Crowdfunding campaign plans to create a new Heritage Centre in the centre of Tamworth

The proposed building for the Heritage Centre at 30 Church Street, Tamworth, close to Saint Editha’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Patrick Comerford

When I was in Tamworth last week, it was exciting to hear about the plans to create a community-run, inspiring state-of-the-art Heritage Centre in the heart of the town, close to Saint Editha’s Church.

The proposed building for the Heritage Centre at 30 Church Street is ideal. It is in the very heart of the town centre, easily accessible with nearby parking, adjacent to the new Tamworth College and, originally designed as a bank, it offers excellent security features for important artefacts and documents.

The Revd Andrew Lythall, Vicar of Tamworth, says: ‘I am thrilled to be a part of this project and I know I speak for everyone at Saint Editha’s Church to say that we are excited to be a key stakeholder … in the development of a creative, permanent heritage hub for Tamworth.’

A crowdfunding campaign hopes to create a heritage centre that allows people to explore, celebrate, understand and take pride in the rich history of Tamworth, from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia to the industrial revolution and beyond.

Dr David Biggs, chair of the Tamworth and District Civic Society, has described it as a ‘wonderful and rare opportunity’ to make the most of the ‘town’s incredible heritage and history for the benefit of residents and visitors.’

The venture is is a collaborative enterprise involving Saint Editha’s Church, Tamworth; Tamworth Castle Museum; the Tamworth Town Centre Forum; the Tamworth and District Civic Society; and other heritage and culture groups across Tamworth and the surrounding area. The Tamworth Town Centre Forum is managing the fundraising drive on behalf of Saint Editha's Church.

Tamworth Castle is part of the collaborative enterprise to establish the new heritage centre (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Many of Tamworth’s historical treasures are hidden from view because of a lack of exhibition space. The project aims to bring them into the spotlight, ensuring they are preserved and appreciated for generations to come.

The project hopes to make history more accessible by showcasing the best of Tamworth. The centre will feature an extensive collection of art, artefacts, relics, and historical finds – many of which have never been displayed before.

Lara Rowe, Tamworth Castle Museum and Archives Manager, says the new heritage centre ‘would enable us to increase access to the museum collections and archives, and would provide a valuable cultural asset for the town.’

The vision is for a new Tamworth Heritage Centre that serves as a museum and art gallery and a hub for education, tourism, and cultural activities.

Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth, says a ‘world class Heritage Centre will help put Tamworth clearly on the map and support a wider ecosystem of heritage, culture, arts and community programmes that are vital to maintaining a strong community.’

Tamworth's heritage, including Tamworth Castle, the Moat House and a timber-framed 16th Century house on Lichfield Street, celebrated on a sign at Tamworth Railway Station (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

The funds raised in the crowdfunding campaign will go directly to:

• establishing the heritage centre in a prime town centre location
• creating interactive, inspiring exhibits showcasing Tamworth’s history
• curating educational programmes for schools and local groups
• developing a space for workshops, talks, and events
• creating a digital archive that provides access to Tamworth’s history.

The centre is planned to provide interactive exhibits, museum spaces, dedicated galleries, rolling exhibitions of other collections; a community learning zone with space for educational programmes, talks, and workshops, a research area, and a digital archive with virtual access to exhibitions, collections and research materials.

The centre will feature:

• over 150 sq m of permanent and temporary exhibition space
• a dedicated art gallery – the first of its kind in Tamworth
• research rooms for archival and historical research
• two self-contained offices for community groups and start-up ventures
• meeting space for the wider community
• over 100 square meters of museum-standard archival storage space
• completely accessible facilities
• a gift shop
• parking for six cars
• the potential to add a further 30 sq m of gallery space.

The organisers are raising funds to meet costs associated with buying the centre, and fitting out and converting it into a state-of-the-art heritage resource. They hope to complete fundraising by July and to open the centre in December 2025.

As a thanks to supporters they are offering these rewards to donors:

• £50: a special thank you letter plus a unique Heritage Centre badge
• £150: the above plus an invitation to the grand opening ceremony
• £300: the above plus your name printed in a special commemorative souvenir booklet
• £1,000: the above as well as your name on a special donors board in the centre.

Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available.

It is anticipated that the centre would be open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm, with the times extended for special events, functions and exhibitions.

More details can be found HERE

Daily prayer in Lent 2025: 35, Tuesday 8 April 2025

‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up’ … the window in Saint Editha’s Church, Tamworth, in memory of Joseph Gray of Maids Moreton (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

We are now in the last two weeks of Lent, and this week began with the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Lent V), sometimes still known as Passion Sunday.

Later this evening, I have a meeting of the Town Centre Working Group in Stony Stratford. But, before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:

1, reading today’s Gospel reading;

2, a short reflection;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;

4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.

Moses lifting the brazen serpent, depicted in the East Window in Holy Trinity Church, Old Wolverton (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

John 8: 21-30 (NRSVA):

21 Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 22 Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ 23 He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ 25 They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ 27 They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

The Crucifixion scene in the central panel is the focus of the East Window by Nathaniel Westlake (1888) in Holy Trinity Church in Old Wolverton (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Reflection:

The conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem continues in the Gospel reading at the Eucharist (John 8: 21-30). In today’s reading, they become exasperated with Jesus and they challenge him, ‘Who are you?’ (verse 25).

Jesus tells them that when they lift him up, they will know who he is. With the benefit of hindsight, we know he is talking about the cross, but they are even more perplexed.

Jesus says in these verses, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come’ (verse 21). The people around him respond with confusion, asking, ‘Is he going to kill himself?’ (verse 22).

They do not understand what Jesus is really saying. He continues, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he’ (verses 23-24).

In this reading, Jesus emphasises that without faith in him, there is no understanding or salvation. The people listening try to comprehend his words with logic, but their confusion shows how difficult it is to grasp spiritual truth without faith.

Then in verse 28, Jesus makes a powerful statement: ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realise that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.’

We are ten days away from Good Friday, and here Jesus is referring to his crucifixion, when he will be ‘lifted up,’ just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness to bring healing. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, he will draw all people to himself, offer hope to a desperate, suffering and divided world.

The Elevation of the Holy Cross … an icon in the Monastery of Arkadi in Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 8 April 2025):

The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church’, the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘Healthcare in Bangladesh.’ This theme was introduced on Sunday with a Programme Update by Suvojit Mondal, Programme Director for the Church of Bangladesh Community Healthcare Programme in Dhaka.

The USPG Prayer Diary today (Tuesday 8 April 2025) invites us to pray:

Pray for strength, wisdom, and compassion for the healthcare workers, volunteers, and staff who dedicate themselves to this mission, as well as for the leadership of the moderator and deputy moderator, whose guidance and administrative support enable the clinic’s smooth operation.

The Collect:

Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Post Communion Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us
that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters
we do also for you:
give us the will to be the servant of others
as you were the servant of all,
and gave up your life and died for us,
but are alive and reign, now and for ever.

Additional Collect:

Gracious Father,
you gave up your Son
out of love for the world:
lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion,
that we may know eternal peace
through the shedding of our Saviour’s blood,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yesterday’s Reflection

Continued Tomorrow

Lenten colours on the High Altar in Saint Editha’s Church, Tamworth (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org