Churches Tourism Association

The Broads and Rivers Open Churches Project is finding new ways to welcome visitors to 150 churches on the east Norfolk coast.

An active member of CTA’s Eastern Region group, the project was set up in 2005 as a three-year pilot to help the Diocese of Norwich put into practice its policy of openness and welcome in its 659 churches. Funding came from the Diocese and from LEADER+, an EU programme.

The Project’s objectives are:

1.       to open the churches in its area and make them welcome to all visitors, local, tourist and pilgrim,

2.       to use the churches as creatively as possible,

3.       to encourage people locally to put the church back at the centre of the community interpret the church’s story and our Christian heritage,

4.       to encourage the understanding of the importance of churchyards in the local environment and to make links to local foot and cycle paths,

5.       to work with local schools and colleges on educational activities,

6.       to encourage and train volunteers in the promotion of their church and churchyard.

Future plans include Art Alive in Norfolk Churches, which will see 12 iconic churches in Breckland, Broadland and south Norfolk each hosting a relevant artist or craftsperson in residence. The Project will close with a conference on the creative use of church buildings next September. 

Funding is currently being sought to develop a Diocese-wide Churches Discovery Project focusing on visitor welcome, sacred space and heritage interpretation. Meanwhile, the Diocese of Norwich has also appointed an External Funding and to help parishes develop community projects and obtain funding for them.

Visit the project website here. 

For more information please contact Jennie Hawks, Project Officer at the Broads and Rivers Open Churches Project: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Ralph Barnett, External Funding Officer, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .