a voluntary or community organisation and/or projects in partnership with another group. Finally there 301 examples of congregations and organisations running their own community activities, groups or projects. The users include older people, young families, children, young people; the communities of interest or need include women, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered, disabled people, black and ethnic minority people, Asylum Seekers and the homeless; and the services provided include advice and support, community space, training, health and cafes. Just 47% of these projects employ 134 staff, have 1072 volunteers and 6,300 users (including hirers).

“Much of the Church’s community  involvement at neighbourhood level tends to be low-key and largely preventive. (Even so), without the Church’s humble nut significant contribution there would be a huge gap in provision citywide. On the estates, in the city centre, and in other pockets of deprivation, the projects as a whole have a significant number of users who are on low income, are in inadequate housing, have experienced relationship breakdown, and/or have a lack of support networks. The welcome, friendship, and stability that the  projects offer can help people cope with the issues of loneliness, stress and depression.” (Being Here April 2004)

Examples. In the East Estates area, three of the most deprived wards in the city, there are 39 projects. Just 15 of those projects employ 10 staff,  have 195 volunteers and are used by 481 users per week. Projects include a 3Bs baby clinic, crèches, lunch clubs for older people, groups for young people from 0-18 and a family support project. In Kemp Town, just behind the grand facades of the Waterfront, which has a high density of flats and bedsits with very little community space and provision, St George’s provides the only green communal space for 18,000 people who live in the area. St Anne’s Day Centre provides a warm and friendly and supportive environment and a range of practical services for the homeless and lonely in the area.

“Community space needs to be recognised as a major asset of the local Church for the community”. (Being Here. April 2004)

There were 8 purpose built community centres amongst the 55 community buildings identified by the survey essential to the provision of services and facilities. The remaining 47 church halls and worship spaces for community use and hire were provided by the Churches themselves.

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THE URBAN CHALLENGE

All Saints, Portsmouth is situated in a very deprived area of Portsmouth and has become a key resource for the community offering its building during the week to professionally trained counsellors, the Children’s Society, an agency supporting peole with tribunal appeals, a charity shop, a youth project and a drop-in project for those with mental health needs. All Saints continues to seek innovative ways to establish contact with all sectors of the local population is now developing a garden of reflection and is looking at the possibility of a community café in discussion with several local agencies.

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