FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A new online system to support churches to develop a future for their buildings will be created by the Diocese of Hereford thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £39,300.
The project, involving the tool will allow parishes to identify opportunities to make better use of their buildings. There will be an accompanying online toolkit to help support people caring for a church building.
There are 405 fascinating and historic church buildings across the diocese, which covers Herefordshire, south Shropshire and parts of Worcestershire, Monmouthshire and Powys.
The Mission and Mortar toolkit will help communities identify new and existing resources to look after these historic buildings, enabling them to continue acting as a focal point for worshippers, while also serving the wider community.
Wendy Coombey, Community Partnership and Funding Officer for the Diocese, said: “There are lots of opportunities for parishes and communities to makegreater and more varieduse of their buildings. However, sometimes just finding out how to do something can be difficult. This tool will play a helpful role in signposting parishes to lots of useful existing resources”.
The Mission and Mortar Tool is being trialed with a small selection of churches and communities in the Black Mountains and Golden Valley area of Herefordshire before being extended across the whole diocese later in the year.
Wendy Coombey continued: “Churches in our pilot area are excited to see how the tool will help inform their decision-making when it comes to ensuring their building has a practical and sustainable future.”
Notes to Editors:
About the Diocese of Hereford
The Church of England Diocese of Hereford was founded in 676 AD and covers roughly 1,650 square miles, serving a population of 326,000 people.
Nearly 8,000 people attend a service each Sunday and 12,000 children attend one of our 78 schools and academies.
Follow us @HerefordDiocese on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
ENDS