BID Updates - Community

Temple Church project takes next step thanks to BID funding and support

Redcliffe & Temple BID are providing funding and support to English Heritage.

07/05/2024

BID Lead
Tom Swithinbank

The ongoing project to enable Temple Church to fulfil its potential – to become an asset for the community – has taken another step forward with the Redcliffe & Temple BID providing funding and support to English Heritage. 

The church, which is managed by English Heritage, was opened to the public for the first-time last year following several decades of closure and was a key host for Bristol Light Festival in 2023 and 2024 as well as acting as a space for reflection for local workers, residents and visitors. 

The BID will provide funding of £15,000 to support two projects to take the project a step closer to responding to the needs of the community. 

Firstly, English Heritage have started a programme of community engagement using the agency, Supersum, who will deliver a range of workshops for volunteers and community members and facilitate community organisations to use the space via ‘seed corn funding’ – a small pot of funding to enable community groups and businesses to use the space for events and activities. As part of this engagement, we will work with Supersum to engage local businesses both locally on Church Lane and in the many office buildings that surround the park. 

The second part of the project will create a series of options and viability assessments for the use of the Vesty, this currently empty and un-safe space offers the opportunity to create an indoor space for volunteers and visitors to enable the church to become a more beneficial space for the local community. 

If you would like to contribute to this project, please get in touch. 

Get In Touch

Supporting improvements to Temple Church and Gardens was a key feature in the Redcliffe & Temple BID Business Plan in 2021 and we are pleased to be supporting this work. We will be engaging with businesses throughout Summer 2024 as part of this process. 

In addition to our work with English Heritage, we continue to work with Bristol City Council Parks Department to discuss opportunities to improve the park itself. 

Speaking about the funding Ed McGregor, Free Sites Partnership Manager for English Heritage thanked the BID for the support:

“We’re aiming to establish the historic church in Redcliffe as a beacon for community activities that connect the local area, and ultimately better placing Temple Church to respond to the needs and ambitions of its diverse communities. We’re grateful to the BID for their support and funding and look forward to understanding how local people want to use the space.”
Share

RELATED NEWS

All News
BID UpdatesBristol BID

Your Business, Our Priority, Bristol’s Future – It’s time to vote yes to Bristol’s future

By Steve Bluff, Director of Redcliffe & Temple BID and BID Lead for the new Bristol BID proposal

16/06/25

BID UpdatesBristol BIDPress Releases

Businesses urged to back £18M BID proposal with £2.75M safety commitment at its heart

Businesses are being encouraged to vote YES in the upcoming Bristol BID ballot, which promises a £2.75 million investment in safety, crime prevention and wellbeing.

16/06/25

BID UpdatesBristol BIDPress Releases

Voting opens for a greener Bristol: £2.2M of new Bristol BID investment set to help businesses reach net zero

The Bristol BID ballot opened on Thursday 5th June with plans to invest £2.2 million in city-wide environmental initiatives and support for local businesses to tackle climate change.

05/06/25