Earlier this month, St Cuthbert’s Church in Halsall opened its doors to the local community for a special “Growing Together” weekend – a vibrant few days of conversation, creativity and collaboration, all designed to help shape the future of the church’s mission and ministry in the heart of the village.
The weekend was part of the wider Parish Sustainability project, led by Warren Hartley, and came about through ongoing conversations between Warren and Revd Susan Salt. St Cuthbert’s has a heartfelt desire to be more than a place of worship, it wants to be a hub for the whole community, a space that brings people together and responds to local needs.
To support this vision, Warren connected the parish with Community Consultant Dan Rous, known for his work in church mission planning, funding advice and community auditing. Together with Susan and the PCC, Dan was commissioned to carry out a Community Audit, with the “Growing Together” weekend acting as the first step in that process (www.communitydan.co.uk)
Events took place at the church, the school and even the local pub – and the response was brilliant. A wide cross-section of the community took part, with many completing a detailed community survey that’s now being analysed. The data will help shape specific plans for how St Cuthbert’s can serve the community more fully – not just through worship, but by creating a space that brings social value and sustainability for the long term.
The weekend also drew the attention of Pure Radio, who visited to cover the story and interview Susan, Dan, Warren and others involved. You can find out more about them at pure247radio.org.
This journey began back in summer 2024 when Warren met with Susan to explore how the Parish Sustainability project could support St Cuthbert’s. One of the early challenges identified was accessibility, especially wheelchair access. With support from Tom Rickwood at the Diocese of Liverpool and others, the parish successfully applied for £50,000 from the Northern Province Accessibility Grant Scheme to help fund the construction of a accessible path into the graveyard and up to the church building. The parish is now working to raise the remaining money needed to complete the project.
Accessibility is a key foundation for the future, ensuring that St Cuthbert’s is welcoming to all. With that in place, the church can move forward with confidence in shaping a sustainable, community-oriented future rooted in listening and inclusion using both its indoor and outdoor spaces.
Warren shared, “It was a genuine joy to spend the weekend with St Cuthbert’s, Susan and Dan and to support them in making real a dream. I’m excited to see what the future holds for them.”
Susan said. “The weekend was an amazing opportunity for us to collaborate with key community groups across the village from the church school to the local history society, from the village the proud and tidy group to the butterflies and bees brigade and the local parish council. It was lovely to see such a diverse group of people of all ages coming to enjoy both the church and its amazing outdoor space and joining in different styles of worship.”
We look forward to seeing how this journey continues to unfold, and to supporting the parish as they move from consultation to action.
