Sacred and secular buildings provided inspiration for a group of church members on a journey of exploration.
The mystery bus tour was organised by the development agency One Church, One Hundred Uses CIC (1C100U), on behalf of the Synod. The hired minibus took 18 people to see 8 buildings in a variety of urban and rural settings on Saturday 7 February 2009. Members came from churches in Newcastle, North and South Shields, Ryton and Hartlepool.
Whitley Bay Our first visit was to Oxford Street Methodist Church, Whitley Bay , where we heard how a dwindling congregation dwarfed by its Victorian building had had new life breathed into it. The vision had come from the local Churches Together group, which wanted to set up a charity to help young homeless people. The CT group organised the redevelopment of the premises, and obtained a £1/2m heritage lottery grant for community purposes. Two storeys of simple modular offices were constructed within the church building, and the hall was transformed into a light and airy space for church and community use. The charity (now part of Depaul UK) pays the bulk of the utility bills for the premises, and income from community users enables the church to pay its assessments. The hall is very useable, and greater contact with user groups has helped to increase the congregation. Café-style services are held mid-week, in addition to Sunday worship.
Next, we visited three buildings on Gosforth High Street. The Old Chapel, Woodbine Road, Gosforth , was originally built as a Primitive Methodist chapel, before being sold to the Northern Rock Foundation a few years ago. The conversion to office use was of a high quality, and much of its original interior could still be seen. The entrance atrium gives a view of the full height of the chapel to its roof timbers. A mezzanine floor has been constructed inside, with views down into the atrium. Rooms have built with glass partitions, which retain a sense of the proportions of the chapel, and fill the whole area with light. Red curving panels give the workspace a modern feel. Cleverly-designed radiators double as window railings.
Trinity Church, Gosforth , one of our own Local Ecumenical Partnerships, had a clear vision for a river of change revitalising the High Street, with the church playing a central part in this. They had carried out a high quality £3m redevelopment of their grade II listed building, raising money from the Synod and the Methodist Church, grant-making bodies and local people. Applications to trusts had been thoroughly researched and individually tailored, with an emphasis on the creation of community space. Public consultation had been carried out throughout the project, with local businesses, councillors and residents, and glossy brochure had been produced. The new café was proving extremely popular, and had facilities for baby changing. The church aimed its provision mainly at young mothers and elderly people. 
The unusual lantern above the café was lit at night. The building was very flexible, and rooms could be divided or extended by soundproof partitions. The large worship area was used for conferences and concerts in addition to church services. The church was clearly open to the whole community, both in terms of building use and in the way it welcomed all comers to the religious side of its life. This successful church in a prosperous suburb is able to employ ten people in running the building, which is used by nearly 1,000 people every day. Part of the success of the project is seen in the strategic choices that were made at an early stage, which enabled the church to engage with other partners on the basis of a clear vision and business plan.
The Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant , in the former United Reformed Church building next door, like the Northern Rock Foundation, has retained much of the original structure. It consists principally of a single large room, enclosing the kitchens, fish store, and an extensive wine cabinet, as well as the eating areas. A mezzanine floor has glass panels along the front, and the arch formerly enclosing the organ pipes is retained.
A light lunch was provided at The HEARTH Centre, Horsley . Ours is the only church in this small village in the Tyne valley, 10 miles west of Newcastle. A few years ago, the church set up a charitable company to run the Hearth, and redeveloped the grade II listed old manse and hall into a coffee shop and 7 artists' studios. Funding had come from a trust fund and from the European Regional Development Fund. On all doors were smart wooden labels. Although the worship area had been only slightly adapted during the redevelopment (with the addition of a stairlift), the church had benefited from bringing new life to a village where businesses and community facilities had been closing down. Music and art events were held, and the regular “messy church” worship for children through arts and crafts was drawing in youngsters from beyond the village.
A trip into the North Tyne valley brought us to St Christopher's Parish Church, Gunnerton . This was a grade II listed building in a rural farming and mining setting. It was being renovated in several phases to enable the small parish to fundraise as it went along. Reorganisation of the rear of the church to form a community space with chairs and a tiny kitchen and toilet enabled the building to be used much more for social and educational functions. Mains water and sewerage had been plumbed in, and radiators fitted. A bold new stained glass window with a bright and colourful geometric design had replaced old an window that had come to the end of its life.
Back in Newcastle, St Silas's Parish Church, Byker , had lost much of its working class residential community in the slum clearances of the 60s and 70s, but the area had now been regenerated. It had engaged with the Government, the City Council, and community organisations to redevelop its site. A rough garden was turned into flats by a local housing association, which also now rents office space in the north aisle of the grade II listed church. The centre aisle has a full length expensive glass partition, so that groups using the “hall” end can see that they are in a church. A kitchen and toilets had been installed as a separate unit within the hall end. The building was now fully used on an almost permanent basis, and the vicar sought to build greater contact by involving herself with the user groups, and serving on their boards.
Finally, some of us visited Dance City in Newcastle – a modern purpose-built structure. Although the architecture was fairly heavy (with use of concrete and bare brick in places), it had several interesting features. The entrance atrium provided a large and very tall space going up to skylights, and balconies and windows opened onto the atrium from upper floors. Doors and radiators were recessed into the walls to make passage smoother. The risers in the staircase carried lights, and light were also set into the pavement outside.
During the course of the day, the 1C100U team also ran a short slideshow, demonstrating things that had been done with buildings and with light in other parts of the country. Lord Andrew Mawson OBE, one of the Directors of 1C100U, told how the small elderly congregation in Bromley-by-Bow in London had been forward-looking enough to try something new. Over the years, their premises had been completely redeveloped, largely with funding from government and external bodies, and now hosted 25 social enterprises.
We also learned that our buildings make a statement about us, and our mission. If we wish to attract young people, families, or professionals, then our buildings need to be welcoming and relevant to them. The church needs to be flexible and reinvent itself, by taking opportunities and building partnerships with others in the local community.
Thoughtful use of natural and artificial light can make a big difference in a building, and can help to define spaces and create mood. New technology such as energy-efficient LEDs can help. Highlighting and floodlighting internally or externally can make features stand out.
A great deal can be achieved through partnership with government agencies if government priorities fit with what the church is seeking to do. One of the church's greatest assets is that it has buildings in prime sites in neighbourhoods up and down the country. This needs a businesslike and entrepreneurial approach.
Andrew Atkinson
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