Church attendance is reducing across the UK, and East Coker is no exception. Churches, particularly old, listed ones, are costly to maintain and rely predominantly on donations from congregations to fund their upkeep. Unless we take action to make St Michael’s more connected to the wider community, it will decline in relevance, it won't be used, and will ultimately become unsustainable.

 

Project Beacon aims to ensure a bright and thriving future for St Michael and All Angels by making it a more accessible and flexible asset, one that can be used – yes for worship – but also a much wider range of community activities, from concerts and exhibitions to social events, festivals and club meetings.

 

Though originally established, and still cherished by many, as a place of Christian worship, you don’t have to be religious to appreciate how important St Michael’s Church is.

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It is a glorious building and an integral part of our village story. It is the final resting place the author, poet and playwright T S Eliot, commemorates the explorer William Dampier, and countless other lesser-known historical figures, and so is central to our shared heritage.

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It is a place of peace and tranquillity where people come – regardless of faith or belief – to sit quietly, to contemplate and be with their thoughts. It is a place of great beauty, overlooking our charming village with stunning views of the Somerset countryside.

 

The National Churches Trust’s Fifty Things to do in a Church campaign highlights some of the activities and events that can take place in and around church buildings and the many different ways that people use and experience churches.