About the project

The "Murston Heart" project, led by Murston All Saints Trust, focused on restoring Murston Old Church. This project set out to preserve the historic chancel, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, create a pocket park and ensure sustainability by creating artist studios on site, with space for community activities.

The consultancy's role

In March 2020, Alix Slater Consultancy & Training supported the Trust in securing an initial £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the project, which was later increased to £300,000 to address increased costs due to COVID-19.

Following the grant's success, the consultancy was appointed as the evaluation consultant, assessing project outcomes and community impact. The consultancy also supported the development of an operational business plan.