A three-year Innovation Funding project has supported growth, discipleship and stronger mission in Swindon New Town parish, according to a newly published independent evaluation.
Running from 2023 to 2025, the project invested in ministry across the parish’s three churches, St Mark’s, St Luke’s and St Saviour’s, serving more than 23,000 people in central Swindon. The parish reflects both significant social need and rich cultural diversity, including a large Goan community.
The evaluation report highlights clear signs of growth during the life of the project. Adult Sunday Mass attendance increased significantly compared with pre‑project levels and remains well above the 2022 baseline. Children’s attendance has also grown, with the number of under‑16s attending Sunday worship trebling. Over the course of the project, 35 people were prepared for confirmation, many of whom were new to Christian faith.
Central to the project was a confident and intentional approach to mission. The parish explored how practices such as Alpha, through clear invitation and intentional discipleship, could be rooted within an Anglo-Catholic context shaped by the Mass. The evaluation concludes that this model has been effective and offers valuable learning for other parishes.
Two developments were particularly influential. At St Mark’s, the relaunch of the Sunday Mass, with strong music, preaching and provision for children, has formed a welcoming and confident worshipping community that has attracted newcomers. At St Luke’s, the introduction of a weekly Mass in Konkani has strengthened engagement with the Goan community, with regular attendance of 40 to 50 and much larger congregations on major feast days.
Alongside worship, the parish expanded its involvement in social action through cafés, toddler groups, holiday clubs and other activities. Around 100 people a year engaged with these, and the report notes that a clear culture of invitation enabled some participants to move from community activities into worship, and subsequently feeling a sense of belonging.
Elizabeth Bergeron, TC.T Programme Manager said:
“This evaluation recognises the dedicated work taking place in Swindon New Town. It is encouraging to see how clear leadership and purposeful worship are supporting growth in discipleship and belonging.”
Leadership is identified as a key factor throughout the report. Confident and relational leadership helped shape culture and direction, while progress was also made in developing a more diverse leadership base. Targets were exceeded for younger leaders and leaders from minority ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the parish community.
The evaluation also highlights challenges around sustainability. Much of the increased activity depends on clergy and paid staff, and parish giving has risen only modestly. The report stresses that long-term flourishing will depend on growing lay leadership and strengthening giving and generosity as external funding comes to an end.
Overall, the evaluation affirms that the Swindon New Town innovation demonstrates what is possible when parishes are resourced to pursue mission with confidence, while also underlining the importance of planning early for long-term sustainability.