The Churches Conservation Trust, Rhythms of the World and Artworks Creative Communties are shorlisted in the Arts, Culture and Heritage category for the Charity Awards 2010.

The Churches Conservation Trust

Protecting the historic heart of the community

Over 340 historic churches that sit at the heart of their communities and between them attract more than 1.5 million visitors a year have been saved and restored to their former grandeur, thanks to the dedication of the Churches
Conservation Trust (CCT).

The Trust’s estate is the largest single collection of historic churches in the country, with architecture ranging from virtually untouched medieval cathedrals in idyllic rural settings, to ornately impressive Victorian-era minsters in busy town centres.

“We believe that our historic churches, though officially ‘redundant’, are actually important community buildings which are central to the future of our countryside, our towns and our cities,” says Dr Norman Taylor, volunteer development officer at CCT.

The Trust, which is chaired by TV personality Loyd Grossman, launched a volunteer development project in April 2008 to attract ‘hard to reach’ young volunteers to learn from and enjoy historic churches through a range of opportunities at CCT sites.

“We recognised that, although we had a dedicated volunteer base numbering around 1,000, there was a lack of young volunteers involved in church heritage to support our vision for the future and ensure that the Trust remains relevant to the communities in which our churches
are located,” says Dr Taylor.

The Trust also works with local schools, youth volunteers with disabilities, and also juvenile offenders to engage young people in the history and architecture of the special buildings on their doorstep.

Rhythms of the World

Using art to celebrate diversity and community

“Anything that makes people smile and feel united must be a good thing,” says a contented festival-goer after attending the 2008 Rhythms of the World music festival.

Rhythms of the World (ROTW) is a volunteer-run charity dedicated to fostering a sense of community by playing host to a music festival in Hertfordshire every July.

The festival acts as a stimulus for arts in the region, an outlet for the energies of young people, and a platform for meaningful exchange between different age, race, ability
and economic groups.

Originally organised by Oxfam, the inaugural ROTW music event took place in 1992. When Oxfam ceased its involvement, a small group of local volunteers took over the management. Since then, the event has evolved
into one of the biggest world music festivals in the UK with over 120 acts and 25,000 people in attendance.

As the festival grows, ROTW will be looking to raise more money throughout the year and achieve greater community involvement.

Cath Cole, head of income at ROTW, says: “We soon learned the arts were a powerful vehicle to unite people and the festival was an excellent way for people
to enjoy one another’s cultures. For many, Rhythms of the World is the only way they would be exposed to these genres of the arts.”

Artworks Creative Communities

Celebrating the creativity of people and places

With one in three homeless people experiencing life without any human contact, it’s no secret that this community is one of the most excluded groups in society.

So, determined to restore a sense of self-worth to homeless people, Artworks Creative Communities launched the ‘Get Your Pen Out’ project which encouraged people directly affected by homelessness to explore their feelings through
creative writing.

The inspiration came from Gary Staniforth, an ex-service user who approached Artworks for support with the project. Mr Staniforth often used creative writing to express his frustration at the treatment of the ‘hidden homeless’, and noticed that others also used it as an outlet for their feelings.

The first creative writing workshops and competitions took
place in four hostels across Bradford last year. The project proved so popular that Artworks applied for additional funding to run photography workshops and publish a book of the written and photographic contributions.

The result was Forgotten – an insightful publication launched in January, showcasing the creative works of 50 of the ‘hidden homeless’ of Bradford, highlighting in explicit
format the real issues homeless people face on a daily basis.

Cat Thom, systems manager at Artworks, says: “Forgotten has proved what a difference projects like this can make to the homeless community. It has acted as a powerful tool for combating social isolation and providing a sense of worth and belonging.”