FUTURE

Find out more about the St John-at-Hackney Project: Here

Since the 1955 fire at St John's there have been some significant changes to the south part of the building to accommodate rooms for activities such as a day centre for the homeless which ran for some 20 years and rooms for youth and children's work on Sunday mornings. However, much of the fabric of this architecture has become tired and is ill-suited to contemporary church and community needs. The main worship space of our building is also in need of work to redecorate the ceiling, waterproof the tower and make the space more flexible for different sized congregations.

To this end a working party at St John's has commissioned a conservation plan (so we fully understand what we need to preserve and cherish) and a feasibility study for making St John's an inspiring and beautiful church as well as a venue for large concerts and performances, a hub for small community ventures to have offices and meeting rooms and a church building that can work for the many different individuals and groups that are a part of the life of Hackney.

All this has been underpinned by a great deal of thought, conversations and prayer over the last two years by various groups of St John's congregation (read our Mission Action Plan to understand where we think we are going).

At this stage we have a draft feasibility study by Stow and Beale Architects on which we are consulting the congregation and visitors to St John's, the Diocesan Advisory Committee, London Borough of Hackney planning and conservation departments, English Heritage and further societies and groups. To see these plans please download this shortened version of the feasibility plan (the full plans are available to view at St John's).We are working on the first steps towards a full business plan and a fundraising strategy.

If you want to get involved in any of this please come and meet with us.

Laura Tomlinson
Chair of St John-at-Hackney Development and Communications group

If you've been inside St John's you will understand what a challenge this is!