Community

St. Thomas’ parish church, Longford was created in 1908, (this year we celebrate our centenary as a parish you will shortly be able to visit the site to see what we have planned) though there had been a church in Longford since 1874. Much has changed in that 100 years – indeed much has changed in the last 10! The parish sits adjacent to the northern borders of the City of Coventry, adjoining Nuneaton, Bedworth and Rugby. Transport links into the city are generally good. Longford Road, on which the church is situated comprises one of the principal road corridors into the city itself and the proximity of the M6 and A444 provide excellent routes to the wider area outside Coventry. The M6 motorway cuts through the extreme north of the parish, Coventry canal runs through the Parish, to many of the parish’s more established residents this, together with the park and the River Sowe lends a semi-rural aspect to the parish, but official statistics tell us a different story.

The parish is classed as an Urban Priority parish, and the most recent statistics show that it is the 10th most deprived parish in the diocese. This is demonstrated by the fact that the average annual gross income per household within the parish is nearly £5,000 below the national average. Unemployment is 3 times the national average. The most recent population figure, extrapolated from the 2001 Census but updated in 2006 is 12,899, in 5,670 homes. This is an increase of some 70% in the last 10 years, due in the main to extensive new housing developments. Further new housing is planned which could increase the population to around 15,000 by 2012. 82% declare themselves as "White Caucasian" and 12% Asian. There is also an increasing Polish community in the parish

Within the parish there is a recently built medical centre, a dental surgery, and a pharmacist. There is a small range of retail stores, though many are in need of revitalisation however within a 10 minute walk there is one of the largest out of town retail parks in Coventry. This retail park also takes in The Ricoh Arena, the home of Coventry City FC, together with exhibition halls, conference centres and a prestigious hotel and leisure centre.

The Parish also includes 3 sheltered or controlled complexes for older people, 3 centres for adults with learning or behavioural difficulties, 2 primary schools, both with above average OFSTED results, a secondary school, and a school for children with learning difficulties. There is also a nursery and an Adult Learning Centre. Our own Church Centre is also used 5 days a week to provide day care for older residents.

We dream of a church that -

Celebrating 100 years of serving the Parish of Longford and Hawkesbury

impacts the community around us so that we can be a light for Jesus in people’s lives

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