A new national landmark which aims to profile a million answered prayers today announced that as part of the project’s charitable focus, it plans to donate one million bricks to social housing projects. The new landmark, which was recently granted planning permission is to be built on a site near Coleshill on the outskirts of Birmingham, and will invest in both local and national social housing partnering with Cornerstone Partnership and Keystone Foundation, and Hope into Action.
Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, which will eclipse the size of the Angel of the North, will stand at 169 feet and is expected to attract 300,000 visitors each year, contributing £9.3 million to the local economy. The iconic ‘eternal’ arch structure will be constructed using one million bricks with each representing individual prayers that have been answered for people across the country.
Once constructed, all profits raised from the ongoing operation of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will fund a million bricks to be donated to social housing - a brick for each answered prayer. Organisers behind the project will link with the two social housing partners, as well as council housing charities, and international social housing initiatives to provide enough finance to build 100 houses.
Richard Gamble, CEO of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer commented, “It was my 11 year old daughter who suggested to me that we should ensure that the Eternal Wall had a significant social impact. This project is the practical outworking of what we stand for as a charity, we have been clear since the start that the project needed to sow back into the great work that charitable organisations are doing across the country.”
It is anticipated that Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will create 60 new jobs during its two year construction phase from 2021, thereafter providing 20 full-time positions for employees to work for the charity in the visitor centre, café, bookstore and a 24 hour on-site chaplaincy support service. It is also estimated that the project will generate an additional gross social value of £1.4 billion, including £430 million in charitable donations.
Gamble continues, “Social housing is at a crisis point in the UK and it is our hope that we can play a small part in supporting those most in need. Our hope would be that Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer creates opportunity to support those charities who are working to help those most in need. In the first generation of Eternal Wall's lifetime, we expect to generate five times the value of the build for charities.”
Ed Walker, the founder and Executive Director of Hope into Action, one of the social housing partners says, “For years we have worked with the homeless, females fleeing domestic violence, those in recovery from addiction, former prostitutes, refugees, asylum seekers, and those in modern slavery to help them find a roof over their head. Finding that accommodation is a challenge but working with organisations like Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer who have already gained such a high profile, provides more awareness and more funding to help those who are often forgotten.”
Gavin Mullaley, Director of Cornerstone Partnership and Keystone Foundation commented, “Keystone Foundation and Cornerstone Partnership collaborate to supply social housing and additional support services for the most vulnerable of families. We are working to provide a stable place to call home and to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Our mission is not just to provide people a place to sleep but give families a home. We believe this lasting impact will empower generations to come. We are thrilled to jointly be a part of delivering the mission of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer’s social housing project and see the lives of families changed.”
Construction on the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is expected to begin in Spring 2021 with completion in Autumn 2022.
Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is looking to gather one million answers to prayer. Share yours by going to www.eternalwall.org.uk/testimony
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