Call to Local Businesses

Darlington Businesses Offered Rare Chance to Become Part of Town’s History and Strengthen Community Connections

Small businesses across Darlington are being urged to take part in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become part of the permanent history of St Cuthbert’s Church — while also making a meaningful long-term investment in their community presence and reputation.

As the major Opening Doors Project enters its delivery stage, organisers say the initiative represents not only a historic moment for the town’s oldest church, but also a powerful opportunity for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to community investment, heritage preservation and responsible business practices — values increasingly recognised within Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks.

More than £2 million has already been raised, with just £50,000 remaining. With work having begun in January 2026, the scheme has now moved from planning into delivery.

Later this year, a new stone floor will be laid in the church’s main aisle — an intervention unlikely to be repeated for many generations. To mark this moment, local businesses are being invited to dedicate a stone as part of the final phase of fundraising.

Kerry Jonas, who heads up community fundraising for Opening Doors, said:

“This is a rare moment in the life of Darlington’s oldest church. When the floor is laid, that moment is fixed in history. This is a chance for today’s businesses not only to tell future generations who they were, but to demonstrate that they invested in the life and future of their town.

“Many companies are now looking for meaningful ways to demonstrate their commitment to their communities and responsible business values. Supporting this project allows businesses to show that commitment in a way that will endure for generations.”

The Rev James Harvey, Vicar of St Cuthbert’s Church, said:

“St Cuthbert’s has stood at the heart of Darlington for centuries, witnessing the lives, work and aspirations of the town’s people. The Opening Doors project is about ensuring that this historic building continues to serve the community for generations to come.

“The businesses supporting the new floor are doing something quite special. In a very real sense, they are writing themselves into the story of Darlington. Long after today’s companies and industries have evolved, the record of their contribution will remain beneath the stones as part of the town’s shared history.”

For smaller firms in particular, organisers say the scheme offers a distinctive way to strengthen local relationships, enhance credibility, and show commitment beyond day-to-day trading.

A Time Capsule Beneath the Floor

The stones themselves will not be engraved. Instead, each dedication is recorded on two engraved stainless-steel plates. One plate is given to the donor, while the second is placed beneath the floor under the font, becoming a permanent concealed record embedded within the structure of the building.

In this way, every dedication acts as a time capsule — a message preserved beneath the stones, capturing the businesses that helped shape Darlington at this particular moment in its history.

Businesses are able to include wording that reflects the nature of their organisation, allowing future generations to understand not just the name of a company, but what it did and what it stood for.

When the floor is next uncovered in the distant future, long after industries change and generations move on, those plates will still be there — preserving a snapshot of the town’s business community in the early 21st century.

“This is not sponsorship that will fade or be replaced,” says Kerry. “Once the stones are laid, the history is set. For many small businesses, marketing budgets come and go. This is a one-off opportunity to create something permanent.”

Each dedication will be formally entered into St Cuthbert’s Book of Dedications, a permanent and publicly accessible historical record held by the church. Donor companies receive a personalised certificate, with an identical copy placed in the Book, ensuring that their contribution is preserved, searchable and available for future generations, visitors and researchers.

More Than Sponsorship — A Long-Term Community Investment

Organisers emphasise that the scheme goes beyond traditional sponsorship.

Participating businesses will be able to:

• Demonstrate strong corporate and community values since the project aims to expand the use of the building

• Align themselves with a high-profile and successful local heritage project
 • Strengthen local brand recognition and trust
 • Show visible commitment to Darlington’s future
 • Leave a permanent, publicly accessible historical record of their role in the town

For smaller companies looking to deepen local connections, build goodwill and stand out in a competitive marketplace, the dedication scheme offers both emotional and reputational return on investment.

Supporting ESG and Corporate Social Responsibility

Taking part in the project can also help businesses demonstrate their commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Across the UK, ESG has become an increasingly important framework used by investors, regulators and the public to assess how organisations manage their environmental impact, social contribution and governance standards alongside financial performance. Many larger companies are now required to report on sustainability and climate-related factors as part of their corporate disclosures.

Supporting a major community heritage project such as the restoration of St Cuthbert’s allows businesses to demonstrate the “Social” pillar of ESG in a meaningful and visible way — showing that they invest in local heritage, community wellbeing and the cultural life of the town.

The initiative also aligns with Corporate Social Responsibility principles, which encourage businesses to go beyond legal obligations by integrating social and environmental concerns into their operations. By supporting the Opening Doors project, companies can visibly demonstrate their commitment to community partnership, ethical business practices and the long-term wellbeing of the places in which they operate.

With the stones due to be laid later this year, the opportunity is strictly time-limited. Because the floor is only replaced at extremely long intervals, opportunities to dedicate stones within it occur perhaps once in several generations. Once the new floor is completed later this year, the opportunity will close — and may not arise again for well over a century.

Find Out More

Businesses interested in taking part are invited to contact Kerry Jonas, Fundraising Advisor at St Cuthbert’s Church, by email at [email protected] or by phone on 07804 291781.

Website:
www.stcuthbertsdarlington.org.uk