Accessibility
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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.
Wheelchair Disabled Handicap - tododisca / Pixabay Building Accessibility Our main entrance has level access and wide glass doors. There is parking available very close to the church, and it is easy to pull up close to the main entrance for a drop-off. You can read more about parking here.
St Mary Magdalene has chairs not pews, and therefore we are able to create special seating on request and have done this for several parishioners – please ask to speak to the priest to arrange this.
We have a disabled access toilet on the ground floor, just off the entrance lobby. There is also an additional toilet on the ground floor. People often leave 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 lobby if you would like to step away from the main room. There are additional toilets upstairs in the church building, including an accessible toilet, accessed via a lift. The upstairs room is often used by the children during the sunday service, and this is also accessible via a lift.
Hearing Aid Induction Loop Deaf - Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay We have an excellent sound system, with a sound loop and amplification throughout. It is loud – but not too loud.
Large print orders of service are always available for those who find it difficult to read from a screen. There is always someone available to help you through the service if you find it unfamiliar.
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.1 John 3:18 Down Syndrom Trisomy - PX41-Media / Pixabay Worship environment and 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 – if you would prefer to have a printed order of service so that you can see what to expect in advance please just ask. We know that screens don’t work for everyone.
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 often move to use the Childrens area in church, and ask questions through the service – 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 you can always go out to the lobby, and this allows access to an outdoor space as well.
If you are unable to come to the front to receive communion or a blessing, 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 communion or a blessing – that is perfectly normal – simply stay in your seat and offer yourself in prayer.
How long are your services? Parish Eucharist on a Sunday (10am) takes about an hour on average. Wednesday morning Eucharist takes about 40minutes.
I have a question about the accessibility of this website You can read more about how the accessibility of this website here. Do let us know if there’s anything else we could be doing better!
What if I have questions that aren’t answered here? We are a friendly church who will do all we can to make sure you are welcomed and comfortable here. Some of our regular congregation have different needs, including learning disabilities and autism, and it is normal for us to make changes to make sure they are comfortable and happy in church. 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.