Accessibility

Accessibility

We want everyone who comes to church to feel welcome and enabled to take part in all our worship and daily life. 

To this end we’ve worked hard to make our building as accessible as possible, but also to create an atmosphere where people are able to engage as best works for them. We continue to work to make our building in particular more accessible.

Building Accessibility

Our main entrance does not have level access. We have a ramp available and you can request it at any time. If you can’t see anyone near the door call 020 3855 0113 and someone will come immediately. We are working on a plan to add level access to the church next year.

We are able to create special seating on request and have done this for several parishioners – please speak to one of the Priests. 

We have a disabled access toilet accessed off the nave. People often walk out to use this during the service and it creates no fuss or distraction to the service. The toilet also contains a baby change facility and there is space to walk / move around in the church hall if you would like to step away from the main room. There is an additional toilet in the church hall.

The hearing loop does not currently function. The sound level in church is good with good amplification throughout. It is loud – but not too loud. We are planning on installing a sound loop as soon as we can raise the money.

Large print orders of service are always available. There is always someone available to help you through the service if you find it unfamiliar. 

Worship Environment & Atmosphere 

Our service is very structured. There is no free prayer or deviation from the order of service – this creates a safe space for those who find unstructured environments difficult. 

Everything you need to participate in the service is provided as you arrive (order of service, weekly pew sheet & hymn sheet). There are no screens or projectors in use. 

It is perfectly normal for people to leave their seats at any time during the service if they need to ‘take a break’ or just move around to get the blood flowing. This is not unusual. Children will run around and make noise this is just part of being a family and we enjoy our family being with us.

If you need a quiet space at any time the church hall is always open (accessed off the main room towards the toilets) and this generally allows access to an outdoor space as well.

If you are unable to come to the front to receive Jesus, please let the Church Wardens know when you arrive (or during communion) and they will arrange for the Priest to come to you in your seat. This happens regularly and is a normal part of the service. 

If you do not wish to go to the communion rail to receive Jesus or a blessing – that is perfectly normal – simply stay in your seat and offer yourself in prayer.

How long are the services?

Parish Mass on a Sunday (10:30am) takes about an hour on average. The 10am Daily Mass takes about 20 minutes. Morning Prayer during the week is about 15/20 minutes.

We are a friendly church who will do all we can to make sure you are welcomed and comfortable here. If there’s something you need that we don’t offer or have here, drop us a line and we’ll make it happen – no fuss – we’ll just quietly make sure you are happy and comfortable so that you can concentrate on building a relationship with Christ in the sacrament and through prayer.

Doing better

We know there are several areas we need to be better at. Level Access and a Hearing Loop being the two most urgent. We have a comprehensive plan of improvement works over the next five years and these improvements are top of the list. Thank you for your support and understanding. If you would like to donate to help these projects happen faster there are several ways to help, please check out our Giving page.