Shaping the Future of St John’s Church for the Community Many thanks to all those who attended one of the public consultation meetings at St John’s, relating to the future of the Church and Lawnsmead Hall. The plans are still available to view in the church building and if you have any comments or questions, do please contact us. Any updates or applications will be communicated via this magazine and the website (wonershchurch.org.uk). At the meetings, St John’s PCC shared an overview of the challenges and opportunities facing our parish, and outlined a long‑term vision to ensure that St John’s continues to serve both church members and the wider community for generations to come. This summary is intended for those who were unable to attend. The church exists for the whole community: as a place of worship, welcome, care and service for people of all ages. The meeting emphasised that this is not simply about buildings, but about investing in people, supporting local groups, and listening carefully to the needs of the community as they change over time. The evening was very much about sharing information and hearing views. Currently, the parish is responsible for several buildings, including St John’s Church, Lawnsmead, St Martin’s, the cemetery and chapel, and the vicarage. These are funded almost entirely through congregational giving, at a time when maintenance and energy costs are rising significantly. Many of the buildings are ageing and no longer well-suited to modern community use, making the current model increasingly unsustainable. Lawnsmead, a former Victorian school with multiple extensions, is well used but has significant challenges. These include a poor internal layout, structural movement, roof and heating problems, rotten single‑glazed windows, an outdated kitchen and limited parking. Importantly, it is also unsuitable for children’s work during church services because it is located over ½ km from St John’s, leading to temporary and unsustainable workarounds. Financially, Lawnsmead runs at a loss and requires ongoing subsidy. St John’s Church itself was not designed for the range of activities now expected of a parish church. It has very limited meeting rooms, small office and kitchen facilities, few toilets, inadequate storage and an entrance that is not particularly welcoming. The proposal shared at the meeting is to create a new Parish Centre at St John’s, bringing church and community activities together in one welcoming, accessible location. This would include a modest church extension and a new building within the church grounds, providing flexible shared spaces, a large community hall, meeting rooms, a commercial kitchen, accessible toilets, offices, storage and a welcoming entrance. This approach is expected to reduce long‑term running costs, improve sustainability through measures such as solar panels and air‑source heat pumps, and provide more usable space and parking than Lawnsmead currently offers. Lawnsmead would remain in use until the new facilities are ready, after which its sale would help fund the project alongside grants and congregational giving. 8 Throughout the process, careful attention is being paid to heritage and the environment. Historic England, the Diocese and the local planning authority have all been consulted, and designs have been modified in response. Ecological, arboricultural and archaeological assessments are also part of the planning process. The vision is of a church fit for the next generation: a warm, flexible, environmentally responsible parish centre, used and loved throughout the week, serving the whole community while safeguarding the future of St John’s for the next 100 years. St John’s PCC