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Tourism efforts and dementia initiative recognised in ‘Baftas’ for churches

01 November 2024

Belfast Holy Redeemer

Volunteers at Redeemer Central, Belfast

Volunteers at Redeemer Central, Belfast

CONSERVATION, tourism, community, and volunteer work by churches in the UK has been recognised in a national award ceremony.

The National Church Awards — the “BAFTAs for churches” is how the organisers, the National Churches Trust, describe them — were presented by the new Dean of Lincoln, the Very Revd Dr Simon Jones, and Canon Ann Easter in the Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral, on Tuesday of last week.

The awards — in their third year (News, 23 November 2023) — are made in five categories, including two that are new this year: the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Lord Cormack Award for Public Service. Lord Cormack’s family were guests at the ceremony. His granddaughter Katie Cormack was on the judging panel.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were made to Trevor Cooper and Rebecca Payne for their work to save church buildings through the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance. A husband and wife, Mike and Anne Powell, were also recognised for the part that they play as “go-to” laypeople in Shillingstone parish, north Dorset, for 30 years — nominated by parishioners.

The Lord Cormack award was presented to Stephen Timms for his work in introducing the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme in 2004.

In total, 15 churches were selected as winners among 55 finalists, narrowed down from about 200 churches that had been nominated in August.

Judges awarded the top prize of Church of the Year to St James the Great, Aslackby, near Sleaford, in Lincolnshire. The 14th-century church also won the volunteer award for England. It is described as containing fine examples of historic graffiti, and offers an audio trail for people living with dementia.

Presenting the award, Sir Philip Rutnam, who chairs the National Churches Trust, said that the judges had “loved the inclusiveness and celebration of diversity within their community. . . The activities with the Square Peg dementia club are fabulous and they liked that they recognise the individual skills of volunteers.”

The Friends Award of £10,000 is set aside for a church that has been recently funded by the Trust, but which needs further funds to complete urgent repair or facilities projects. This year’s winner was St Mary’s, Withersfield, in Suffolk, whose clock mechanism has recently been restored, but which has holes in its tower and requires urgent stonework repairs.

Among the other winners were, for Church Care and Conservation in England, St Ethelbert’s, Laring, in the middle of Norfolk farmland. The church, warmed by a wood-burning stove and lit by oil lamps, is not connected to power and water. Judges admired the “the sense of the community spirit, even the farmers coming together with tractors to provide light”.

Redeemer Central, in Belfast, was both the UK and Northern Ireland winner of the Church and Community Volunteer Award for its Long Table initiative: a team of volunteers prepare a meal and eat with a diverse community in efforts to make connections and reduce food waste.

Tundergarth Parish Church, near Lockerbie, in Scotland, was both the UK and Scotland winner of the Church Tourism Award for its connection to the Pan Am 103 disaster in 1988. The nose cone of the aeroplane landed across the road from the church, which has become a place of pilgrimage.

St Nefydd and St Mary, near the North Wales Pilgrims Way, won the Church Tourism Award for Wales for its links to Welsh culture and language, and care for nature. The church offers “Swifties Tours” to support swifts, which are on the Red List of conservation concern.

Opening the awards ceremony, Canon Easter said that churches “literally hold the history of this country. Just as importantly, they are there day in, day out, providing vital help to local people and communities, and are available whenever they are needed. But they need help. With the future of many uncertain and under threat, there has never been a more important time to celebrate the UK’s churches and their importance.”

Dr Jones said: “There’s something about these buildings that makes me want to go inside and explore what’s going on — whether it’s a community café, an art exhibition, pilgrim spaces for reflection, growing veg in the churchyard, or something to engage children. Churches seem to offer it all.”

A new “Visit Your Finalists Day” is to be held on Saturday 23 November as a tourism experience for heritage enthusiasts. Current and previous finalists will be among the churches to take part. For the full list of winners and finalists, visit: nationalchurchestrust.org/impact/awards

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