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St Peter’s Church, Walworth, Diocese of Southwark

St Peter’s is a Grade I listed church designed by Sir John Soane in 1823, it stands in an inner-city area of South London close to the Aylesbury Housing Estate. The church has had a separate club/café operating in the crypt for many years but by the late 1990’s the space was underused and in need of repair. The decision was taken to shut it and rethink the possibilities that the crypt offered. Local residents were consulted and it was decided that the community needed a focus for learning and arts. An architect drew up plans and after much fundraising the Inspire centre opened in 2003. Now after 6 years the centre is still sustainable and although it operates separately from the main church many of its activities overlap and complement each other. It has brought the community together and established a number of very successful partnerships. Inspire has been so successful that an additional centre called 2Inspire has been set up within the Aylesbury Estate. Describe the actual project The project involved converting the existing crypt space into a multi-functional community centre with a remit for delivering opportunities, learning and the arts to the people of Walworth. Careful design was needed to ensure new uses complemented each other and worked well in conjunction with the church. The crypt needed to be cleared of old fittings and rubbish, a damp proof course installed and some of the crypt columns removed to create a central space. A lift was installed to allow full access between the church and community centre and a new lighting and sound system was inserted into the worship space. How did you start? When the existing café was closed the Rector did some local research asking 500 residents what they wanted from the space under the church. A centre for learning and arts was chosen and an architect was taken on to draw up some plans to see what was possible in the physical space. A business plan was assembled and fundraising began.

Who were your main partners in developing and implementing this project? Inspire operates separately from the church and has the crypt on a long term lease. It is in charge of renting out sections of the available space. The project was designed to ensure that different areas could operate as distinct uses and central facilities were easily available to both church and café. The Prince’s Trust has a long term commitment to renting a room and small cupboard office in the converted crypt and Southwark Council use the central space regularly for classes and meetings. There is also an artist in residence who rents one of the balcony rooms.

Main church remains largely unaltered

Exterior of St Peter’s

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What was the total cost of the project? £3,000,000 which included 3 years running costs. We now raise a third of our total budget through earned income. The costs of running the centres have increased from £148k in our first year to now nearer £300k. What was the funding strategy? There were many local fundraising events including concerts, exhibitions, talent shows, a fun run from the church to Kennington Park, open church days and open weeks. Curate Sheila Saunders encouraged local schools to get involved, displaying children’s art within the church and running imaginative family days. These events not only raised funds but engaged with the wider community. In addition numerous grants were applied for, the largest single grant being £1.6million from the Lottery with funds coming from English Heritage and the Historic Churches Trust amongst others. This money covered the first 3 years running costs, the next 3 years were secured through further fundraising by the Inspire manager and half of next 3 years running costs are now also secure. Once open Inspire was also able to raise unrestricted income through room hire. How long did it take from start to finish, from initial proposal to the works/changes being completed and opened? The project took around four years to accomplish. It took some time to get permission for the lift and for removing the four columns in the crypt. The latter required the insertion of RSJ’s for structural support. The Grade I listing of the church meant that detailed discussions with English Heritage were necessary to ensure that changes did not damage the special character of the historic building. What lessons were learnt? What would you have done differently?

Having a manager for Inspire is hugely important especially when there is an interregnum, it ensures that there is one person who makes sure everything runs smoothly and raises funds for new projects. However there have been a number of challenges. The Café has been a constant drain on our resources and time. Originally it was run by a single operator who then left and a group took over running it on different days, they are now leaving and it is hoped that one operator will take over again. The importance of maintaining good staff and getting rid of bad ones quickly should also not be underestimated. It is difficult to start new projects when there is an interregnum but the church is hoping to attract a community minded incumbent after Easter to build on the ongoing projects.

RSJ’s inserted in crypt

The Crypt cafe

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Successes: A major success has been totally separating the Inspire project from the church in terms of governance and finance but still working together in the community. In the last year Inspire has secured half a million lottery funding for projects and continues to come up with new ways to engage. For example, recently the church and Inspire were involved in an outdoor dramatic performance about the campaign to get state pensions which was enacted along nearby East Street. To what degree has this project contributed to the sustainability of the building itself? Inspire pay up to 90% of utilities and maintenance of the church building. The church now has not only a building in good repair but the facilities to host many community events.

Social Cohesion: There is a lot of pride in the congregation about the space and what we do. Local schools use the church for concerts, plays and assemblies every 2 weeks. They also have lessons about Christianity in the church where they can ask questions and get to know the building in an informal atmosphere. Programmes run by Southwark Council and the Princes Trust from Inspire involve often forgotten groups such as those with dementia, children in care and disillusioned teenagers. By bringing the community into the church a sense of ownership that stretches beyond the congregation has been established which should help to ensure the building’s sustainability in the future.

Sustainability of the Project: The project has been very successful but it gets harder and harder to sustain, particularly with the Credit Crunch. Inspire is 30% down on earned income this year. Salaries and project money are running out all the time and it is getting harder to apply to trusts as there is so much more pressure on all of them. It may not be possible to maintain a full programme /staff team through next year. Any future plans for the building? Most of the major work has been done but the building is in constant need of repair and original fittings are starting wear. From the point of view of the community use of the building there are always plans to extend the use further. If you want to contact the church or to find out more visit their website at: http://www.stpeterswalworth.org/ or Inspire at : http://www.in-spire.org.uk/

The I.T centre

Garden mosaics by local children

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