St Mary le Strand
St Mary le Strand is a Grade 1 listed building but it is also so much more. It is a place where people come together, reflect and enjoy a sense of shared cultural heritage.
St Mary le Strand was built in 1714-21 to the designs of the renowned Scottish Architect, James Gibbs – his first building on his return from studying in Rome. It is often said to be one of the UK’s loveliest Baroque churches, with its fabulous plastered, curved and coffered ceiling, unparalleled in Britain.
As a local church, St Mary le Strand is committed to delivering Christian, Public and
Cultural benefit, all of which sit at the heart of the Jewel in the Strand project.
The Jewel in the Strand
On the face of it, this project is about a beautiful 18th-century church, but it’s about people and communities, not bricks and mortar. As part of a large-scale development project we will conserve, restore and open up this wonderful building. The driving force behind each and every physical output is the impact that it can have in the lives of the individuals and communities who occupy the Strand Aldwych for leisure, work and study.
The vision for this project is that St Mary le Strand will be a restored and redeveloped church building, with a renewed mission and ministry at the centre of this regenerated area.
Volunteering opportunities
We regularly post ongoing and one-off opportunities to get involved supporting the Jewel in the Strand project and/or church events. Previous examples include stewardship for a son et lumiere installation receiving positive national press coverage, and posting and creating social media content.
St Mary le Strand is an inspirational and peaceful place for Christian worship. We are proud that it is an inclusive church where we welcome and serve everyone. We celebrate every person and don’t discriminate on grounds of race, identity, gender, or sexuality. We are truly ‘open to God and open to all’.
The vision for the Church is for it to be a sympathetically restored and redeveloped, with a renewed mission and ministry, at the heart of the regenerated Strand-Aldwych district. It will transform into a place that is relevant to the 21stC, maximising on space and presenting flexible and up-to-date facilities, attracting new audiences and ensuring that the Church can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone.
We are looking for people with an interest in heritage, music, public engagement and enthusiastic volunteers to help us tell stories of the church in different ways.
We are different because we are at the start of re-launching this 300 year old church with a major restoration project in this new pedestrianised area.
