Memorial Baptist Church - Plaistow
Why?
The Memorial Baptist Church in Plaistow received a Mustard Seed grant from the Church Urban Fund to conduct a community audit. Project coordinator Philippa King explains that the church had large, under-used spaces and the decision was taken ‘to seriously pursue the idea of redeveloping the church for greater community use’. She adds that the church was joined by another large church about eighteen months ago; ‘There was lots of talk and enthusiasm and new ideas about what could be done in the building, but also a need for information’. The churches together wanted to serve those living around them whilst ensuring that a key local building remained sustainable. Philippa outlines the problem; ‘we live in a very deprived area that has a dearth of good local facilities and various serious problems’. The community audit asked questions such as ‘what people thought was good/bad/missing’ in order to give a better understanding of people’s needs, and therefore an indication of how the buildings might be used.
How?
The main part of the audit consisted of a door-to-door survey, conducted in twenty local streets by volunteers. Consultation with the community was also done through a local café and bookshop, toddler group, a local school, and two additional events. ‘This was designed to get the views of a range of people of different backgrounds’ explains Philippa. As well as this, background research on local statistics and services was undertaken, and local charities were interviewed.
Outcomes
The response rate for the survey was high enough for the results to be useful and this, states Philippa, was the main outcome; ‘As we are continuing to think about the long-term future, and taking action for the short-term I am constantly quoting information we learned.’ The audit has also helped the church with applying for further funding; ‘We will use the outcomes of the survey as evidence of need in other applications for both short-term and long-term improvements to the building and to help groups wanting to start using the building for suitable activities to attract funding for them.’
The church has also set up a local outreach group to focus on the use of their buildings and to build links with those who might provide services. ‘An aerobics class started in January and a music and movement class for under-5s is starting’. Philippa adds that both these are being run by local groups. Concerts have proved to be a popular idea with one jazz concert already held and one more planned. ‘Someone is looking into starting an after-school club too.’
Philippa sums it up like this;
‘It was a very good experience for the volunteers, especially the younger ones. Some had their eyes opened to the reality of people who live very different lives from them, even though they are the same age and live nearby. At a time when the new church was taking shape, working together on this survey helped it to form in an outward-looking way.’
Next Steps
Next Steps
The church is now seeking to write a business plan and is visiting other churches that have sought to do similar things in their local communities. Philippa explains that the church has also explored its historical links; ‘We have been pursuing the local history interest and are talking about a possible ‘Plaistow Day’ with local history organisations next year, using the church as a venue.’ ‘Our hope is that our building will be a community focal point that will improve the quality of life for those around us’