C O N T E X T 1 0 5 : J U LY 2 0 0 8 15 five years ago. Inayat, a youth worker with the Bolton Council of Mosques, considered that something could be done for the local community with this building, and started the All Souls Project. The project began with a feasibility study. This resulted in the CCT providing the local community group with support from a consultant experienced in community development. The All Souls Crompton Community Centre (ASCCC) group was constituted. It began to investigate what was required in the community by using local contacts and open days. It became clear that there was not only a great appetite from the local people to use the building but also that there are gaps in local service provision. The project has developed into a very significant undertaking which seeks to build two free-standing pods inside the body of the church, which will allow the sustainable use of the building. There is interest from Bolton College, Bolton NHS, the police, Bolton Council and local businesses in taking space there. Around the walls of the church an ambitious interpretation installation is proposed. The interpretation seeks to link this building to the local community and into the global community, and to explain the building, its historic use and some of the history of Bolton using the Mass Observation archive. The chancel will remain completely intact, being used for the occasional service as well as for the interpretation of the site. The interpretation, aimed at all visitors to the centre, can be accessed on many different levels. There will be a programme for schools and to engage volunteers to help to run the centre. The project sees a very useful strategic partnership with Bolton Museum, which holds the Mass Observation archive and is developing a volunteer project which will be complimentary to the All Souls project. The church will have a full conservation repair. This will include craft skill training. The building will be gradually handed over to the complete care of the ASCCC management committee after a fiveyear training programme provided by the CCT. The project also provides for education staff, volunteer development, development of a television programme and media skills training. The success of the CCT’s application to the Heritage Lottery Fund was announced in June. All Souls will be revitalised as a hub of the local and wider Bolton community, providing much-needed local services, community meeting space, education, heritage interpretation, health services and place for local businesses. The Churches Conservation Trust has several other major projects where community development is seen as the most appropriate long-term solution for care of the buildings. At St Mary at the Quay in Ipswich, East Suffolk, Mind is developing a project to use the church as a healthy living centre.We are also in talks over the use of St James’ Toxteth, to ensure more local care for this building. Peter Aiers (seeVox pop p50) More details and a short film on the project can be found at www. allsoulsbolton.org.uk. For information about the Churches Conservation Trust see www. visitchurches.org.uk. The interior is very plain.The pews, which seat 800, reflect this. Stylistic indulgence, such as it is, can be found in the chancel and in some fine carved spandrels in the ceiling. As a result of not being used for 20 years, the building lacks a sense of life and activity.The CCT has been working hard to deliver a sustainable solution for its use. The best way to ensure that an historic church building is secure for the future is to make it relevant and useful to the local community. On a recent trip to Bolton I had to catch a taxi to the church. The driver had no idea that this enormous church was on Astley Street, even though he knew the shop on the street right opposite the church. Perhaps 20 years of sleeping quietly has made the building the elephant in the room. The redundancy of the church came as a result of the changing population of the Crompton ward, a community which is now around 80 per cent Asian Muslim. As the surrounding community has had no tangible link with the history of the building it has become irrelevant. Coupled with this demographic make-up, the area is one of the most deprived in the north west. Fortunately, Inayat Omarji saw this building and got in touch with the Churches Conservation Trust Two free-standing pods will be built inside the church. The proposals were discussed at open days.
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