'Churches are truly democratic buildings, the meeting place of ordinary people in times past. Parish churches are buildings for the community and should be used for every kind of activity. That is a fact which should be built upon for their survival along with the fact that a great number are major architectural masterpieces. The key word for the twenty-first century is surely adaptability.'
Sir Roy Strong, A Little History of the English Country Church
The Village Church for Village Life Award will be presented for the finest adaptation of a historic rural parish church which allows for its continuing life as a place of worship as well as encouraging a use of the building for the wider benefit of the village community in the 21st century.
The award is to be presented by Sir Roy Strong and is generously supported by the Mercers' Company. The winning church will be awarded a prize of £10,000 and the runner up one of £5,000.
Relevant rural village churches must still be in use for worship and be able to demonstrate that they are also used by the wider community. Any adaptations to the fabric must have been done to the highest standard, preserving the integrity of the church. Work must have been completed out since 2000.
We will be welcoming nominations from the 20th December, when an article by Sir Roy Strong, published in Country Life, will launch the award. You will also be able to make nominations online. The closing date for entries is Shrove Tuesday (5th February) 2008. A shortlist of six candidates will be published in the Easter issue of Country Life on 20th March, and the final winners will be announced in the Autumn.
For more information please contact Susannah Glynn at Country Life magazine on 020 3148 4442 or at susannah_glynn@freelance.ipcmedia.com
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Peter
February 04 08:01
Whilst i am whole heartedly behind the church expanding its outreach into the surrounding community i am dissappointed that the award is limited to parish churches and thus only to the Chuch of England/Wales/ Scotland. I would have thought that "nonconformist" churches which, by definition, are not parish churches, should be ablel to partcipate. That is unless you think that the Church of England is patricularly pooor at reaching out to their communities and need encouragement to do so which, i am sure, is not the case.