Is your community group conside ring taking on – or already managing – a rural pla ce of worship?
\n \nCaring for a historic building is a signif icant responsibility\, and this introductory cours e will help you understand the practical steps nee ded to keep your building in good condition and su pport the long-term success of your project. Throu gh a mixture of talks\, workshop sessions\, and pr actical activities\, participants will gain a clea rer understanding of both building care and day-to -day operations management.
\n \nOur expert speakers and works hop leaders will cover topics including fire safet y\, health and safety\, building maintenance\, saf eguarding\, keyholder responsibilities\, facilitie s and operations management\, and planning for lon g-term sustainability. Contributors will include r epresentatives from Development Trusts Association Scotland\, Bedrule Church Future\, and SPAB Scotl and.
\n \nYo u’ll also have the opportunity to put your learnin g into practice through a short hands-on exercise examining the host building\, inside and out\, to identify maintenance issues and areas of vulnerabi lity. There will be time to discuss the specific n eeds of your own building with course tutors and f ellow participants.
\n \nAlongside practical knowledge and adv ice\, participants will leave with a toolkit of re sources to help support future decision-making and the ongoing care and management of their building . With a better understanding of traditional build ing construction and the practical application of modern regulations\, you’ll leave equipped with th e knowledge and confidence to take your project fo rward.
\n \nThis course is aimed at community groups w ho have either already taken ownership of a church building\, or are considering doing so in the nea r future. Community group representatives and thei r professional advisors are all very welcome\, as are those with a more general interest in faciliti es management and maintenance of historic building s.
\n \nYou r community group does not have to be ‘fully forme d’ – in fact this will be very useful for those in the fledgling stages.
\n \nBy the end of this course\, you will understand
\n \ nBuilding maintenance basics a nd why they are important
\nHealth and Safety regulations relevant to the si tuation
\nFire safety and insurance requirements
\nK eyholders\, safeguarding and much more
\n \n
\n Claire Martin is Churches Advisor for the New Futures: Forme
r Places of Worship programme at DTAS
\n
\n Lucy Stewart is a conservation architect\, SPAB Scholar and S
cotland Officer for SPAB Scotland
\n Alan Bailey is the Chair of Bedrule Chur
ch Future and a retired building surveyor
Ther e is no formal assessment for this course\, but we can provide a Certificate of Attendance upon requ est.
\n \nPlea se wear warm\, comfortable layers and sturdy and c losed shoes. We recommend bringing a raincoat or u mbrella for the practical exercise as part of it w ill be outdoors.
\n \nLunch is provided\, and we will supply r efreshments on arrival.
\n \nSeating is availabl e during the presentations in the village hall. Th e observation exercise involves a 20-minute walk i nside and outside the church\, with periods of sta nding and looking upwards.
\nThe church is accessible on a flat path with a short flight of steps into the church hall. There may be uneven surfaces in and around the church.
\nWheelc hair access is available from the parking area nea r the church via the rear vestry door.
\n \nThere is limite d on-street parking near the church – please be re spectful of residents' needs. Toilets are availabl e.
\nTh ere is no public transport to Bedrule. Trains run from Edinburgh to Tweedbank / Galashiels – we may be able to arrange collections from a local train/ bus terminus.
\nAnythin g we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email s cotland@spab.org.uk.
\n \nWe are grateful to Histori c Environment Scotland for funding this event. \n \n
Thanks al so to Development Trusts Association Scotland for supporting this event as part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme\, which support s community groups looking to take church building s into community ownership.
\n \nPhotos and filming: We may take p hotos and videos at this event for future publicit y\, in print and online. You are welcome to take y our own photos and short videos for personal use\, with the permission of the course leader and anyo ne featured. If you’d like to share your images on social media\, please tag us at @spab1877 and we may share your post with our followers.
