Freeland Community Benefit Society came into being in March 2018. Its mission was that through a new community-owned Village Hub, it would be able to strengthen social interaction, support engagement and enhance the overall wellbeing of our local community in the village of Freeland.
The Methodist Church, which closed for worship in 2017, was identified as an ideal location for a Village Hub at the time. The building has sufficient capacity for a modest café, shop or community space, and in the longer term the site offers the opportunity for an extension on the side that would allow the facilities to be enlarged. It is also an iconic listed building which has been at the heart of village life for more than 200 years. Many residents believe it should not be developed for residential or commercial use: it should remain a community asset.
A steering group was formed shortly after the church closed to assess the feasibility of buying it and running it cooperatively as a shop and café. A survey sent to all Freeland households indicated strong support for the project, and also revealed that a remarkable proportion of residents, particularly the elderly, experience a degree of social isolation: an easily-accessible shop and/or café and community space would provide a focal meeting point for residents of all ages – including parents of nursery and primary school-age children.
Momentum grew in terms of plans, fundraising and aspirations for the site throughout 2018 and 2019. And then Covid hit. As was the case for many initiatives, the project stopped in its tracks.
Over that period, a holding pattern was formed whereby efforts were made to ensure it had the correct planning permissions in place should it come available. West Oxfordshire District Council agreed its change of use to a shop, café and/or community space after twice refusing applications to convert the historic chapel into a house, the second time on appeal. But the problem was lack of opportunity to buy it—until now….
This all changed at the start of 2025, when the Methodist Circuit finally put the building up for sale. A re-formed and re-invigorated Benefit Society had its offer accepted for the building. The Chapel purchase is expected to be completed in Senruary/March 2026 by a new, charitable community benefit society – Freeland Community Hub.