An Autumn Week to Shout About
19 October 2022
From raising funds and awareness of homelessness hosting St Mungo's comedy night and the London Homelessness Awards, to Ed Sheeran's powerful, unique performance raising tons for mental health charity Shout, next Union Chapel Church kicked off the Black History Month programme, then we announced our Sunday School Stories grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund that made national broadcast news, wrapping up our week with an intergalactic event of live music, reading, Q&A, and signing of Tom Fletcher's new children's book SPACE BAND. And October has much more to come...
October 2022 had only just begun but was already full of highlights that truly championed our missions of music and culture, community and social justice, and heritage and conservation. Thanks to all that shared the events with us this month so far.
Monday 10th October was #WorldHomelessDay and #WorldMentalHealthDay. That night, we hosted homeless charity St Mungo’s comedy fundraiser that saw leading stand-up comedians Tim Vine, Kerry Godliman, Stephen Bailey, Dane Baptiste, Seann Walsh, and Felicity Ward leaving us rolling with laughter in the pews. The support from show-goers means that St Mungo’s frontline workers can help more people sleeping rough and find them safe beds in from the cold.
On Tuesday 11th October, we had one of Union Chapel’s biggest live music events; a unique, emotional, and intimate performance with one of the world’s biggest pop stars Ed Sheeran, all in aid of mental health charity Shout, and the first of the For One Night Only series with Will Young's Wellstock. The teams were catered by the outstanding Margins Project chefs, who delivered in between their regular in-house drop-in services for those facing homelessness and crisis in Islington - learn more about The Margins Project here
‘It’s always been a dream of mine to play there, was so intimate and powerful. Was deffo my fav show of the year' (Ed Sheeran)
Photos by Zak Walters
On Wednesday afternoon, we hosted the London Homelessness Awards 2022. It was an honour to host the homeless sector, showcase the Margins catering again, and to support and champion some wonderful and important homeless projects across the capital, all accompanied by live organ performance by our organ scholar Jay Richardson. See the winners, and videos of their commended projects, here
That evening, Union Chapel Church hosted a screening of After The Flood; a fascinating film and discussion about the Church’s role in the slave trade, as part of the Black History Month programme. Watch the trailer below.
On Thursday 13th October, we were finally able to announce a huge grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, for the Sunday School Stories project. Learn more about the project here, which begins with crucial conversation works on our Sunday School Hall, leading to developing an interactive archive and community programme that brings together all elements of Union Chapel's history and future as a Nonconformist Church, homelessness project, award-winning live venue, and vital community space. Watch the ITV News piece on the announcement below for a sneak peek of what's to come for #SundaySchoolStories.
We wrapped up the week on Saturday afternoon with a large-scale public family event with of pop star Tom Fletcher (of McFly) celebrating the release of his new book SPACE BAND, complete with live music performance, Q&A, and live reading from the book, rounded off with meet, greet, and book signing - the perfect family day out
