We have collated examples of good practice of how Cumbria's churches are being extended and adapted for additional community uses and with latest technologies, for local residents as well as for visitors and tourists. The case studies provide information about both the end use of the buildings and how church communities went about their building projects, and include the pitfalls and challenges for  other church communities to learn from. See below:

Community Uses of Cumbria's Churches: Large Projects Case Studies.

Affordable Housing and Churches: Cumbria Case Studies

Low Carbon Technologies in Cumbria's Churches: Case Studies

Welcoming Tourists: good practice and faith trails

Innovative uses of churches nationally: Case Studies

If you are inspired to think about a new Cumbria project being based in a church or being provided in partnership with a faith community please contact us.

Places of worship play a signifcant role in local communities:

• Eighty five per cent of people have been in a church or place of worship during the course of a year, compared to 23% who attend religious services at least once a month.
• In recognition of this Government departments are promoting engagement by the public sector with faith communities.The Churches Trust for Cumbria aims to assist policy makers and service delivery managers within potential partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors with a way to engage with Cumbria’s faith communities.
• The Department for Communities and Local Government has issued guidance on the funding of faith-based organisations that provide publicly funded services.
• For more details of policy on the role of faith communities see the North West Forum of Faith website.
• In 2010 the Heritage Alliance launched the Places of Worship Manifesto, to raise the profile of historic places of worship in the minds of MPs  and of course, the electorate as well.