In episode 23 of the Investing in Impact podcast, I speak with
Graham Singh, CEO of
Trinity Centres Foundation, on an innovative approach that transforms church properties into modern and inclusive community hubs to create local impact.
For nearly 15 years, Graham been involved in finding new vocations for church buildings. He provided leadership for 4 projects in the UK and Canada, including at the Trinity Centres Foundation’s pilot site, St Jax Montreal. Graham’s doctoral research and practical work in this subject inform much of the Foundation’s approach. Prior to his work with church buildings as a minister in the Anglican church, Graham worked within the global advertising sector in London, England. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, St Mellitus College (via Cambridge University / Ridley Hall) and the London School of Economics. He is fluent in French and English.
The Trinity Centres Foundation Story:
The Trinity Centres Foundation connected with experts from the social innovation, urban planning, property, finance, management, accounting, legal, government and faith sectors.
What we heard was the need for a more radical option.
What we heard is that 10,000 of canada’s 28,000 church buildings will close within the next 10 years.
What we heard was a call for a secular solution to what began as a faith problem.
What we heard was a frustration at too many band-aid solutions and the need for a totally new strategy for the building of social infrastructure.
What the organization decided to build was a model that could connect, advise, invest and run the solution: joining with all levels of canadian government, investment funds and social innovators to create a new community hub model for our most strategic buildings.
The Trinity Centres Foundation was established in 2018 as a pan-Canadian charitable organization with the goal of lovingly preserving, restoring and repurposing underutilized churches into dynamic spaces for dialogue and interaction accessible for multiple uses to a multiplicity of different individuals and groups.
Applying a new social business model that generates both societal and economic value, the Foundation is committed to enabling churches to continue to bring about positive change, while maintaining a secure financial future. In the process, innovative new ways will be found to deliver services, while advancing social inclusion and revitalizing communities and local neighbourhoods.
From Churches on the Brink to Hubs of Buoyant Communities
Church buildings are among Canada’s most underused assets — all the more so in recent years — and yet, these sites should never be sitting empty and idle. In addition to serving as places of worship, they should be active and enriching gathering places for members of their respective communities day and night and day in and day out.
Commonly referred to as community hubs, TCF’s transformed church buildings constitute a new form of infrastructure that advances and builds on core values like friendship and belonging. Serving to both reflect and strengthen communities, these hubs are welcoming, inclusive and inspiring places where people can go to socialize, pursue common interests, gain new knowledge and find support when needed.
The transformation into hubs constitutes a way for local churches to offset shrinking congregations, reinvent themselves, and to remain afloat and relevant. Whether located in high-density urban neighbourhoods or more remote rural settings, each hub is as unique as the community it serves and is defined by local needs, services and resources.
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