Andy Drozdziak
Finalists for the National Church Awards have been announced, with Catholic churches well represented, after UK churches nominated churches and their buildings for special awards.
The awards ceremony will take place on Monday 6th November at Mercers’ Hall, London, with shortlisted churches invited. The ceremony will be presented by comedian and actor Hugh Dennis and Canon Ann Easter, former Chaplain to the Queen, with guest of honour The Duke of Gloucester, Vice Patron of the National Churches Trust.
One of the Catholic churches to be nominated is the Church of the Holy Rosary in Leeds in the Church volunteer awards category, which celebrates ‘the vital contribution which volunteers make to both looking after and making best use of churches to benefit local communities and people.’
Explaining the ethos of the volunteers, the parish said: “The team of over 30 volunteers are all ages and ethnicities. They ensure together that the church is a warm, welcoming community, reducing the social isolation many of those attending the church experience, running regular group meetings for over forty learning disabled adults, collecting and distributing food donations to refugees and asylum seekers as well as local families affected by poverty.
“The work of our volunteers makes the difference between the church being able to function or quite simply not function. What is remarkable is that many of us do not recognise ourselves as volunteers doing something special, we simply do what is needed and step forward whenever we are needed.”
The National Churches Trust works in partnership with churches across the UK to keep them open and in use. The annual awards ceremony gathers churches across the UK to celebrate church buildings and the ways that churches enrich their local communities.
The King of Prussia Gold Medal is for innovative, high quality church conservation or repair work. The Shrine Church of St Walburge in Preston is in contention for this award. As one of only 32 Grade I listed Catholic Churches in England and Wales, the works at St Walburge’s focused on the south nave roof slope between the west gable and organ loft roof ridge. Rector of the Shrine Canon Gwenaël Cristofoli said that success in the awards ‘would give us excellent publicity for further public funding, put our church and our community on the map’ and ‘promote the North of England and the Catholic Church, which are not always well represented.’
The award categories are: the Nayler Awards for Excellence in Church Maintenance; Church and Community Volunteer Awards; Open for Visitors Awards; King of Prussia Gold Medal; Presidents’ Award; Young Architect or Surveyor of the Year; Friends Award and Church of the Year.
Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: “The finalists for the National Church Awards show the innovative ways that churches can use their buildings to the benefit of all. All are shining examples of churches being open and welcoming and making a significant difference in their local communities.”
Picture: Shrine Church of St Walburge, Preston