Teach us to number our days, that we may be wise…

The days of the Church of St. Luke Poulton (also Poolton) on the Wirral in Wallasey had almost reached their number. The Church was officially closed in 2011 and destruction and resale for commercial use had been considered at various points.

It is however with great pride that we are able to confirm the role of Fiona Bruce Solicitors in preserving the use of the building and its surrounding grounds for the benefit of future generations, particularly the youth of the area.

We were initially approached in September 2012 by the individuals who would eventually be the trustees of the charity that has now completed the purchase of the former church building.

The vision of the founding trustees was to acquire the church and use it as an office base for multiple Christian organisations, as well as using it to educate and inspire future generations in regards to the rich Christian heritage that they are blessed with in the UK.

We advised the trustees on the most suitable structure for the new charity. The legisaltion for Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO’s) had just been introduced and  we therefore worked quickly with the trustees to establish one of the first such organisations and The Aspiration Trust was born.
 

Over the next year…

We worked with the charity trustees and the legal representatives of the Church Commissioners to finalise matters relating to the church premises and the various matters and responsibilities that need to be addressed when a closed church is sold for a new use.

The sale concluded on 21 February 2014. Philip Porter (managing partner of Fiona Bruce Solicitors) commented: ‘We are privileged that we have had the opportunity to be involved in this project, it is great to work with organisations that share our ethics, vision and values and we wish The Aspiration Trust every blessing and success in the future’.

Martin Dickson, one of the trustees of The Aspiration Trust, added: ‘It is massively exciting to have got the keys to the church building, we are looking forward to putting it to good use now – thanks to Phil Wren and the team at Fiona Bruce Solicitors for all their invaluable help and guidance along the way.’

Fiona Bruce Solicitors has many years of experience in Charity Law, particularly the more complex matters as highlighetd above. We are well appraised of developments going forwards and welcome contact from any individual or charities that require guidance in this ever developing area of the law.

The Aspiration Trust is a charitable organisation committed to enhancing and developing the youth of the Wirral in line with the teachings of the Christian Faith. Further information can be obtained directly from Martin Dickson (martin@wirralyfc.org.uk).

To read more about our work, please keep an eye on our news resources.


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The contents of this post do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information purposes only