Lochwinnoch Parish Church
Project Status: Development
LCDT purchased the Lochwinnoch Parish Church from the Church of Scotland in May 2025, with support from the Scottish Land Fund. For 200 years, the Grade-A listed sandstone church has been at the heart of the village.
Before its closure in the spring of 2020, the building was regularly open throughout the week, hosting community groups and performances as part of Lochwinnoch’s Arts Festival. As a place of worship, a dwindling yet devoted congregation, and its closure devastated them. Since then, keyholders have continued to care for the church, though it has remained empty.
Faced with the loss of this historic building to disrepair, LCDT developed this project to protect it. The purchase of Lochwinnoch Parish Church is the result of extensive planning, consultation, and fundraising activities led by LCDT.
Supported through community consultation, LCDT aims to restore this historic building as a welcoming space for the community to enjoy once more.
This project aims to:
- Create a thriving community hub by transforming the Church into a versatile space that serves local needs.
- Support healthy, happy lives by providing a space for developing projects and activities.
- Promote a sustainable environment that brings benefits to residents and visitors.
- Attract visitors to the village, boosting trade for local shops and businesses.
- Reduce social isolation by creating spaces and opportunities that strengthen togetherness.
- Drive social and economic value through intentional community development.
- Preserve and promote the culture and heritage of Lochwinnoch by archiving local history, protecting a historic building and hosting local events.
The Scottish Land Fund funded LCDT’s purchase of the church for the community. It also funded early project development and essential emergency works.
In early 2025, LCDT was awarded £198,250 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). This funding will support the development of designs to transform the former Parish Church into a creative arts hub. Once the Development Phase is complete, the NLHF will allocate another £1.98m to refurbish the building and transform it into a reimagined space. Additionally, Historic Environment Scotland has pledged a further £500,000 for the conservation repairs.
In addition to the NLHF funding, LCDT has also been awarded funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund, Robert Barr’s Charitable Trust and the Development Trust Association. This has supported surveys, the commissioning of consultants to assist with business planning, and a design team. In November 2025, LDN Architects and specialist subcontractors were appointed. Their task is to create plans for the building that meet community needs while respecting the heritage of the Category A listed building.
With these foundations in place, the current phase involves working with the Design Team to adapt the church. However, project costs remain high, and despite backing from key funders, LCDT must raise approximately £1 million through other funders and community fundraising options, including community shares.
LCDT has appointed LDN Architects as the design team. Building work is expected to take roughly two years to complete the Lochwinnoch Parish Church Community Transformation Project.
Lochwinnoch-Church-Transformation-Project
With funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund, LCDT surveyed residents to understand:
- The support for community ownership among people in Lochwinnoch
- The potential to use the building in a way that benefits the
community - The potential for running the building in a financially sustainable way
Read the full report
We are hosting our very first music event at Lochwinnoch Parish Church on Sunday 30 August, 1pm – 3:30pm!
Introducing Lochwinnoch Unplugged– The first of its kind, in the old Parish Church, resurrected and repurposed. Enjoy 10 local acts offering everything from spoken word to brand-new originals and sing-along hits. Plus, with a packed schedule for kids of all ages, there truly is something for everyone!
Are you a yoga teacher looking for a new venue? Someone who would like to book a family celebration? A leader of a community group looking for a new home?
We’re gathering expressions of interest from individuals or groups who might want to hire a space in the community hub for any reason.
If that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!
Please complete the survey (link below) and help shape a space that works for the people who’ll actually use it. The survey is 8 questions and should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.
How will the project be funded?
The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded funding to LCDT to develop designs that bring the Parish Church back to life as a Creative Community Hub. We will then submit a second-stage application for capital funding to deliver the project. As with all Lottery funding, this stage is competitive and subject to approval.
Historic Environment Scotland also awarded us funding for specialist repair and conservation of the historic building. This covers repairs to the roof, stone walls, windows, doors, and interior features.
Support from the Scottish Land Fund enabled the Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust to purchase the Parish Church.
How will ongoing maintenance be paid for?
The Trust is working closely with a Business Planner to develop a sustainable financial plan. It will cover the day-to-day running of the Community Hub and ensure we meet the long-term care and maintenance needs of our historic Parish Church building. Financial sustainability, without placing an undue burden on the community, sits at the heart of this project.
Has the condition of the building been assessed?
Yes. We carried out a specialist condition survey of the Parish Church, giving us a clear understanding of its condition so we can prioritise repairs appropriately.
To ensure we get the best advice, LDN Architects leads our design team. They are conservation specialists who have restored national landmark buildings such as Abbotsford House, Inverness Castle, Fort George, and the Piece Hall. Expert structural and building services engineers and cost consultants support them.
How will the project protect historic features?
This project aims to protect and celebrate the historic Parish Church building and bring it back to life for the whole community. We anticipate that delivering this vision will require sensitive and appropriate alterations. These will provide improved accessibility and usability, including essential facilities such as inclusive WCs and much-needed storage spaces.
Any proposed works will require Planning and Listed Building Consent. We will also engage with the Local Authority Conservation Officer and Historic Environment Scotland to ensure we manage repairs and alterations responsibly.
How will accessibility be improved?
The Creative Community Hub will be an inclusive building for the whole community, so accessibility is crucial. We are exploring options for:
- new, wheelchair-friendly paths from outside the building
- improved and dignified accessible entrances
- level-access inside the building
- new Accessible WCs
Where will parking be provided?
Parking is an important consideration, and we are looking at a range of options. We aim to provide some on-site parking, particularly Accessible Parking bays with good access to the entrance. Any parking proposals will form part of the planning process, which we will assess in relation to local traffic and residential amenity. We will share more information about parking as the design proposals develop.
Will this project duplicate existing local facilities?
We are focusing on complementary uses and activities with support from our Business Planner. Our ongoing community consultation process shapes a project that adds to community life in the village and responds to local needs.
The church’s main Sanctuary Hall offers a unique space for live performance and music, with excellent acoustics and the capacity to support larger groups. The smaller Gothic Hall is ideally placed as a flexible venue for a wide range of activities. The church also sits beside the neighbouring Lochhead Gardens project, creating an exciting opportunity to connect and enhance both projects. Together, they can deliver a vibrant social hub for the village.
What will happen to the community garden?
Construction of the Community Hub may cause some disruption to the Community Garden. However, the garden group and their work creating the garden are an important part of the Parish Church grounds. We will work closely with them to include them in the future vision of the project.
Could the project support heritage skills training?
Yes. Traditional heritage skills are vital to the long-term future of the Parish Church building. We are exploring opportunities for local skill-building and heritage education as part of the project. If this interests you, we’d love to hear from you.
I am interested in hiring a space. How do I register my interest?
We welcome any interest from individuals or groups looking to hire a space in the future. We have created a survey to understand the needs of those interested in hiring a space. At this stage in the development, we aim to create a space which suits the needs of those who will use it.