\n \n < p>All bookings are subject to our Ter ms and Conditions.\n \nPhoto credits: Bedrule Church Future
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday 23 September 2026\, 11am - 3pm\n \n \n B edrule Church near Hawick\n \n \n Is your communit y group considering taking on – or already managin g – a rural place of worship? \n \n \n \n Caring f or a historic building is a significant responsibi lity\, and this introductory course will help you understand the practical steps needed to keep your building in good condition and support the long-t erm success of your project. Through a mixture of talks\, workshop sessions\, and practical activiti es\, participants will gain a clearer understandin g of both building care and day-to-day operations management. \n \n \n \n Our expert speakers and wo rkshop leaders will cover topics including fire sa fety\, health and safety\, building maintenance\, safeguarding\, keyholder responsibilities\, facili ties and operations management\, and planning for long-term sustainability. Contributors will includ e representatives from Development Trusts Associat ion Scotland\, Bedrule Church Future\, and SPAB Sc otland. \n \n \n \n You’ll also have the opportuni ty to put your learning into practice through a sh ort hands-on exercise examining the host building\ , inside and out\, to identify maintenance issues and areas of vulnerability. There will be time to discuss the specific needs of your own building wi th course tutors and fellow participants. \n \n \n \n Alongside practical knowledge and advice\, par ticipants will leave with a toolkit of resources t o help support future decision-making and the ongo ing care and management of their building. With a better understanding of traditional building const ruction and the practical application of modern re gulations\, you’ll leave equipped with the knowled ge and confidence to take your project forward. \n \n \n \n Who is this course for?\n \n \n This cou rse is aimed at community groups who have either a lready taken ownership of a church building\, or a re considering doing so in the near future. Commun ity group representatives and their professional a dvisors are all very welcome\, as are those with a more general interest in facilities management an d maintenance of historic buildings. \n \n \n \n Your community group does not have to be ‘fully fo rmed’ – in fact this will be very useful for those in the fledgling stages.\n \n \n \n You will lear n\n \n \n By the end of this course\, you will und erstand \n \n \n \n \n \n Building maintenance b asics and why they are important \n \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n Health and Safety regulations relevant t o the situation \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Fire sa fety and insurance requirements \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Keyholders\, safeguarding and much more \ n \n \n \n \n \n Course Tutors\n \n \n Andrew Ald ous is a Facilities Management Advisor for Develop ment Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) \n \n Clai re Martin is Churches Advisor for the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme at DTAS \n \n Roger Curtis is a conservation building surveyor \ n \n Lucy Stewart is a conservation architect\, SP AB Scholar and Scotland Officer for SPAB Scotland \n \n Alan Bailey is the Chair of Bedrule Church F uture and a retired building surveyor \n \n \n \n Assessment / Accreditation\n \n \n There is no for mal assessment for this course\, but we can provid e a Certificate of Attendance upon request. \n \n \n \n You will need\n \n \n Please wear warm\, com fortable layers and sturdy and closed shoes. We re commend bringing a raincoat or umbrella for the pr actical exercise as part of it will be outdoors. \ n \n \n \n Lunch is provided\, and we will supply refreshments on arrival. \n \n \n \n Accessibility \n \n \n \n \n Seating is available during the p resentations in the village hall. The observation exercise involves a 20-minute walk inside and outs ide the church\, with periods of standing and look ing upwards. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The church is accessible on a flat path with a short flight of steps into the church hall. There may be uneven surfaces in and around the church.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wheelchair access is available from th e parking area near the church via the rear vestry door. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n There is limited on-street parking near the church – please be res pectful of residents' needs. Toilets are available .\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n There is no public tra nsport to Bedrule. Trains run from Edinburgh to Tw eedbank / Galashiels – we may be able to arrange c ollections from a local train/bus terminus.\n \n \ n \n \n \n Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email scotland@spa b.org.uk (mailto:scotland@spab.org.uk). \n \n \n \ n Sponsors and partners\n \n \n We are grateful to Historic Environment Scotland for funding this ev ent. \n \n \n \n Thanks also to Development Trust s Association Scotland for supporting this event a s part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worshi p programme\, which supports community groups look ing to take church buildings into community owners hip. \n \n \n \n \n Photos and filming: We may tak e photos and videos at this event for future publi city\, in print and online. You are welcome to tak e your own photos and short videos for personal us e\, with the permission of the course leader and a nyone featured. If you’d like to share your images on social media\, please tag us at @spab1877 and we may share your post with our followers.\n \n \n \n All bookings are subject to our Terms and Cond itions (https://www.spab.org.uk/content/booking-te rms-and-conditions).\n \n \n \n Photo credits: Bed rule Church Future\n \n CATEGORIES:Course CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/London:20260923T110000 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260923T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260923T150000 URL:https://www.spab.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1450 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR