CRCW – Andy Littlejohns

The town centre church in a large market town on the doorstep of the West Pennine Moors. Chorley URC seeks to serve both the needs of its immediate local neighbourhood and the wider community of Chorley. Chorley URC has a long-standing commitment to the community and a number of local organisations and agencies (uniformed organisations, leisure activities, community services) have used the premises for many years. The church facilitates the provision of some services, including the Open Kitchen with Chorley Help the Homeless, providing meals for vulnerable people once a week.

In 2013 they commissioned Pulse to conduct their Community Engagement Project, to research the needs of the community and identify how the church could further engage with the neighbourhood and meet the needs identified with buildings fit for purpose. This work was updated in 2017 to understand changes in Chorley and the local community and how that might impact upon the church’s plans. In that time there have been several plans to update or replace the church buildings, which are no longer fit for purpose.

The CRCW project was accredited in 2015 yet vacant until Andy took up the role in July 2019. Immediate priorities included strengthening relationships with existing users of the building and with other community groups. Andy and the church are already working on launching Chorley Repair Café. (www.facebook.com/chorleyrepaircafe) 

In the longer term, with their new building, they hope to work on addressing many of the needs identified by Pulse, particularly around healthy eating and food education, social isolation, and working with vulnerable people. A Church Related Community Worker or CRCW is the key to facilitating this and to making their new building a hub for the voluntary sector in Chorley.

 You can find out more by visiting their website (www.chorleyurc.org) or Facebook page www.facebook.com/chorleyunitedreformed