About Us
Mission & Vision
Our mission is that the Wesley Centre will be developed as a place that's open to town centre communities every day of the week and become recognised as a friendly place of welcome, acceptance, support and refreshment; a place where the presence of God can be encountered.
We want the Wesley Centre to be part of Harrogate life - to create a space for people to connect; become a place of meeting between sacred and secular and where faith and spirituality means relationship and kindness.
We would like the Wesley Centre to be inclusive and flexible and play its part in tackling isolation and loneliness. We want to engage with groups of people who might need our help and to encourage giving as well as receiving.
Our Heritage
The building, a large Neo-Classical chapel, was designed and built by Lockwood & Mawson in 1862 for a prosperous Victorian Methodist community. It is now a Grade II listed church building and a dominant landmark in the town.
The organ, made by JJ Binns of Leeds, was installed in 1912 and accompanied a large choir and choirmaster.
Major redevelopments occurred in 1904, 1960 and 1994; the last of these brought the building in-line with disability access legislation, including ramp access and the installation of a lift. In 2014, Wesley Chapel in Harrogate became the Wesley Centre, under the auspices of the Nidd Valley Methodist Circuit which now runs the building with a Board of Trustees and a Leadership Team.
It is surrounded by shops and offices and in our Lower floor, we house Springboard, the Harrogate Homeless Project's day centre. Our Upper Hall space is still home to the Wesley Chapel congregation but we are also a multi-use venue. We hire the flexible Hall out to many different groups for meetings, exhibitions, fairs and performances. In addition, regular concerts are held with visiting internationally-renowned musicians.
Meet The Team
Pippa French
Pippa is our Manager. She oversees what is going on at the Wesley Centre and tries to keep everyone happy! She is responsible for the development of the premises and is available to answer any questions about what Wesley can do for you or your organisation.