The Present.
St Peter's Church is located in the heart of the City of Derby. It is Grade II listed and is a significant part of Derby's history. In keeping with the desire of Derby Heritage and the Derby 'Yes' campaign to increase the profile of the City's history, the church wishes to open it's doors to more of the Public.

St Peter's is already involved with the local community and is an ideal location for groups and organisations to use. Improving the building and providing better facilities should enable us to help more local groups and individuals and to raise the profile of this fascinating part of Derby's heritage.

We have developed an interactive business card CD-Rom to help explain our plans, a copy of which can be obtained on request from the St Peter's Office. Made with help from our supporters, in particular from the Fivelamps Group.

We are grateful to all our supporters for their kind generosity in helping us get this far, but we still need your support to help us to effect the changes we would like to see at St Peter's.

If you can help in any way, then please contact us particularly if you are a local business able to provide a service or other support. Please read on for more information on our plans, ideas and hopes for the development of St Peter's Church.

St Peter's have exciting plans for the future, and some of the developments are detailed below. You can view the plans of the Church in it's present state, and plans of the Church alterations we would like to achieve our aims. You can also see an artists impression of our dream.

The development of St Peter's will cost about £1,000,000. Improving the building will undoubtedly benefit the existing congregation, but we believe it is also a crucial step towards helping us serve the wider community more effectively.

St Peter's is a positive influence in the City Centre. As a Christian Church, a key part of this for us involves meeting peoples spiritual needs. However, this must go in hand with helping and caring for the whole person. So, in addition to church services and activities, we offer courses and advice, make meeting places available to local groups, provides services to meet the specific needs of the area, afford educational opportunities, host events and so on. We also want to be able to keep the church open more often, and make it an attractive and interesting place for people to visit and enjoy it's unique part in the City's heritage.

Much is already taking place and these exciting changes will enable us to expand and enhanced the facilities we offer to the people of Derby.

The Present.
Church Activities
Active church membership is 120-130. Children's Group is more than 30. 2 Services on Sundays, with Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime services. Various midweek meetings.
Target : (i) Grow by 25% per year, (ii) increase the number of lunchtime services for shoppers and city centre workers from 2 to 3, (iii) become a church where people with hearing disabilities, in particular deaf people, can worship and feel at home, (three church members are currently being trained in British Sign Language)

Counseling/listening/advice.
The minister is a qualified councellor, and chaplain to Derby Playhouse, British Home Stores and Sainsbury's. Clients include members of the public who make contact through church services, open services or other activities listed here. Other members of staff are also regularly involved in listening to those who need help.
Target : (i) Open the church more and develop a community service centre where people can come for help (see below), (ii) Complete the training of three church members in British sign language so that they can help people with hearing difficulties,

Community Service Centre.
This does not yet exist as such, but would be a place that people could visit for a chat, or a listening ear. It is very much tied up with keeping the church open more often and increasing the opening hours of the coffee shop.
Target : (i) Improve the ground floor facilities (kitchen and meeting area) to accommodate this initiative.

Open Church for visitors.
Currently two hours on Saturday mornings (averaging about 40 visitors) and Thursday afternoon opening for about 2 hours has just started.At Christmas time the church is open during evening and weekend shopping and this usually attracts around 1,000 visitors and we host about 5 school session a year.
Target : (i) Open on Fridays for 2 hours to increase our openings from 2 to 3 per week. (ii) increase the number of educational visits by schools. (iii) Open the church to enable Derby Heritage Centre tours.

Coffee Shop.
Currently upstairs in the hall. Estimated average of 70 people come in on Saturday mornings during the 2 hours it is open. Thursday afternoon opening has just started.
Target : Open the coffee shop on Fridays for 2 hours to increase openings from 2 to 3.

Parent and Toddler Group.
One and a half hours on Thursday mornings, average around 20-25 children.About 30 children on the books.
Target : Double the size of attendance and/or increase the number of meetings to twice per week.

Parenting Classes.
Typically 2-3 courses are run per year, by an expert who is not a member of St Peter's. Typically around 10 participants per course.
Target : increase the number of courses in accordance with demand and possibly link up with other professionals in this area.

Holiday Clubs.
The first holiday club took place in May 2001 and was enjoyed by 35 children aged 4-12, around half of whom are regulars at St Peter's.
Target : establish this as a regular event.

Links with Derby City Mission.
A support group averaging 10 members meets for 2 hours once per month for prayer.
Target : Provide a city centre location for the DCM basics bank (distributes basic food items to disadvantaged people).

Community Groups.
Two Women's Groups (around 50 people in total) from the Co-op meet weekly. Around 30-40 people from Derby Playhouse Youth Theatre use the premises about once a month for 4 hours for rehearsals .Members of the Charles Edward Stuart Society sleep in the hall 2 nights per year when they hold their pageant. Derby Rotary Club tap into our electrical supply at Christmas to power their float outside the church when they collect money for charity.
Target : expand the use of our facilities by community groups.

Concerts and events.
Currently we average around 2 concerts per year. Over the last 2 years these have included a Russian Choir, Sarabande, (an Elizabethan Dance/Music company) and the Derby Girls Choir. Past events have included an open day and Exhibition on St Peter's day. A Wedding fair has been planned in conjunction with a major retailer on St Peter's Street.
Target : develop facilities to enable us to increase the number and scope of these events.

Return to the top?

The Future.
The total estimated cost for the development is £1,000,000. This is for the work listed below. It is, however, subject to amendment because the required changes are still being discussed and subject to change.

• Replace the Roof
• Level the nave floor and provide ramps as necessary to improve disabled access and comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. This will also improve safety and allow more flexible use of this area.
• Repair internal and external stonework where it has been damaged by moisture, etc. Tidy up and redecorate as necessary.
• Replace the outdates, unsightly and inefficient heating system.
• Improve the Dias.
• Replace pews with chairs to create flexible seating which can be rearranged as required for services, concerts and exhibitions or for use by groups for meetings. lessons etc.
• Update the electrical installation, remove unwanted conduits and enhance the lighting.
• Replace the sound system
• Create a space within the Chancel for services with small congregations by returning the Choir stalls to their original position and restoring the patterned floor.
• Move the large font nearer to the door in the North Wall of the church to allow the space vacated to be used by smaller groups and/or to provide a history and information centre.
• Restore the painted arches over the north and south doors and at the entrance to the flower room.
• Install inner glass wind lobbies in the north and south entrances.
• Open up the back of the church by removing the old organ loft and possibly moving the screen to the back north-west corner. This would reveal the towers architectural features and the large window. Remove the clutter at the back to create a pleasant fellowship/reception area.
• Fireproof the Minister's office.
• Tidy up the flower room and repair the drains to prevent flooding.

Church Extension.

• Replace the roof
• Extend the ground floor of the church extension on the south side of the pillars to allow utilisation of present wasted space. This will allow an office, meeting rooms and an adequate toilet, including a disable toilet facility.
• Install a lift to the first floor to improve access, particularly for the disabled.
• Stone clad the exterior pillar on the north and west sides to improve the architectural compatibility of the extension with the rest of the grade II listed building.
• Remove the wall and slab projecting eastwards from the creche/coffee lounge into the car parking area to improve car parking facilities, restore the tower elevation and remove a cause of dampness to the creche and coffee lounge.
• Provide a better fire escape from the hall upstairs.
• Build a small kitchen on the ground floor with a 'dumb waiter' linking it to the main kitchen facility on the floor above, to create full catering flexibility.
• Double Glaze all existing windows in the halls to provide both improve comfort and heating efficiency.

Return to the top?