Marie Tidball MP at her Pride in Dodworth event in March 2026Marie Tidball MP has brought together local residents and community volunteers to formally establish the Save Dodworth St John’s Working Party, as the campaign to secure a sustainable future for the historic church moves into its next stage.
The inaugural meeting took place at Dodworth Methodist Church on Wednesday 30 September, following the strong community response to proposals which could ultimately see the Grade II-listed St John’s Church close.
Marie first proposed bringing together a community working group after attending a packed public consultation meeting in August. More than 30 people subsequently registered their interest in helping to secure the building’s future.
At the inaugural meeting, residents formally established the new Working Party, agreed an interim leadership structure and set up dedicated workstreams to examine the church building and the repairs it requires, develop a fundraising strategy, and explore how St John’s could have a sustainable long-term future serving the wider Dodworth community.
A Premises Working Group will now examine existing surveys, structural information and repair estimates, identify where further professional assessment is needed and explore potential support with issues including mining-related subsidence. A separate Finance and Fundraising Working Group will investigate grant opportunities, crowdfunding, local business support, major donors and contributions of professional skills or materials.
The Working Party also agreed that simply repairing the building will not, on its own, secure its future. A further strand of work will explore possible community uses for St John’s, working alongside the Parochial Church Council and taking account of existing facilities and activities elsewhere in Dodworth.
The group plans to engage more widely with residents, local organisations and potential users about what the building could offer the community in future, and what facilities would be needed to make that sustainable.
Marie and the working party will also seek further clarity from the Diocese of Leeds about the timetable for the church closure process and the relationship between the new community group, the Parochial Church Council and the Diocese.
Those attending the meeting supported asking for additional time beyond the end of the year so that the community can properly investigate grant funding opportunities and a viable long-term plan.
Marie has previously raised the future of St John’s in Parliament and written to the Church Commissioners seeking advice and support.
Following the meeting, Marie Tidball MP said:
“I’m incredibly proud of how people in Dodworth have stepped forward to help fight for the future of St John’s.
“When we first came together in August, there was an enormous strength of feeling about this beautiful historic building. We now have a dedicated community working party giving their time, skills and experience to turn that strength of feeling into a serious plan.
“That means getting the facts right about the condition of the building and what the repairs would actually cost; looking properly at every possible source of funding; and making sure we have a sustainable vision for how St John’s could serve our community for generations to come.
“There is a huge amount of work ahead and there are no guarantees, but this is an important step forward. The community is organised, different strands of work are now under way, and there is a clear structure for taking the campaign forward.
“I’ll continue doing everything I can as the local MP to support the working party, work constructively with the PCC and the Diocese, and make sure our community gets the time and support it needs to put forward the strongest possible case for St John’s future.”
The Save Dodworth St John’s Working Party has now established a dedicated email inbox for residents, local organisations and businesses who would like to support the campaign, offer professional skills, suggest possible future uses for the building or receive updates.
People can contact the group at SaveDodworthStJohns@outlook.com.
Further information about the campaign is available at:
https://www.marietidball.com/campaigns/save-dodworth-st-john-s-church
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