Building a future for your historic church Consultancy Services and Impact
at (CCT) is the national charity for historic churches at risk. We have saved from closure over 350 churches with high architectural, community and historical significance and work to reshape and reinvent these buildings, finding new ways for them to be at the heart of their communities. We are a small charity whose work is supported by almost 2,000 volunteers around the country. Our Team was set up in 2007 to focus on delivering major new use projects. We work in partnership with all kinds of community groups, charities, social enterprises, businesses and entrepreneurs to breathe new life into under-used churches. Now in our tenth year, we re a small creative team with experience across a range of sectors including community regeneration, planning and social enterprise, historic conservation, site interpretation and project management. We bring our skills together with local people to deliver award-winning projects. Since 2013 we ve been providing our regeneration consultancy service to groups, parishes and dioceses around the country and abroad to develop community-led regeneration schemes. We work in partnership with all kinds of community groups, charities, social enterprises, businesses and entrepreneurs to breathe new life into under-used churches. Cover Photograph: Quay Place, Ipswich Andy Marshall. This page: Construction at All Saints Church, Benington Isabel Assaly 01
Our Consultancy Service Our Consultancy Packages We can provide the following tailored packages of support to help your project How we can help Historic places of worship need to find new and extended uses if they are to survive. Developing a new use project in a historic church is complex. These sites exert a strong emotional pull on local communities. This, coupled with planning policy and legislation, can make project management challenging. We operate a regeneration consultancy service and can support you to develop your extended and new use ideas for your historic church. Our team has significant experience in project management and delivering creative re-use schemes that are viable, sustainable and deliver demonstrable social benefits for local communities. We can help in a number of ways. Project kick off and viability Profile your local community Assess a number of new use options Plan and deliver a community consultation event Options appraisal and early project development Identify a viable and sustainable new use for your historic church Develop an outline business case for investment The CCT have supported us every step of the way. Their expertise, professionalism and commitment made it possible for work to begin on the conservation and adaptation of All Saints, helping to restore it to its rightful place at the heart of the community. Judy Crowe, Secretary, Benington Community Heritage Trust Secretary Get in touch We are happy to discuss your project with you and how we might be able to assist. Please call us on 020 7841 0406 and ask to speak to a member of the Team, or you can email us at consultancy@thecct.org.uk. You can also follow our work on Twitter @CCT_regen or visitchurches.org.uk. Project management (bid development) Develop a Round One or Round Two bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund Manage team appointments, including consultants and staff Develop a sustainable community business model Prepare funding applications Develop an innovative and exciting activity and learning plan Project management (construction) Co-ordinate the appointment of your design team and build contractor Oversee the construction programme Operational support and transition Develop a governance and management plan for your project Review your community business model 02-03
Providing consultancy services to groups, parishes and dioceses The Beonna at All Saints: A Space for Rural Revival St John s Church: Reigniting the Festival Church Benington, Lincolnshire Waterloo, London CLIENT CLIENT Benington Community Heritage Trust St John s PCC CONTRACT CONTRACT Project management (bid development) Project management (construction) Project management (bid development) In 2016 we were appointed by Benington Community Heritage Trust (BCHT) to project manage the construction programme at the Grade I at risk church of All Saints. In the spirit of the 1951 Festival of Britain, St John s Church will be repaired and renewed for a new future as Waterloo s civic heritage site. Benington has lost all the local services it once enjoyed: the village school, shop, doctors surgery and post office. The Beonna at All Saints will help revive the community, provide employment, volunteering and training opportunities and re-establish a focal point in an area of increasing social fragmentation. Reigniting the Festival Church will interpret the stories of St John s and Waterloo through active and participatory activities, exhibitions, digital applications and live events. Training opportunities will be provided to local young people to help them fulfil their potential and participate in the cultural and economic dynamism of the surrounding area. Our team has previously been commissioned by BCHT to project manage the delivery of a Round Two HLF bid, including the development of a new community business model. The project is currently in the delivery phase and will open in autumn 2018. Appointed in 2015, we acted as Project Managers to co-ordinate the development and delivery of a Round One HLF bid. Consultation event at All Saints Church, Benington - Simon Jacquet 04-05
