Welcome to the Shaftesbury Trinity Trust Website

We are a charitable Trust founded to support the change of use of the Trinity Church in Bimport, Shaftesbury. The church was declared redundant in 1974 and is now the base for the Shaftesbury Scouts, the Day Centre for the elderly and three small businesses.

The objectives of our charity are:

a) To provide suitable headquarters accommodation for the Shaftesbury Scout Group; and

b) To promote any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community of Shaftesbury in the County of Dorset and the districts surrounding Shaftesbury with special regard to the needs of the elderly.

Trustees are selected because of skills they can bring to the Trust and for their knowledge of the town and its inhabitants.

The maintenance and upkeep of the entire building and of two thirds of the churchyard are also the responsibility of the Trust. Monies are raised by letting all the areas, apart from the Scout Hall on the first floor, and from 40 car parking spaces around the building. Any residue is then distributed to the community which can be other charities, associations and individuals. In its early years, the Trust supported the setting up of two properties for the care of the elderly – Castle Hill House and The Cedars – and towards the recent opening of a special dementia unit. Shaftesbury Arts Theatre and Shaftesbury Museum were recent recipients of major grants as well as smaller donations for the needs of the individual.  Grants are allocated at the quarterly meeting of the Trustees, although there is a special Chairman’s grant which can be given in between meetings to respond quickly to an emergency.

Over the next two/three years, the resources of the Trust will be dedicated to the installation of a lift to the first floor and the general upgrading of the entire area including kitchen and toilets.

Once the upgrade is completed, the Hall will be available for use by the whole community further underlining the commitment of Trinity Centre Trust to the town of Shaftesbury.

Jo Churchill OBE
Chairman
Shaftesbury Trinity Centre Trust

Pic by Joe Dunckley