Victoria Methodist Church, Bristol

The 150-year-old Grade-II listed Victoria Methodist Church is home to an active congregation of about 100 people and, as a charity, the church also has a serious social outreach mission. It lets out space to local community groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, dance and Tai Chi classes and a mental health group.

Before refurbishment fixed pews in the Sanctuary on the ground floor restricted new styles of worship and curtailed other uses. The layout posed safeguarding issues, an important consideration for youth work and external groups working with children and vulnerable adults.

The refurbishment project successfully upgraded the church to high-quality contemporary standards. Driven by an ambitious vision for a sustainable future and a brief informed by its 40 community user groups, the outcome has delighted the church community, as well as attracting new groups and forging strong new links to the local area. Its street presence is now open and welcoming. Disabled access is significantly improved and the new flexibility of the internal spaces allows more uses.

A key part of this refurbishment is the new church furniture, designed, manufactured and installed by Treske. Treske supplied modular flooring with 21 modules; six communion rails to fit into the modular flooring; 80 Howe 40/4 chairs; 2 Howe 40/4 dollies to carry the chairs; 1 preaching point; 1 lectern; 1 table (Methodist altar); 1 credence table; 16 St Mary armchairs with book troughs; and 24 St Mary benches with book troughs. As part of the conservation conditions Treske also reworked four of the existing fixed benches into two new freestanding and flexible versions to enable the past seating to be remembered and preserved.

Treske also worked with the architect Kathryn Biggadike of Stride Treglown Architects on the design and specification of the Teapoint – a key feature in the church’s outreach capabilities, which was then manufactured and fitted by Treske.