An image from the United Reformed Church, one of our members
Managing major building projects in places of worship
This page falls into two sections:
A. General advice on major projects
B. Talks, slides, learning points from our training days
See also our page on help and advice.
A. General advice on managing major building projects
1. We have produced (in collaboration with the diocese of Hereford) Crossing the Threshold, a step-by-step guide to developing your place of worship for wider community use and managing a successful building project. This is a practical toolkit and is highly recommended, from the very earliest stages of considering how you might alter your place of worship through to the celebrations at the end of the building work. It has its own page on our website.
2. For an excellent overview of the challenges you may face, see this article by Becky Payne (published by the Ecclesiological Society).
3. For a brief overview of the important Construction (Design and Management) 2015 regulations (to do with health and safety), see
B. Advice from our Training Days
We run occasional training days on managing major building projects in places of worship, with financial and administrative support from one of our members, Purcell.
This page includes the learning materials from each of these days. The learning materials are similar on each occasion, but not identical.
Managing major building projects in places of worship LEEDS 21 November 2019
2. Before you begin with Lisa McIntyre DAC Secretary
3. Case Study Fewston Washburn Heritage Project
4. Keeping everyone on board and looking to the long term with Wendy Coombey Diocese of Hereford
5. The Crossing the Threshold toolkit with Becky Payne
6. National Churches Trust resources with Nigel Mills
7. Case Study Wetherby St James
8. Fundraising for Large Projects with Becky Nicohlson Stewardship
9. Getting the building work done and working with your architect Chris Cotton Purcell
Managing major building projects in places of worship CAMBRIDGE 3 October 2018
1. Cambridge HRBA Full Programme Cambridge 3 October 2018
2. Cambridge HRBA slides 3 October 2018
Managing major building projects in places of worship OXFORD 19 October 2017
1 Oxford HRBA Full Programme 19 October 2017
3 Liz Kitch Five Top Tips Before you begin
4 Martin Wellings Alison Butler Defining the vision
5 Ann Stead Stadhampton case study
6 Wendy Coombey Keeping people on board
7 Catherine Townsend National Churches Trust grants
8 Ian Cribbes Bicester case study
9a Graham Collings fundraising notes 9b Graham Collings fundraising
10 Judith Carruthers HLF grants
11 Stephanie Norris Getting Building Work Done
12 Derek Rawson Wesley Memorial Church case study
Managing major building projects in places of worship HEXHAM 9 June 2016
1. Bill Heslop Getting started
2. John Sadler Defining the Project Vision and Planning and Organising
3. Andrew Duff Inspired Futures project
5. Wendy Coombey Keeping everyone on board
6. Nigel Mills Project viability grants
7. Case study Bishop Middleham
8. Becky Burrows Fundraising presentation
9. Steve Hughes HLF GPOW Presentation
10. Stephanie Norris Getting the Work Done
Managing major building projects in places of worship 25 June 2015
A drone taking high-definition video photographs of a historic church, in order to identify where repairs are needed. This was demonstrated on the HRBA training day, 25 June 2015.
2015 06 25 programme and notes
5 Coombey Keeping everybody on board
9 Norris Working with your architect
10 Barley St Margaret’s Swinton
Managing major building projects in places of worship 26 February 2015
Looking after a church building (including developing a community project)
Trevor Cooper successful project
Managing major building projects in places of worship 24 June 2014
Managing major building projects in places of worship 8 October 2013
Managing major building projects in places of worship 21 Feb 2013