Norwegian Church group invites public views on its future

To all WNS members & friends,

We are very excited to share with you this questionnaire, published by Gareth Kiddie who is conducting the feasibility study of The Norwegian Church in Cardiff. Please take 5 minutes to fill in the questionnaire and share it with anyone you know that has an interest in the building or Cardiff Bay.

Norwegian Church group invites public views on its future.

A number of organisations with an interest in the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay have come together to conduct a feasibility study regarding its future. Headed up by the Welsh Norwegian Society, the partnership is now seeking the views of the local community.

Tyra Oseng-Rees, Chair of the Society, explained what they were looking to achieve:
‘The Norwegian Church is an established charity run by the Cardiff Council. Earlier this year the Council gave their support to our proposal to conduct a feasibility study that would explore the future community use of the Church, and in June we commissioned an experienced consultant to conduct the study. Now we are at the stage where we would really like to find out what people think, most especially the residents of Butetown and The Bay, but everyone else that has an interest in the Norwegian Church in Cardiff and beyond.’

The Norwegian Church is an iconic landmark and one of the few remaining heritage buildings dating back to the heydays of Cardiff Docks and Tiger Bay. Built in 1868, it originally stood alongside the wharf at Bute East Dock, and was at that time clad with corrugated iron. For over 100 years the Church provided a place of sanctuary and a ‘home away from home’ not just to seamen from Norway, but the other Scandinavian countries

and Baltic States too. In 1987 the Church was carefully dismantled when the Bute Tunnels were being built and in 1991 building work began to reassemble the Church in its present position overlooking Cardiff Bay. Today the Church remains as much loved building and visitor attraction, but its future is uncertain.

Tyra further commented ‘We can see that it’s been a challenge for the Council to keep the charity going and to ensure that the Norwegian Church meets its objectives – which are largely concerned with maintaining the Church as a museum and public visitor attraction. We are therefore looking to explore all options for the future, and take a fresh approach to this challenge. Please help us by completing our short questionnaire survey and making your views known. Our priority is to ensure that the Church can be used and enjoyed by everybody for generations to come.’

The survey questionnaire is available online by clicking on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NorwegianChurch

ENDS

Note to editors: Queries regarding the Feasibility Study can be addressed to Gareth Kiddie of GKA Community Regeneration Consultancy – email: gareth@gka.org.uk