Many church communities across the country fear for their future, but some in Berkshire are innovating to keep themselves vibrant.
“We recently had a talk about otters, which was incredible. We had a live band karaoke evening,” said the Reverend Mike Griffiths, the rector of the West Downham Benefice, which has six parishes.
“In one of the villages there’s a duck derby, where you buy a duck and they get released and the winning duck wins the prize.”
A survey by the National Churches Trust (NCT), which helps churches stay open, found 2,000 feared they would either be “definitely” or “probably” not used as places of worship by 2030.
How churches are surviving challenging times https://t.co/tAcZRemF83 #bbcberkshire
— BBC Berkshire (@BBCBerkshire) October 27, 2025