Andrew Mottram begins work this month, in a new post as Heritage Buildings and Community Development Officer for the Diocese of Worcester.

The appointment is part of the English Heritage ‘Inspired’ programme which helps congregations to help themselves. English Heritage is providing £1.5 million to part-fund 30 Support Officers for congregations of any faith or denomination who are working to maintain the historic places of worship in their care. The scheme will help best practice in conservation and management of historic places of worship to be shared across the country.

Andrew’s main role is to give extra help to individual congregations, and in particular those responsible for churches identified as priorities for support, to understand, maintain and make best use of their buildings and land, in and for their communities; also to help diocesan and local authority bodies take a strategic approach to the increased use and conservation of historic places of worship.

He will be the lead officer to this project which has a three year period.  The post has been made possible through a funding partnership with English Heritage, Dudley Community Partnership, Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire & Dudley Historic Churches Trust, The Countess of Beauchamp Charitable Trust, and the Diocesan Social Responsibility Fund.

The launch of this new post took place at St James’ Church Dudley on Monday 21st September at 5.00pm, and was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Dudley, and representatives from the funding bodies. The launch was followed by Andrew Mottram meeting with representatives of the churches of Central Dudley which will be an initial focus of his work.

Andrew Mottram was part of the team which created the Café@AllSaints, project in Hereford where he was Priest in Charge. Since then he has been working on a consultancy basis helping PCCs across the country.

The creation of the post gives the region a head start on many areas of the country. Baroness Andrews (the new chair of English Heritage) is acutely aware of the problems the thousands of ancient, beautiful churches that now have tiny congregations or none at all, and therefore almost no collection money to maintain their fabric. In a recent interview for The Times she said:

“….next year (2010), our Heritage at Risk focus is going to be on places of worship. We have given very generously to cathedrals over the years. Now we are concerned not only with parish churches but with historic Nonconformist chapels as well…”

Andrew said, ‘I am passionate that church buildings should be servants of people; both as places of worship and mission for the church community, but also places of meeting for the wider community.’

Robert Higham, Diocesan Secretary, said, “This specialist advisor will be a real boost to local congregations serving their local communities. This work will certainly help secure the future life of church buildings which are such an important part of our heritage.”

Andrew can be contacted via the Diocesan Office (phone 01905 732808) or email amottram@cofe-worcester.org.uk

ENDS.

The Diocese of Worcester is one of 44 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.