Churches encouraged to open doors for tourists

Churches across Nottinghamshire are being encouraged to open up for tourists, following the appointment of a new tourism officer for the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham.

The new Open Churches co-ordinator, is 22-year-old Heather Sirrel, who took up the post in September and is now working with churches to help promote their historic features and special attractions to visitors.

Heather hopes to help churches offer a warm welcome to newcomers and people passing through, she said: “It's kind of in my blood: When I was a child, my father used to open our local church every Wednesday. Come school holidays, I would love to spend the day there with him. We'd play music, serve coffee, or just allow the building to be a quiet sanctuary for the people who came in. It's really important that if people spontaneously come to a church, that they're not met by a big, locked door."

Before taking up her current role Heather has worked as a glass blower and also been involved in making stained glass windows. She combines her part time role with Open Churches, with working as an administrator at her local church, Christ Church in Chilwell, Nottingham.

Heather has also spent a year working with the international charity Tearfund and in her spare time she enjoys playing gigs with her gospel choir in Beeston or waterskiing on the River Trent.

A special focus for the Open Churches group which Heather works with, will include an Open Churches weekend for churches in the Newark & Sherwood District on 3rd & 4th July 2010. Churches will be invited to take part and open up for the weekend – offering a special welcome to visitors for the whole weekend.

Heather’s work will involve helping churches with advice and support on literature and publicity and linking in with wider initiatives to help with their profiles.

Partnership and Mission Director for the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham, the Revd David McCoulough, who oversees the Open Churches project said: “ We’re looking forward to developing this work with Heather and hope that many churches will take up the resources and support on offer, so that many more churches can be open and welcome to visitors on a regular basis.”

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