St Thomas and St Luke: What s at the Top? Dudley Inspire North East 18 places of worship in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and County Durham CLIENT St Thomas and St Luke PCC CONTRACT Project kick off and viability St Thomas and St Luke is a Grade II* listed church in the Diocese of Worcester. Known locally as Top Church, we were commissioned in 2016 to deliver a community consultation day. This event represented the first step towards finding an extended use that benefits both the church and the community and secures a sustainable future for the site. Diocese of Lund, Church of Sweden 4 places of worship in Scania, Sweden CLIENT Diocese of Lund CONTRACT Operational support and transition CLIENT Inspired Futures (Diocese of Newcastle and Durham) CONTRACT Options appraisal and early project development Inspired North East is a two-stage strategic project involving 18 historic places of worship in 17 localities across the Diocese of Durham and Newcastle. Commissioned to develop and deliver a number of regeneration plans for key project sites, activity in 2016/17 focussed on the delivery of a number of workshops designed to support community groups to deliver extended use ideas. Workshops were delivered in the following areas: project visioning and options appraisal; business and activity planning; fundraising; volunteering; assessing significance; and construction project management. In 2017/18 we will provide more bespoke project support to help groups develop church regeneration plans. In 2015 we were commissioned by the Diocese of Lund to explore extended use options for four churches within the Diocese. Our most recent commission provided strategic support to the Diocese with the development of a Theory of Change and Business Process for structuring church regeneration projects. This is a first for the diocese and wider Church of Sweden and will form the basis of an international Preserve, Use and Develop conference to be delivered in Lund in April 2018. Consultation event at St Thomas and St Luke, Dudley - Andy Marshall 06-07
A space for wellbeing at the heart of a community Quay Place, Ipswich The Grade II* medieval church of St Mary at the Quay, Ipswich, was closed for formal worship in 1948-9, and by 2008, structural problems and decay meant it faced an uncertain future. Working in partnership with the mental health charity, Suffolk Mind, and with support from a range of funding partners, we developed a 5.1m scheme to repair the building and transform it into Quay Place, a wellbeing and heritage centre. Opened in November 2016, the building is once again a focal point for the community. Quay Place provides a wide range of complementary therapies, mind-body exercise classes, heritage activities, community garden and meeting and event space. Visitor numbers are growing and a team of local volunteers have been recruited to support the day-to-day operation of the site. In March 2017, Quay Place hosted a Health and Heritage conference. Welcoming over 100 delegates from across ten countries, the conference explored mental health provision and access to cultural heritage as a positive force for healthy, productive communities. The project has already been recognised through multiple awards: Winner, (RICS) Building Conservation Award 2017, East of England; Highly Commended (RICS) Building Conservation, National Awards 2017; Highly Commended, Historic Buildings category, Civic Voice Design Awards 2017; High Commendation award, Ipswich Society Awards 2016. www.quayplace.co.uk Key facts Over 3,500 visitors between November 2016 and March 2017 34 organisations worked with and/or utilised the space 590 contacts engaged through outreach events 338 therapy sessions delivered in five months The effect (Quay Place) has on yourself is wonderful, the space and light; the people are smashing, the whole thing is really beautiful. Being part of the team and the place itself has improved my wellbeing. Volunteer 4 jobs and 31 new volunteers Quay Place, Ipswich Andy Marshall 08-09
Sound and Art @ St Swithun s St Swithun s Church, Worcester Our Sound and Art @ St Swithun s (SASS) project will re-imagine St Swithun s Church as an immersive sensory space, building on its existing role and demonstrating the potential of sound and art to engage, enthuse and inspire a greater connection with heritage. The project will also enable urgent repairs, conservation and adaption of the building necessary to support the future use of the site. Following the award of an HLF development grant in May 2015, we spent 2016/17 piloting new creative uses and building up local partnerships. In July 2016 we delivered a large-scale community consultation event to demonstrate the versatility of the space and consult local people on our vision for the future. Feedback enabled us to review and define our offer and develop a unique, sensory based learning programme that would complement the city s existing cultural offer. New, creative uses piloted during this period included a Georgian Gin event, an immersive experience fusing Georgian characters, history and song with gin tasting. We also launched the Sampling St Swithun s Culture Clash event, a one day festival of sonic and visual exploration, bringing together or clashing different audiences, artists and art-forms to interpret the heritage of St Swithun s in new, exciting and accessible ways. This exploratory work has been used to shape our Round Two bid to the HLF which we submitted in May 2017. Key facts 2.4M project A rare example of an almost complete Georgian church 50 new events and activities tested Innovative sensory based programme of engagement 500 people reached through consultation workshops The Sampling St Swithun s event provided a new and holistic experience involving sound, photography and art that engaged visitors and enabled them to explore creative ways of interpreting the building. Jason Singh, 2017 PRS New Music Biennial Awardee and Artist in Residence Hull City of Culture 2017 5 student work placements St Swithun s Church, Worcester - Andy Marshall 10-11
