All Saints Church in Hanworth is set to transform into a vibrant community hub, with plans to offer a range of activities and services for local residents.
The church has secured a significant grant of over £394,000 from Historic England for essential roof and lantern restoration. The building work is anticipated to start sometime after Christmas, with the community events component beginning in the spring onwards, once the building is watertight and the heating is sorted. Further funding is being sought from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a trial of a community space in the Narthex area of the church.
This proposed funding would not only cover building work but also a year of community events. Plans include launching a local toddler group, a priority for parents who find it difficult to access such facilities within walking distance in Hanworth. The church also currently offers a craft club, an over-50s club, a community café, a motorbike club (meeting on the last Thursday of every month), and a local women's group (meeting on the first Wednesday of every month). All events are open to everyone, regardless of faith.
Reverend Jane Palmer stated, the majority of the things we want to offer, we want to offer that free of charge to the local community so that people have a space that's safe and accessible, regardless of their needs and their situation.
This commitment to accessibility extends to the planned community café. The church has already started a café on Wednesday afternoons, which is free for anyone to attend. They are hoping that staff funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund grant will help build this up, with the goal of being open more often and offering the majority of services free of charge.
The church building, located on Uxbridge Road, is described as a large structure with a Narthex area that is considered an ideal community asset due to its prominent location. The Narthex area is described as an ideal place right on the Uxbridge Road that we believe would be a great community asset to everyone.
The church is planning to turn it into a community space. The building work for this is expected to start sometime after Christmas, with practicalities like architects and permissions being put in place.
Reverend Jane Palmer stated, Of course, the church things that happen are still there. We're still going to be the church.
This indicates that existing church services will continue alongside the new community hub functions.
Reverend Palmer expressed enthusiasm for the next 18 months, stating, The next 18 months look really exciting.
She added that the church aims to be at the centre of the community for all faiths and none.
The church is actively encouraging residents to visit, get in touch with any questions, and participate in their events.