Heritage Lottery Fund Project - Building A New Future for Birchfield
Holy Trinity Church, Birchfield is a Grade 2* listed church in the middle of a busy urban parish in Birmingham. It was designed by local architect J A Chatwin, who was well known for his designs of other Victorian churches. The building has been home to Anglican congregations since the 19th Century. As with any building of its age, the church has been in need of repair and renovation in certain areas. After applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), in 2016 Holy Trinity Birchfield succeeded in getting a 1st round pass in the Grants for Places of Worship programme, with the potential of being awarded £250,000. A development grant of £38,300 from the HLF was given to us, to help develop plans to repair the church roof. An activities programme was also developed to engage the church members and the local community, about the history and heritage of the church. One of the outcomes was an oral history project, recording the experiences of the current church members, the majority of whom are of Black African Caribbean/African heritage. In 2018, the church was successful in getting through the 2nd round application process and was awarded the full £250,000 from the HLF, which was a major achievement for the parish and with thanks to National Lottery players.
Building A New Future for Birchfield is the name chosen for this project, as our church seeks to secure a continued presence in the community for the foreseeable future. Our plans include the completion of the roof repairs and work to develop ideas for the development of the wider church site. Funding from the HLF has enabled us to put on a new roof, ensuring that the church building has a continued life, protecting the interior and giving the local community a safe space to worship and to engage with its history.