Looking ahead The Canny Space All Souls Sunderland, Tyne & Wear Bolton, Lancashire Following our Round One HLF award in 2015 to transform Holy Trinity into The Canny Space, a new cultural and incubation centre for creative arts and storytelling, we ve spent the last year developing our project vision. Work included the development of our concept design for the space as well as activity and business planning. Urgent investment secured from the Department of Community and Local Governments Coastal Revival Fund, administered by Sunderland City Council, and an At Risk grant from Historic England, enabled us to undertake emergency repairs to parts of the church. Three years into operation, multi-award winning All Souls Bolton, continues to serve the community with more visitors, event days and workshops. Following recent work with The Flowhesion Foundation, All Souls has created a safe-space for interfaith encounters, promoting cohesion between the Christian-Muslim-Humanist communities. The foundation offers expert research, innovative social inclusion projects and quality training. On 27 January, All Souls Bolton was delighted to host delegates from Civic Voice, the national charity promoting civic pride, for their first Design Awards Tour of 2017. As Restoration category winner in 2015, All Souls was showcased as an exemplary communityled regeneration project. We made good progress with fundraising in support of our Round Two HLF bid which will be submitted in December 2017. Built for Exchange Sudbury, Suffolk Working with the active Friends of St Peter s volunteer group, our project will put this beautiful town-centre church back at the heart of the community in this bustling market town. In 2016/17 we worked with the community to develop proposals for the space and look forward to submitting our updated HLF Round One bid in 2017/18. Helping out with the conservation at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland - Kevin Brady 12-13
Our growing impact 4 major projects completed Four major projects completed, one during 2016/17. As the Team celebrates its tenth year we look back at some of our achievements over the last 12 months. 2016/17 was an exciting year for the team. We launched our latest regeneration project at Quay Place, Ipswich, transforming a beautiful medieval church into a unique heritage and wellbeing centre. Having been awarded development grants for both St Swithun s, Worcester and Holy Trinity, Sunderland, 2016/17 was a significant year of activity testing, business planning, design development and community consultation. Meanwhile, All Souls Bolton and St Nicholas Chapel King s Lynn celebrated another successful year of operation. Our project work continues to be structured by our regeneration Business Process and underpinned by our organisational Theory of Change and Logic Model. These tools help us measure the social impact of our programme and ensure that we remain at the forefront of regeneration best practice. 21 million investment secured Over 18M secured for five CCT sites and over 3M investment secured for two community groups. 40 communities supported 40 communities supported. Five new communities supported during 2016/17. 62 jobs created 62 paid jobs in place across six sites. 22 jobs created in 2016/17. 49 skills and knowledge sessions 49 skills and knowledge sessions held to date. 23 during 2016/17. 14 heritage conservation traineeships, internships and work placements across our projects. One heritage conservation traineeship delivered in 2016/17. 88% increase in visitors An 88% increase in visitor numbers at operational sites from 2015/16 figures. 14-15
Strategic aims and KPIs Strategic Aim KPI 2016/17 status In January 2015 published a four-year strategy leading up to the 50th anniversary in 2019. The strategy is centred on three strategic aims to Inspire People, Protect our History, and Create Value. forms one of the six strategic programmes to deliver these aims, and a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were agreed to measure our progress. The following table sets out our performance against achieving these KPIs. Inspire people through our regeneration programme Protect history by creating sustainable new uses for historic churches Three-five new 1m+ projects with completed options appraisals and at least two with complete funding packages agreed. Publish our revised regeneration process All existing new use projects become sustainable ON TRACK One major project (Quay Place) completed. Good progress made with funding packages for our projects in Sunderland and Worcester. COMPLETED Completed and published in 15/16. ON TRACK St Nicholas Chapel is financially sustainable, making good progress with commercial income. Circomedia continues as a highly-successful circus school. Quay Place and All Souls Bolton are also making good progress towards operational sustainability. Support at least 40 community groups (10 annually) outside the CCT with their new use projects AHEAD OF TARGET 40 communities (UK and international) have been supported. Create value for the CCT and communities through skills and experience Increase annual consultancy income by 25% over 2014/15 levels. Create a full performance monitoring framework for this plan and publish the results. AHEAD OF TARGET We continue to make good progress with growing our consultancy income. ON TR ACK We have created a draft performance monitoring framework. Results will be published at the end of the strategic period. Submit at least one successful European funding bid ON TR ACK In light of the decision to leave the EU we will be developing a Big Lottery project instead. 16-17
Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL Registered Charity No. 258612 CCT 2016 Twitter: @cct_regen consultancy@thecct.org.uk visitchurches.org.uk We are very grateful to all our funders and supporters for their continued investment in many of our projects. Particular thanks goes to the Heritage Lottery Fund and National Lottery Players for supporting many of the projects in this report.