St Luke's is easily distinguishable as one the most accommodating and wholesome environments in Liverpool.We plan to continue its use in its current capacity, whilst developing the facilities onsite, as well as carrying out necessary structural repairs, to ensure that the space can continue to be used for the arts, and appreciated by the people of Liverpool and its visitors.
After the building’s funding was cut earlier this year, it has become difficult to keep the church running, but with your donations we can ensure that the space can remain open to the public.
To find out about our plans and efforts in more detail, continue reading below.
We require your help to ensure the continued use of St Luke's in this capacity as we put together our long term proposals for the council
Where your donations will go and what they’ll help to achieve:
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The creation of an indoor space in which classes and sessions can take place when the weather is wet and cold
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Much needed maintenance to make all of St Luke's interior safe and accessible to visitors, particularly repairing areas of dangerous damaged brickwork
- Installing a system to harvest rainwater (as St Luke's has no water supply) so that we can keep all the plants watered and healthy
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The design and construction of a cafe area inside the church, exclusively made from up-cycled materials, where daily visitors are able to converse and relate to one another
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The development of an overhead rain shelter which can be erected when required to cover a portion of the church to allow events to take place even in the rain
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The purchase of a PA system, the upgrade of the power supply, and a drinking water supply
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The continued payment of licensing and public liability insurance, which allow us to operate the venue legally and safely
We aim to achieve this in a number of different ways. With regards to the structural repair, our medium term aim is to run an apprenticeship scheme where the expertise of practised professionals can be passed onto a new generation, so that the church is giving back to the community in the same way she has for many years now. We are currently piloting this with a small team working on grounds maintenance, carpentry, guiding the public around the historic space and other skills
Why it's so important:
We play host to over 500 visitors a week - who all visit for different reasons; our event programme, some quiet time, to explore our beautiful historic ruin or to volunteer
It is so unusual within our rapidly developing modern world to find a space in which to find time to reflect. One might argue that in a city as large and diverse as Liverpool, being able to locate this sense of community is actually remarkably difficult. St Luke's Church is widely regarded as one such place where the limitations and daily confines of society evaporate, and together people are able to generate this sense of community.
It seems as if the church deactivates whatever mechanism it is that has been conditioned within us that usually leads us to see one another as different. It is this ability to create community value, extinguish prejudice and promote equality which is what makes the continued use of St Luke's in it’s current capacity so important and beneficial to the community.
If we don't act soon, the church may run the risk of falling back into developers hands as the council has invited bids from interested parties to run the space and not all of those expressing interest share our values.
We are currently finalising our business plan with the assistance of key members of the Liverpool business community who feel that we should remain custodians of this fantastic space.
Our long term plan for the space is to secure it's continued use as a cultural and community venue, supporting skills development, the creative sector and preserving the heritage of St Luke’s
To do this we are developing strong working relationships with English Heritage and Liverpool City Council and forging links with partners such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, LIPA and Liverpool Community College to deliver a wide ranging series of sensitive works to make more of the existing ruin accessible and to create better visitor facilities
With your kind support we would be able to carry out immediate and essential repairs and improvements to the building and continue and extend our fabulous range of activities and events for the community