Wigan chapel shut for quarter of a century reopens after 'most wonderful journey'

Julie Bennett and Kerry Garforth, from the Friends of Hindley Cemetery, have led the transformation of the chapel in the grounds over the past five years.

Amid fears the building would fall into disrepair, they launched a fund-raising appeal and expressed an interest in taking on the building from Wigan Council via an asset transfer and, after being vetted at a panel meeting in January 2021, they were given the green light.

The chapel has since been transformed, with the help of a range of businesses and an army of volunteers.

It was officially opened at an event attended by council representatives, Wigan’s mayor Debbie Parkinson, many of the contractors who had worked there and people who had donated time, materials or helped in other ways.

Two plaques will be erected there – one with the opening date and another naming all the contractors involved.

Julie paid tribute to everyone who has helped, saying many people found it difficult to leave the chapel afterwards because it is “such a beautiful space”.

She said: “Little did we know, when we started our quest back in 2019, that it would become the most wonderful journey. The strength of the community and the commitment from our supporters has been nothing short of amazing. We never expected to reach our goal by this point.”

One of the firms which helped was Kier, which got involved as staff were working nearby on the electrification of the railway between Bolton and Wigan.

Marshall Kitching, construction manager at Kier, said: “In April we built a relationship with Hindley Chapel and we’re proud of the efforts of our teams and supply chain partners to source materials and volunteers to restore the space. It’s truly been a team effort and it’s a pleasure to support the chapel's transformation and see its doors reopened as an important place that will continue to connect the community for years to come."

Julie said it was a “proud moment” when the chapel was officially opened.

"We have had so many pitfalls as we have gone along,” she said. “As soon as we thought we had turned a corner, part of the floor collapsed, so we had to get things remedied. We never thought we would get to where we are now.”

The hope is the chapel will now become a community hub, hosting funerals, christenings, community workshops such as painting and flower arranging, and as a place of reflection.

Poignantly, the first funeral at the chapel will be held for Julie’s father Neville Bennett, who was involved in the project.

The venue will also be able to host weddings, but a special licence will need to be procured.

Julie said: “It will be run by a team of volunteers who will come and open it as and when we can for people to come and have a brew and a time of reflection.”

Anyone wishing to find out more about the chapel is asked to contact the team via the Friends of Hindley Cemetery Facebook page.