Dear Editor

Church visiting

I enjoyed the various articles about churches in the November issue. Could I point out to churchwardens that it is very hard for people to get excited about churches that are only unlocked for services? I know Ashley church is opened every day, but King’s Norton church has proven inaccessible even at times when it was specifically publicised in the Chronicle as being open (this was pre-Covid.)

Locked churches seem peculiar to this part of the country. I grew up in East Anglia and had never encountered a locked church until I moved here.

I appreciate there may be security concerns but there is no point protecting derelict buildings, which is what many churches will quickly become unless they can engage people enough to put their hands in their pockets.

Name and address withheld.