Community Engagement

Places of worship are at the centre of local communities. They tend to have been built at the centre of villages or urban communities and provide venues for a wide range of services for all including those who are not part of the congregation. The buildings offer the local community a space to come together and can form a focus for social cohesion.

There is a wide range of activates and services that can be run from church buildings. Some examples include hosting local meetings and debates, drama and art classes, dance classes, mother and baby groups, playgroups, support groups for tackling substance abuse, library services, post office facilities, cafes and even travelling cinemas. For further ideas of what can be achieved you should explore our own  Recent Grants as well as examples provided by the Church of England; the United Reformed Church; and the Methodist Church.

Central government is increasingly aware of the role that places of worship can play in delivering services to communities. In March 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government published guidelines to support faith-based organisations delivering publicly funded services, recognising the increasing role played by places of worship in supporting community life.

Church buildings with kitchen and/or toilet facilities will be well placed to offer a greater range of opportunities for your local community to use the building. Funding is available for the creation of community facilities and you should explore our Grants section as well as Finding Funding section to see what funds are available.

You should, at an early stage, talk to the decision making bodies responsible for buildings – your denominations, and the relevant heritage body if your church is listed. This will then enable you to develop a scheme that will both benefit the needs of your community and meet the requirements of any relevant legislation relating to building adaptation.