‘Amazing things can happen when you have the courage to throw caution to the wind’

‘INCREDIBLE’: Reverend Matt Woodcock looks back fondly on his time in Hull

Matt Woodcock was priest at Hull’s Holy Trinity Church for seven years, helping transform it from an empty drain on finances to a spiritual and cultural hub the city could be proud of. Following the release of his new book documenting its rebirth, he spoke to Rick Lyon about the church’s - and his own - incredible journey

He was Hull’s extrovert priest who wasn’t afraid to push boundaries.

Recruited to breathe new life into Holy Trinity Church, in the city’s Old Town, Reverend Matt Woodcock brought a unique charm to the task.

At the time, the 700-year-old institution had an ever-dwindling congregation, opened infrequently, and was haemorrhaging money.

There seemed no way back for the largest parish church in the UK.

Seven years and countless beer festivals, fashion shows and rock gigs later, Holy Trinity was firmly entwined with the city’s cultural identity.

Matt’s work was done and, ever the restless soul, it was time for a new challenge.

But the former journalist’s rollercoaster time at the church, in Holy Trinity Square, left as much of an indelible mark on him as he did on it.

His memoirs of those remarkable first 18 months at Holy Trinity have now been published in his new book, Being Reverend: A Diary.

The brutally honest diary reveals his trepidation as he embarked on the daunting challenge, how he helped transform the church’s fortunes by refusing to conform, and his love of the city and its people who helped him along the way.

“It’s a story about change,” says Matt.

“Yes, it’s about trying to turn a church around but it’s also about throwing caution to the wind and taking risks. It’s about showing, when we have the courage to do that, amazing things can happen.

“I don’t think there’s anything more wonderful in life than breathing new life into something that was dead.

“It was an incredible time because as we were trying to do this with the church, the city was also doing it more generally.

“There had been a certain malaise but there were also cultural Hull people saying ‘no, this is an amazing city with amazing culture and things to offer’. It was as if the city was getting its confidence back.

“The book is a bit of a social history of Hull in that respect. It was such a pivotal time in the recent history of the city, as it was laying the foundations for City of Culture.

“It was a really fascinating time.”

JOURNEY: Reverend Matt Woodcock has a story to tell

Being Reverend is the follow-up to Matt’s first book, Becoming Reverend: A Diary, which focused on his spiritual passage from being a reporter at the York Press to becoming a trainee priest – “I had a eureka moment on the A19 on my way to cover a court case at Selby Magistrates”.

He has kept a diary since those days on the suggestion of a nun who insisted his was a journey that merited documenting.

It means both books provide highly detailed, personal accounts of his experiences during these periods in his life.

His remembers his introduction to Holy Trinity, back in 2011, as if it were yesterday.

“I got a phone call from the Bishop of Hull. He said to me ‘Right Matt, we’ve got a real challenge for you’,” he recalls. “‘There’s this church called Holy Trinity slap bang in the city centre and it’s losing a thousand pounds a week. We’re considering mothballing it. Will you go in as our pioneer and help breathe new life into it?’

“On paper it looked like a terrible prospect but I went to visit it and I saw what it could be. I didn’t know Hull very well back then, so my dad and I went for a pub crawl around Old Town to see the community and I thought it was a travesty that this building wasn’t at the heart of everything that was going on.

“It was such a sleeping giant. It was the biggest parish church in the country – cathedral-sized – but it was only open for two hours a week and on Sundays. That was crazy.”

Despite the seemingly unsurmountable challenge ahead of him, Matt – or ‘Woody’, as he’s known to many – knew exactly what he had to do on his first day.

Go back to the pub.

“I stuck my dog collar on and visited some pubs and bars to introduce myself,” he says.

“One of the landlords was planning to put a music festival on so I signed us up and thought I’d get approval afterwards.”

Word of the new priest’s novel approach to enticing people back to the church soon got round and, before long, it became a hotspot for other events and activities. One of the most important of these was Hull’s CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Beer Festival.

“That was one of the really significant things that happened in those early days,” says Matt.

“CAMRA had been holding it in the City Hall but it was too warm and the beer was getting spoiled. One of the landlords, Lee Kirman, suggested they did it in the church.

“It was hard to persuade the Church Council to go for it, until I said it would generate £3,500 in two days and then all their hands shot up in favour!

“When it happened, people were queueing to get in and that was a catalyst. The people of Hull realised they could use the church and be part of it.

“Suddenly, from no-one using it, it became a bit of a hub.

“Now, after being rededicated Hull Minster by Archbishop Sentamu in 2017, and having had significant funding, it is a different place.”

‘A STORY ABOUT CHANGE’: Reverend Matt Woodcock’s new book is out now

Matt is talking to The Hull Story about his book launch, and his memorable time in Hull but, with the city battling against the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country, thoughts are not far away from the impact of the pandemic.

He has witnessed people drawn to the Church seeking comfort, as well as others questioning their faith.

“I’ve never known a time when people have thought spiritually so much, because their lives are normally so frantic and frenetic,” he says.

“They’re now having to spend time with their own thoughts and I’ve definitely found more people wanting to dip their toe in [to religion].

“I’ve also witnessed a terrible, terrible loneliness. Some people have realised just how lonely life can be, particularly if you are single and can’t go out.

“So many people are just so low. They are really craving company and it’s heartbreaking.

“The work of the church is needed now, more than ever. We’ve seen a growth in engagement and we have a pivotal role to play.

“Similarly, times of real struggle make you doubt. People have been going through spiritual struggle and I think that’s perfectly normal.

“When there’s tragedy, it increases doubt because you wonder how this can be happening if you worship a loving, caring God. I suppose some people walk away from faith and others draw closer.

“There’s no doubt Covid has been a nightmare but we’ll bounce back and rise again.”

Matt is now based at St Barnabas Church, in York, where he has been for the last two years, but says he and his wife Anna will always have a soft spot for Hull.

“It is the most underrated city in Europe,” says Matt. “If you go round the Marina and the Old Town, it’s fantastic.

“It’s also the only place I’ve ever been that has such a ‘can do’ attitude. That’s an underrated gift of Hull that I’ve really missed.”

So, would he, Anna and their eight-year-old twins, Esther and Heidi, ever return?

“We all really miss Hull. It left a mark on us and we have friends for life there,” says Matt.

“It was the right time to move on but never say never.”

• Being Reverend: A Diary, is published by Church House Publishing and is available to buy here.