When the National Health Service sold the hospital and chapel to the developers of Fitzroy Place, Westminster Council took the opportunity for this exquisite building to be restored and repurposed as a community asset for the people of Fitzrovia.

A strong team

The Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation was set up at the request of Westminster Council to run the chapel and find a new role for it in the community. Right from the start the trustees wanted to ensure that the range of uses included cultural events as well as commercial activities which could ensure the building’s viability. It’s not an easy task. It costs £10,000 per month to maintain the building – and that’s before any activity has taken place. We are fortunate to have an excellent and committed board of trustees, supported by an able staff team, to help realise the vision for the chapel, but it will still be three years before the chapel starts to break even. We want to create a strong organisation with a distinct and vibrant identity which will inspire Fitzrovians in the future.

An inclusive space

With a secular ethos, we provide a beautiful space for ceremonies, including marriages, baby-namings and memorial services, to mark the significant milestones of life for those people who are not served by Fitzrovia’s existing religious buildings. We see this secular ethos as being a natural extension of the chapel’s original role to provide an inclusive place of refuge for all, regardless of philosophy or belief, and without discrimination.

Staying in touch

The history of the building is an essential part of our story, and we want to make that history accessible to visitors to the building and to our online visitors. We have plans to develop new interpretative guides, once resources allow. We are always glad to welcome former staff and patients of The Middlesex Hospital to the chapel, and would encourage you to join our friends’ scheme. This is an easy way to stay in touch with us and follow our progress. There are many ways that you can support us – by volunteering as a guide or host, through financial donations (we are registered for Gift Aid – charity number 1160458), and by encouraging your friends and contacts to hire the Fitzrovia Chapel.

 

Edward Turner

Chairman,  The Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation