Reawakening St Mary Magdalene for Newark communities

St Mary Magdalene's project will remove the church from the Heritage at Risk register and deliver a three-year activity plan for the town’s communities and visitors.

Central to St Mary’s ‘reawakening’ is ensuring the building is maintained for the benefit of future generations. Crucial repairs will make the church fit for use and water-tight, and conservation work such as restoring 120 stained glass windows will illuminate the building’s nationally significant heritage assets. In addition, St Mary’s is improving its accessibility and working towards a gold Eco Church award by minimising its carbon footprint.

St Mary’s has collaborated with organisations to build relationships with diverse audiences who might not usually visit the church. These activities, which engaged over 465 people, have included:

• pilot storytelling sessions at public events, in schools and with Ukrainian families
• pilot story walks with clients of the Canal & River Trust and AgeUK
• storytelling training with staff at REACH Newark
• placements in partnership with the University of Nottingham
• a pilot project with the YMCA and traveller community

This community reach informed their inclusive activity plan which will ensure visitors feel a warm welcome and value the church as a community hub. Activities are planned to spark interest in heritage through raising awareness of the church’s role in local and national history. Activities for families, older members of the community and schools as well as volunteering opportunities will improve people’s skills and wellbeing. The project will also support young people in their careers through placement, internship and apprenticeship opportunities to help them develop heritage skills.

Aligning with Newark’s Cultural Heart initiative, St Mary Magdalene is harnessing the potential of heritage to contribute to the town’s wider vision to build a sense of place and community pride.