Union Chapel: £1 million grant for repairs and archive of 200-year history

The three-year National Lottery Heritage Fund project includes a programme of community events and activities at The Grade I listed church, which this year marks 30 years as a music venue where Amy Winehouse, Adele, U2 and Damon Albarn have played gigs.

The Grade I listed chapel in Compton Terrace remains a place of worship and home to social enterprise charity The Margins Project, which works with the homeless and people in crisis.

The Sunday School was built in the 19th Century to house lectures and classes for children and will be refurbished for community events under the ?1million lottery grant (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

The adjoining Grade II* listed Sunday School was designed by Thomas Cubitt in the 19th century to run community activities, lectures and classes for deprived children. Saved from demolition in the 80s, it is used today for community events, as a rehearsal space, and a food bank during the pandemic but is now dilapidated and needing urgent intervention.

The Victorian Sunday School Hall (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

The Sunday School houses a huge undocumented archive of records, artefacts and memorabilia over two centuries – from the nonconformists and their journey from persecuted minority to the establishment – to its years as a legendary music venue.

The Sunday School Stories project will see the decaying, inaccessible collection restored into a catalogued online and physical archive – from posters for concerts by Procol Harem and Patti Smith, to insights into the past lives of Islington people.

Opening of the lecture hall and School buildings (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

Stuart McLeod, from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support Union Chapel. The restoration of the building for the community and creation of an amazing legacy through the archive is a fitting way to celebrate their 30th anniversary as a music venue.

Michael Chandler, Union Chapel Project CEO, said the Sunday School refurbishment would create a "vital unique space open to all for supporting communities and upcoming talent."

The ?1million Heritage Lottery grant will renovate the Sunday School next to Union Chapel (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for us. An opportunity to reflect on 30 years as a venue and a charity, and over 200 years of nonconformist history through the Church, with an incredible role in social justice. And an opportunity to look to the future, at an ongoing challenging world with a revitalised commitment to culture, community, social justice and celebrating all of our rich important heritage."

An undated photograph of a John Peel session taken from the Union Chapel archive (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

Nish Kumar Live at the Chapel (Image: Mark Dawson)

Wolf Alice at The Union Chapel (Image: Nick Helderman)

Rose Day 1963 at Union Chapel (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

Sunday School interior today (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)

Image of laying a foundation stone from the Union Chapel archive (Image: Courtesy of Union Chapel)