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Walsall - St John’s Church & Community Association

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Through a Community audit and Public Consultation it has been identified that there is a lack of suitable community assets within Alumwell (identified by Fair Share Trust mid term evaluation) which can offer opportunities for local residents to become involved in activities and services.

St. John’s Church and Community Centre sits at the heart of the Alumwell and has been a major part of this community since 1858 when the original church was built. It is sited on the local bus route which enables local people to access the facilities and as the only building in the area with suitable space and facilities, it is the most logical Centre for FST support. They can also offer to engage with the community to provide facilities and provide the provision of activities and services designed to meet the needs of the Local Community.

As the church has been an active member of the community for more than 140 years it offers the best opportunity for long term sustainability of the support structures needed for the future benefit of all members of this diverse community. This proposed refurbishment has come about following 5 years very detailed study of the Alumwell, the panel identified the lack of affordable community provision, they instigated a complete facilities survey of the area which identified a number of sites which could meet the community’s requirements. Every one of these has been investigated in depth, including face to face meetings with owners including Walsall MBC and Walsall College, none of which proved successful. The refurbishment of St John’s has wide community approval and is already having its usage increased by new organisations and activities. As stated above the church has been at the centre of this community for over 140 years and with the investment from Fair Share Trust will continue to meet the community’s needs in a sustainable manner for many years to come.

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