Thanks to funding from the United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)* Holy Nativity is about to embark on a three year project to develop our church building and expand the activities and community services that we provide.
Holy Nativity turns 70 this year and the building has been at the heart of the community for all of that time, being originally funded by public subscription and arriving as a ‘flat pack’ church back in 1954.
The funding will enable us to have two dedicated members of staff to support users of the building and to obtain the funding and develop the ideas for regenerating the church building ready for the next 70 years of service and living life with God here in Mixenden.
Adverts for the role of caretaker have now gone live and we have appointed a project lead to ensure that the whole plan comes together.
Our project lead will be familiar to many people already. Jo Beacroft-Mitchell has been a member of the congregation of Holy Nativity for 8 years now and is active in family church, youth group, and more recently as a trainee lay reader.
Outside of her volunteer roles she has worked for many years in various development and fundraising roles both for our own diocese and for national organisations.
Jo says:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be taking on the role of Community Development and Fundraising Manager here at Holy Nativity. I’ve been an active member of our community for many years, serving and worshipping in what I truly believe is the best parish in the Church of England (I may be a bit biased)”.
“I’ve been involved in lots of volunteer roles, from helping run our weekly youth group to assisting in the community drop in. I’ve also had the privilege of serving as treasurer of our Parish Church Council, where we’ve done loads of work to streamline our financial processes and support fundraising initiatives. In the past two years I’ve also been training as a Licensed Lay Minister and have been truly blown away by the support and encouragement I’ve received from my church family”.
“What people may not know is, on top of my voluntary commitments, I’ve dedicated over two decades of my professional life to serving Christian and secular charities, specializing in governance, fundraising, and project development. My recent roles include Project Development Lead and Community Development Advisor at HeartEdge, where I’ve worked with churches like ours to grow their ideas”.
“Having spent years helping other churches reach their potential and having talked a lot about all the things we’d love to achieve here, I’m thrilled to be making the transition from volunteer to paid member of staff at Holy Nativity. It’s a unique opportunity for me to combine my passion for our church and community with my professional expertise and contribute even more to our mission and vision”.
Our Shared Vision
Holy Nativity is such a well loved and respected part of life here in North Halifax. As we celebrate 70 years I know we have the community behind us and the strongest foundations possible to develop our building and our community for the next 70 years.
Together, we’ll continue to create a vibrant and inclusive community hub that serves both the congregation and the broader Mixenden and Illingworth area. I’m so proud of everything we do already and I want us all to have a building and presence in the community that we can be proud of into the future.
I’m eager to embark on this new chapter, and I look forward to collaborating, dreaming, and making a tangible difference together.
More information on the project and regular updates on progress can be found here.
*The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
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