A York Parish Church publicly launches its Community Hub project on Friday 21st (7.15pm to 9.00pm) and Saturday 22nd March (10.00am to 12.00 noon), to replace an ageing church hall with an up-to-date, accessible and multi-purpose building to serve one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in York.
The Church of St Luke the Evangelist, Burton Stone Lane, serves a compact parish about a mile north of York City Centre, north and west of the York to Scarborough railway line. The present, timber Church Hall, beside the church and accessed from Shipton Street, was built in 1967 following a huge local fundraising campaign; however, it has now exceeded its original 25 year design life by 33 years and its structure is worn out, poorly insulated, difficult to clean and maintain, hard for those with mobility challenges to access and increasingly unsuitable for the needs of the community who make intensive use of it.
The project to replace the hall needs £760,000 of which St Luke’s Church already has £300,000 through two generous bequests and donations from church members; the launch events in the hall from 7.15pm to 9.00pm on Friday 21st March and from 10.00am to 12.00 noon on Saturday 22nd are an opportunity to see and understand the plans, to build on the ‘buzz’ created by engagement work last December/January, to encourage a sense of ownership and to gather evidence of community needs to help in a planned application for National Lottery Community Funding.
In addition to numerous regular and one-off church functions (including a monthly fairtrade coffee morning), St Luke’s Hall hosts a weekly community café (‘Joyful Connections’), a weekly waste food distribution project (‘Luke’s Larder’), the ‘Tuesday Club’ to bring local residents together, a weekly Parent and Toddler Group, and a monthly ‘Forget me Not’ service for people with dementia and their families. The hall is frequently booked, when available, for private functions and events in an area otherwise not well-served.
Local community groups and leaders taking an interest in the developing plans for St Luke’s Community Hub. Clifton Ward Councillors Margaret Wells (the current Lord Mayor of York) and Danny Myers write, “The new Community Hub building, together with the willing and enthusiastic volunteers from St Luke’s and other organisations, will be able to open many more doors for our residents.”
York Central MP Rachael Maskell adds, “St Luke’s is a fantastic local hub, at the heart of the community. It’s an asset for people to attend events and connect with each other and the neighbourhood. I’m really supportive of the work to improve the facilities and ensure St Luke’s continues to provide a welcoming space for all to use and enjoy.”
St Luke’s Vicar, the Revd Anika Gardiner, says, “Yes, updating the old hall is important but more so is creating a hub, connecting people and creating a safe, accessible space for young and old alike within our community. Having a youth work background myself, it would be fantastic to be part of creating more opportunities for young people and families in our area, strengthening the links with our local schools and offering a space for people to get together. This hub will be a space of welcome, allowing people to try out new activities, develop skills and build up relationships within the church and the local community.”
