Our real estate team has advised a local charity on its purchase of Winchcombe Methodist Church as part of their plan to open a brand-new arts, youth and community hub.
The sale, which went through in December, follows a 16-month campaign and a year of fundraising by Winchcombe Arts & Community Hub (WACH) to transform the church into a dynamic hub to inspire creativity, inclusivity, and communal spirit. As well as the charity’s new home, the hub will become a place to host live performances, workshops, markets, and creative activities for young people and the wider community.
The charity was able to buy the church thanks to government grants and local support from individuals, charitable trusts and businesses; a transaction which involved specialist advice from our highly-rated real estate team’s Charlotte Cowdell. Associate solicitor Charlotte, who was recently recognised by national legal guide, Chambers UK as a ‘star associate,’ advised WACH on compliance with charity law, as well as offered guidance on the acquisition of property by charity trustees.
Speaking about the matter, Charlotte said: “It’s been a pleasure to help WACH at the start of their journey as a charity with their purchase of Winchcombe Methodist Church. As a firm, we’re known for our expertise in charity law, as well as our commitment to helping our local community and our strong ties with the arts. We look forward to seeing WACH grow over the coming years.”
A proportion of the funds raised by WACH have gone towards converting the church, which dates to 1885, and on making essential building upgrades. Works are now in progress and a soft-launch phase of events is planned for July 2024.
Speaking about the transaction, founder trustee Jonathan Burchfield said: “As a charity setting out on a new and ambitious project, we knew that we needed to work with a firm which understands the constraints of charity law, and this was clearly the case with Willans.”
To find out more, visit wach.org.uk and to volunteer, pledge your support or receive regular updates from Winchcombe Arts & Community Hub, please email hall4winchcombe@gmail.com
Our charities and not-for-profits team specialises in advising charity and not-for-profit clients on commercial property matters. The team also assists with other charity law matters, such as helping charities to comply with regulations.
