Heritage and Wellbeing: Our new research project in partnership with Historic England

‘We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us’: following damage to the Houses of Parliament after the blitz, Winston Churchill made this remark regarding the importance of the shape of the commons chamber. Whether you agree with his decision to maintain the rectangular shape of the room over a more contemporary horse-shoe shape, the core of Churchill’s quote is undoubtedly true: our buildings impact how we feel and how we behave. 

The impact of heritage on the wellbeing of individuals and communities is well evidenced by Historic England and What Works for Wellbeing. Heritage is defined as ‘inherited resources which people value for reasons beyond mere utility’ and can include museums, castles, archeological sites, historic urban areas and places of worship (English Heritage, 2008). Thousands of churches across the UK are heritage buildings and many of these are Warm Welcome Spaces, providing safe, warm and welcoming spaces for all the community. 

Evidence from Historic England illustrates that heritage can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of individuals through increasing confidence, social connectivity and life satisfaction. It can also have a transformative impact on local communities through strengthening the relationships between people and places, providing opportunities to build social networks and contributing to physical, cognitive and mental health. 

In our research project we want to build on this existing research to understand the value of Warm Welcome Spaces that are hosted in historic churches, both for the wellbeing of individuals that attend and the wider community. We want to evidence the importance of these spaces to equip churches to advocate for the value of heritage buildings and safeguard their spaces for the whole community, now and in the future. 

Over the next year, we’ll be working with Historic England to carry out surveys, interviews, workshops and analysis resulting in a booklet for churches to help them advocate for the wellbeing impact of their heritage buildings, a report, a policy briefing and a launch event. 

If you would like to hear more about the project or would be interested in being involved in the research, please get in touch with esther.platt@goodfaith.org.uk. 

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