Community Engagement and Activity Plan Consultant

We are excited at the potential to bring our heritage to life through our Heritage Fund project 'St Richard's 60:60 - celebrating our first 60 years and preparing for the next'. The National Lottery Heritage Fund have awarded us £248,000 to develop a £3.5m project which will restore our iconic Modern church and celebrate it's first 60 years as a launchpad for the future.  Our goal is to give our Grade II church a secure and sustainable future as a home for a thriving church and a welcoming flexible space for community groups and activities. 

St Richard's Church was opened in 1966 in the heart of a new housing estate alongside a new Primary School, with which it has a strong and supportive working relationship. It is a striking and flexible building with a strong local presence.  It has significant architectural and artisic features and the hyberbolic paraboloid roofs are amongst the few remaining examples in the country. However the roof covering is failing and the timber roof shells are deteriorating rapidly, leading to it being placed on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2025. Our Heritage Fund project will repair and restore the building and provide engagement opportunities bringing its heritage to life while meeting community needs. 

The Community Engagement and Activity Plan Consultant will:

• provide expert advice on the development of the Activity Plan and Activity Action Plan, drawing on comparator projects and following The National Lottery Heritage Fund guidelines and Heritage 2033 Strategy.
• draw up and deliver a consultation programme with the Project Steering Group, building on the work already undertaken and plan and lead pilot heritage activities during the development phase
• develop relationships with existing and potential stakeholders connected with the development and delivery of the Activity Plan.
• research and prepare an Interpretation Plan to inform the Activity Plan and Action Plan
• produce a complete Activity Plan that meets current Heritage Fund requirements, including a detailed budget, timeline and any supporting briefs or job descriptions required for delivery.