Our Cause
Vision
Our vision is to create a healthy community with Church at its heart.
The word healthy is to be interpreted as holistic health, or wellness, which takes into consideration physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual components of health.
Our community is currently Bournville and surrounding areas, and people who regularly visit or participate in activities at Rowheath Pavilion (Who might travel from further afield or join remotely). This might change if the charity sets up operations in other locations; in which case, community is anywhere where the charity is actively working.
The church is at the heart of what we do and continues to oversee the charity (All our Trustees are members of Rowheath Pavilion Church). No one profits from our charity apart from the community whom we serve. Our service is an expression of love, because God first loved us, and we desire for all people to know the love of God - whether directly or indirectly.
We can help create a healthy community by: preserving and managing our open green spaces to be rich in flora and fauna; facilitating sports and other outdoor pursuits; hosting Rowheath Active and other fitness activities; hosting Chaplaincy for the community and ensuring staff and volunteers have someone to talk to if struggling; combatting social isolation by hosting Place of Welcome; offering prayer and moral support; create welcoming and inclusive spaces for community to come together organically (Such as the cafe and bar).
"To serve the wholistic needs of our community by providing exemplary leisure, recreation, hospitality, and educational facilities - as an expression of God's love for all people."
It just so happens that George Cadbury, who built Bournville and commissioned Rowheath Pavilion, had a very similar mission and shared our Christian values. Therefore, it seems right for us - as a Christian organisation - to acknowledge and continue George's good work in the community.
Values
Our core values are who we are; values which are eternal and which never change. Our strategy might change often to achieve particular aims and objectives, and our culture might change to suit the evolving strategy over time. However, our values remain constant. These are: Love, Generosity, and Welcome.
The Pavilion was commissioned by George Cadbury, a passionate Christian who shared the love of God, led social reform, led sung worship with his workers, and taught adults how to read the bible. He genuinely believed in Christ's transformational love. Sadly, George died before the Pavilion opened (aged 83 on 24th October 1922). Despite George's absence, his legacy remains and we, at Rowheath Pavilion, have picked up the proverbial baton and continue to stand up for social justice; caring for the wholistic needs of our community (Physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and environmental).
Love
George created Bournville because he was sad to see green spaces disappearing from Birmingham's suburbs, and the polluted, cramped, and squalid conditions of factory workers. He genuinely cared and loved all people, and was a champion for social reform.
We continue to show love by preserving Rowheath's green spaces and keeping our valuable community assets open for everyone.
Generosity
George didn't need to build Bournville and he would have saved a fortune if he didn't build the village. Rowheath Pavilion is a great example of George's outrageous generosity... which originally boasted 14 football pitches, 13 cricket pitches, 4 hockey pitches, 2 rugby pitches, 31 tennis courts, 2 bowling greens, 2 croquet lawns, an athletics track, clock golf, and a boating/fishing lake.
We can continue to be generous by providing exemplary facilities; sports pitches, a great coffee shop; a friendly bar; a fabulous wedding venue, well kept parkland. George believed that leisure and recreation in a green environment were important for people's wellbeing. We can be generous and go above and beyond to provide outstanding service, products, and facilities.
Welcome
The Bible teaches us that all people are important and created equal before God (Genesis 1:26-28; Proverbs 22:2; Romans 3:23; John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 3:7). As a Christian organisation, we should be equally loving, generous, and welcoming to people of all cultures, skin colours, faiths, beliefs, personality/identity, mental and physical ability. In return, we equally expect visitors to be respectful our Christian values and the unique cultural, Christian, heritage of Rowheath Pavilion.