Wooler URC are building a planned garden that would consist of a paved or bricked surface with a labyrinth design, three benches and a pergola for seating/wet weather; four planters with flowers and herbs; and an information board.

We hope to create a safe and welcoming outdoor space for spiritual guidance, healing, meditation, connection, and community. We want to encourage new people to come and ‘try it out’ which will lead to all sorts of new engagement with the church, the local community and its members. This interaction together with conversations that might happen in the labyrinth garden would provide all sorts of exciting opportunities for church growth, community engagement and discipleship. 
 
Fliss Barker, a Church Related Community Minister at Wooler URC is working with Jacqueline Kurio, a Labyrinth Consultant on this exciting project. 

Labyrinth walking is a contemplative, spiritual practice that sits easily alongside both Church and community life.

For example, there are portable and/or permanent labyrinths in use at United Reform Churches in Fleet, Thames North Synod, Ansty Road, and Christ Church Petts Wood, to name a few. The online resource known as the worldwide labyrinth locator indicates there are more than 2,500 labyrinths inside and outside churches; the labyrinth at Wooler would be added to this locator, extending the invitation of the labyrinth garden to far beyond even the local community.
 
A Contemplative Labyrinth Garden at Wooler would provide a contemplative and healing space for the Church and wider community that would be open to all. We plan to organise events and walks around the labyrinth, integrating the garden into the current calendar, widening avenues for worship while providing opportunities for ecumenical working, inter-faith as well as non-denominational interaction and community activities. We see it not only as a church space, but a community space that is open to everyone, both residents and visitors to the town alike.  
 
There is a growing body of research that confirms the many benefits of labyrinth walking to health and well-being. Labyrinths are being installed in hospitals and hospices, churches, schools, and universities as spaces for quiet contemplation, healing, connection, rejuvenation, and meditation. Labyrinths are known as sites of community building, spaces that bring people together for reasons of celebration, aiding communication and community resilience.

Through employing a Labyrinth Consultant to aid with education and help oversee this project, URC Wooler is showing its commitment to and belief in the project, while members also unanimously support it, affirming the project’s desirability and widespread appeal. The online worldwide labyrinth locator evidences the growing popularity of labyrinths and labyrinth walking. Labyrinths appeal to all ages and are especially beneficial for people with learning disabilities and conditions such as autism and adhd. It is anticipated that labyrinths will continue to grow and gain in popularity.
 
We are so excited about making our project a reality in May 2025 with a completion date of early June.