“Hope Street” christian community project confirmed for old Burtons building in town centre

Ambitious plans to open a new kind of Christian community for young people based at the former Burton’s store in Wrexham, have moved a step closer after the Diocese of St Asaph secured £1.9m from a major new fund aimed at reviving Christian ministry in Wales.

Called Hope Street, the project will see the establishment of a community, centred on outreach to younger people. It will be based at 1, Hope Street, the former Burtons building ‘which will be transformed into a Christian centre and worship space’.

The grant made by the Church in Wales will allow the establishment of a leadership team and core community, as well as changes to equip the building. The project will be run in partnership with existing churches and the Church Revitalisation Trust (CRT) which specialises in church growth.

Hope Street is the first project to bid successfully for funding from the Church in Wales’ Evangelism Fund. The £10m Fund was launched last year for schemes to engage people with the Christian faith.

The Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, who is leading this initiative said: “Christianity is in danger of becoming a faith for older people in today’s Wales, and this project is designed to show that following Jesus is relevant and exciting for people of all ages and backgrounds. Hope Street will offer a radically different take on what it means to be a Christian and finding new ways to present the Christian belief that true life is found in following Jesus Christ.

“These are exciting times in the Diocese of St Asaph as we pray, plan and develop the vision for a new kind of Christian community which invites people of all backgrounds to learn about worship, faith and service.”

Hope Street, which takes its name from its address at Number 1 Hope Street, is very close to St Giles’, a medieval church, considered one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. St Giles’ Vicar, the Revd Dr Jason Bray, welcomed confirmation that Hope Street will go ahead. He said: “This is an exciting, bold and ambitious plan to offer a different kind of Christian space for people of all backgrounds. We look forward to working with Hope Street and with partners across the town and the diocese to ensure we continue to offer a variety of ways for people to engage with Christianity.”

The chair of the Church in Wales’ Evangelism Fund committee Sir Paul Silk, said “This is an imaginative project which we hope will appeal to young people and families who are currently under-represented in our churches and lead to real cultural change. We have been impressed by the work that has gone into the bid – it is a well-constructed project and we are confident it will ensure the Church’s money is well spent.”

The Bishop of Bangor, Andy John, who is the lead bishop of evangelism, added, “I’m delighted this radical and visionary project has received the Fund’s support. This kind of investment will lead to transformed lives and communities.”

It is also expected that Hope Street will be a base for community programmes in Wrexham, such as holiday hunger schemes, family care and support for rough sleepers.

The Diocese of St Asaph is already in discussions with Wrexham Council to ensure the renovation of Hope Street enhances the plans for town centre renewal.

The 6,627 square foot three floor building was recently listed for sale for £135,000 and was moved to under offer earlier this year.

In February we highlighted a mention of the Burtons building in the 45 page appendix to a forthcoming council meeting, that noted: “The town centre experiences high vacancy and turnover and consistent under-occupation of upper floors. Many upper floors remain vacant resulting in a lack of maintenance and deterioration of the structural fabric, which degrades the overall appearance of the street-scene.

“The former Burtons at the junction of Hope Street and High Street is particularly detrimental in key views to and from the Church.

“The current condition with boarded up windows is visually poor and interim measures could be taken to improve this situation.”

In 2014 we went inside the building, and took the following set of images from the top floor where the former ballroom and bingo hall was sited.

We also spotted these messages from former Burtons staff left in 2008: