Liverpool Walton

Welcome to Church!

We know that sometimes it can be a little daunting visiting a church for the first time. We hope that we can answer some of the questions you may have about us on this page. Make sure to get in touch with us if you have any further questions.

Whether it be in person or online – we hope to welcome you soon!

Service Time: 10.30am

Where: Cavendish Drive, L9 1NB, our home in the Liverpool suburb of Walton since 1989.

Under current circumstances with the rise of COVID-19 infection rate both within our city, and within the whole of the UK, we ask all Sunday attendees to bring along and wear either a face covering or face shield. We are still able to hold Sunday Worship to it's normal capacity but ask that our congregation be mindful of not only their own safety, but also the safety of those around them. 

About Our Meetings

At Liverpool Walton, our services (or meetings as we call them) attract a wide and diverse mix of people from many different backgrounds, ages and walks of life. Our church is full of friendly, loving faces who’d love to say a big hello. We guarantee a very warm welcome!

The Sunday meeting takes place in the Main Worship Hall. As you walk through the doors you’ll be greeted by our Welcome Team. They can help you find a seat if you wish. You’ll notice it’s a pretty easy going environment where some people are dressed casually, and some in Salvation Army clothing. The meeting will last between 75 and 90 minutes and will contain music, prayer and a short message.

Our worship style is aimed to suit all ages, with some traditional hymns, some traditional Salvation Army songs and some much more modern and recent worship. We like to have a mix of lively and reflective. We want our worship to be relevant. 

We also have a section in our meetings, KidsZone, designed to engage the kids in family worship. This section involves kids taking to the stage and taking part in practical challenges with a biblical thought.

We love noise at Liverpool Walton, you don’t have to whisper in our church! 

Our church is for everyone, no matter what age you are or what background you come from. Why not come and check us out, we would love to see you! 

Parenting Room

This room is specially designed for mums and dads to take their younger children to so they can enjoy the meeting whilst attending to the needs of their children.

The Parenting Room is located at the back of our Main Worship Hall.

There are toys for children to play with in the Parenting Room which is (almost) soundproof. The room has a shaded window and its own speaker (with adjustable volume control for when children are sleeping) so that everything going on in the main meeting can be seen and heard in the Parenting Room. There is a door on the other side of the room to a corridor for access to the rest of the building for use of toilets etc. If you're interested in using this room, just ask someone from the Welcome Team and they'll guide you in the right direction.

If you wish to, you can check your children into the crèche which starts in the the foyer at around 11am when the other kids activities start. Feel free to then sit in for the rest of the meeting. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the meeting go on for?

Our meetings usually last between 75 and 90 minutes. 

What do I wear to church?

Come as you are; wear whatever you are most comfortable in. Bring a Bible if you have one. If you don’t, we have loads of Bibles you can borrow in the Main Worship Hall. You could download the Bible App on your smart phone, we highly recommend it! Feel free to bring a note pad and pen to take notes if you like. We often use technology for interactive slots in our meetings so feel free to bring your iPads, tablets and smart phones. 

What time should I get to church?

About 15 minutes before the meeting starts (10.15am) would be a great time so you can park your car, find your seats, have a chat and visit the toilets etc.

Where do I sit?

Anywhere you like! We have a wonderful Welcome team who would help you to find the seat you are most comfortable in. 

Are there kid’s activities during the meetings?

Yes, we have activities that start at 11am for children up to the age of 14. Kids will be led out of the main meeting by our Young Peoples Team during a song. Please see the ‘Childrens and Youth Ministries’ section for more info about our kids’ activities. 

Do I have to pay to come to church?

There is no cost to attend church. There is an offering collection during our meetings but this is free-will. No one has to give; you are welcome to let the collection plate pass you. If you do choose to give, money can either be taken in cash form or by contactless payment. 

Do you have disabled parking and seating?

We have 40 car parking spaces at Liverpool Walton along with plenty of street parking. We do have disabled car parking spaces in both of our car parks but we cannot guarantee that they all be available. As for seating, give us a call and we will reserve a space for you. 

Do you currently have any COVID-19 related restrictions?

At last check, the only real restriction we have in place is that all attendees must wear some sort of face covering or face shield. We are COVID secure to hold meetings which fill our church to its capacity of 400 people. All windows, doors, exits and vents remain open throughout these meetings for air flow. As a result, despite central heating being on full blast, it can get a bit cold. For this reason we suggest bringing a coat to keep you warm during the winter months. 

Normal Sundays

Our building is open from 9.30am - 1pm on Sundays

(Please scroll past 'Our Programme' for a video and more detailed info about our Sunday meetings and activities)

Our Programme

• 10:30am - 12:00pm - Morning Worship

• 11am - 12:00pm - Crèche, Primary & Juniors

• 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Refreshments in The Hub Coffee Shop

• 12:45pm - 1:30pm - Singing Company Practice

• 1:30pm - 1:45pm - Break

• 1:45pm - 2.30pm - Young People's Band Practice

• 2.30pm - 4.30pm - Youth Cell & YA (Young Adults)

  • 1st Sunday of each month

• Evening Time - Corps Fellowship (All Ages)

  • Monthly at various peoples homes, parks or places of interest around the city

• Evening Time - YA Fellowship (18-30's)

  • Monthly at various peoples homes, parks or places of interest around the city

Welcome to Church Online

Worship with us in real-time! Our in-house church services are now live streamed onto our YouTube Channel every Sunday at 10.30am. Watch on your phone, table, laptop, computer, smart TV or even directly through this website. Our YouTube Channel can be reached through this link https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSalvationArmyLiverpoolWalton 

Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have tried our absolute best to keep Sunday Worship accessible to all, despite the lockdowns and restrictions. Within weeks of our first online service, we noticed that although our church building had been made to close, so many more people can worship with us through the internet. Join with the hundreds of people who watch our services each week by subscribing to our channel. 

In-house Sunday Services.... We're Back!

Not that we've particularly been anywhere over the last 16 months, but as of Sunday 13th June 2021, we are back to in-house Sunday Services!

We are now broadcasting our services live from our church building, with a physical congregation. These live stream services now include both real-time speaking (such as sermons/messages, bible readings, KidZones, Church News and testimonies) and real-time music (such as the worship, Songsters and Band). We are currently in the process of phasing out the pre-recorded content used throughout the lockdowns. We are now allowed to sing in church again and our physical congregation is gradually growing each week as COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifted. 

Keep and eye out on our social media and this website for the weekly announcement of the YouTube link for each new online service and other mid-week videos.

We would like to say a big thanks for the dedication and commitment of our church leaders, our media team and anyone else who helps out with these online services. 

Our latest online service can be watched below...

Our Hours

Monday - Thursday: 9am - 4pm 

Friday: Closed

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: 9.30am - 12pm

Please Note: We have recently returned to our normal open hours. Should the severity of COVID-19 change, we may have to reduce our open times again. This will depend on UK Government and the Salvation Army's Central COVID-19 Guidelines.

Some of our groups, courses, classes and activities have resumed following the COVID-19 Pandemic. We are constantly following the advice given by both the UK Government and Salvation Army Headquarters in London.

This section mainly shows permanent weekday events, courses, classes, activities and groups. There are many more groups, courses and adult learning classes on in the week that are run by different agencies and services. See the 'Community Centre, Groups & Courses' section.

For more information, call our Community Office on 0151 525 4785. 

Monday

9.30am - 10.30am Baby Massage

9.30am - 11.30am SEND C/C Group (Fortnightly)

10am - 12pm Employment Plus

10am - 12.30pm Foodbank

12:00pm - 2:00pm Home League

1.00pm - 2.30pm Fabulous Food

1.00pm - 3.00pm History Class

1.30pm - 3.30pm Ukulele Band

6.30pm - 7.30pm Maximus Fitness

7:30pm Ladies Fellowship

Tuesday

9:30am - 11:00am Playbox - Parent & Tots (Scroll down for video)

9.30am - 10.30am Active Play

10am - 12pm Dressmaking Class

10am - 12pm Spanish Class

10.30am - 12pm Knit & Knatter

1.30pm - 2.30pm Under 1's

7:30pm Bible Study on Zoom

7:30pm - 9.30pm Salvation Army Senior Band Practice (Church Brass Band)

8.30pm - 10pm Church Over 18's Football

Wednesday

9am - 12pm Cuppa & Chat

9:30am - 11:00am Playbox - Parent & Tots (Scroll down for video)

10.30am - 1.30pm Art Class

11am - 1pm - Christmas Crafts

6.30pm - 7.30pm Maximus Fitness

7:30pm - 9pm Body & Soul Lifestyle Club

Thursday

9am - 12pm Coffee Morning

9.30am - 10.30am Slimming World

9:30am - 11:00am Playbox - Parent & Tots (Scroll down for video)

9.45am - 11.15am Stay & Play - Speech and Language

10.30 - 12.30 IT Course

12pm - 4pm Strawberry Field Activity Group

12.45pm - 2.45pm Advanced Solutions

5pm - YA & Students Bible Study

6.30pm - YA and Students Meal

7:30pm - 9:15pm Salvation Army Songster Practice (Church Senior Choir)

7.30pm - 9.00pm Youth Cell (Church 11-18's)

Friday

9:30am - 11:30am Hope

9.30am - 11.30pm Hope Crèche

6.30pm - 7.30pm Kidz Klub

8.00pm - 10.00pm Fanfara (Brass Band) Practice (Second Friday Monthly)

Corps Vision Statement

Through the Love of Christ, a place of Inclusion, Identity and Connection.

Corps Mission Statement

We seek to be transformed and empowered by Christ so that we can offer hope and change.

Therefore, regardless of race, creed, colour, gender or age:

We want our Worship to be spirit filled, relevant, inclusive, contemporary and participatory.

In our Discipleship, we seek a deeper sense of God’s presence and a focused, intense prayer-life.

Through our Evangelism, we will offer opportunities to discover and enhance a personal relationship with Christ.

Through Fellowship, we want to participate in people’s lives, working through developed relationships.

Our Ministry, will be integrated so that all we do will be based on serving God and serving others and we will be confident in God’s ability to work in us, through us and amongst us. 

On Sundays when kid's activities start, children will be led out of the main meeting by our Young People's Team during a song at around 11am. The children split into their groups depending on school year.

Crèche (Ages 0 - 3)

The Crèche meet together in the foyer. Children in the Crèche get a chance to play together under supervision of adults whilst the rest of the church listen to the message from our Church Leaders. What's happening in the meeting can be heard in the foyer through the tannoy system and seen through TV's. Adults supervising the children rotate sessions on a monthly rota. Not every child has to go to Crèche. It is entirely up to their parents.

Primary (Ages 3 - 7)

The Primary meet in Room GP3. They are a very valuable part of our church family at Liverpool Walton. Under the leadership of Margaret Lacey, Becky McGinnigle, Janet Wills, Lorna Richardson and an amazing group of helpers, the Primary enjoy hearing stories about Jesus, craft and playing games. The primary sometimes present items to the adults at Christmas and Easter and often take part in the main meetings ‘Kids Zone’. 

Juniors (Ages 7 - 11) 

The Juniors meet each week in the Community Hall. Led by Young Peoples Sergeant Major (YPSM) Sylvia Wills and assisted by a great team of YP Workers, the Juniors like to sing and dance, listen to stories from the Bible, make things, take on challenges, play games and love making a mess.

GAP (Ages 11 - 14)

GAP is a group for our early high schoolers. They meet in Room GP2 and are under the leadership of various members of the congregation who are asked to take a session. Here, they take a look at their faith and the bible in a slightly more in-depth way. 

Youth at LWSA (Ages 11 - 18)

The Liverpool Walton Youth is a group of passionate young people with strong and courageous faith. Under the leadership of Corps Youth Secretary (CYS) Chris Longmore, they are about 20 size when all together. The youth meet for social time at 2.30pm on Sundays once a month in The Lounge and at 7.30pm on Thursdays once a month for Bible Study in Room GP2. Social time on Sundays usually involves pizza, socialising and a short thought. Bible Study on Thursdays usually helps the youth to look deeper into their faith and their lives as Christian's using published resources, all with coffee, tea, donuts and cake.

YA (18+)

YA is our new group for young adults in our church who are in university, apprenticeships and moving into their first jobs. It was set up just a few months before the COVID-19 Pandemic began.

Becoming an adult brings new challenges and responsibilities. Here they get support, support one another and explore how their faith can help them in this new era of their lives. The YA are about 20 in size.

A normal day spent with the YA would involve going to a members house or staying in the lounge at the church and ordering a takeaway. They also visit places of interest around the city. During the time together they would have time to talk and catch up with one another, eat and have a laugh. After this they would have some time looking into their faith through bible studies and book series’.

Kidz Klub

Are your kids aged 4 - 11 years old? Then Kidz Klub is for you!

Join us for bible stories, drama, games, songs, prizes, fun and mess.
Friday Nights - 6.30pm - 7.30pm (Term times only) here at The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton for £1

Parents are free to stay and get tea, coffee and snacks which will be open during the kids sessions. 

Kids are free to stay for hotdogs and snacks after their session.   

History of The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton

As we turn 140 years old, take a look back at some of our never seen before information, photo's and video footage dating back to the 1880's. Our media team have created a short documentary video entitled ‘The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton – A History’, telling the story of our church from day one, to present. Why not take a look now? We may have changed over the years, but our message and purpose remain the same... to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity.

The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton was founded in March 1881. On Sunday March 27th 1881 Captain Josiah Parsons Taylor, aged 26, opened Salvation Army Corps No. 187, then known as 'Liverpool 2', and conducted the first worship meeting in a converted stable on Walton Road.

The first Salvation Army in the city, Liverpool Toxteth Corps caused quite a stir when it first opened, being received both positively and negatively by the general public. This was certainly no different with Liverpool Walton. The opening meeting was described in The Salvation Army's newspaper, The War Cry, by Captain Ferry...

"Grand opening of Liverpool 2 (Walton), was half picked and very rough indeed. Twelve souls were saved (Old Salvation Army term for becoming a Christian) and there were hundreds who attended the opening."

Josiah married Captain Kate Watts in September 1881, who joined him as the second officers at the corps.

Captains Josiah and Kate Taylor

The corps flourished quickly, reaching the lowest of classes in Walton within weeks, something Liverpool Toxteth had taken months to do. Within those first few years, the corps found different ways of spreading the gospel. The first Sunday Schools were held in February 1883, and saw a huge increase in children's attendance and membership of the corps. The corps also established its very own brass band in 1885, under the leadership of Bandmaster J Lyons.

Sunday School Trip to the 'Rhubarb Field' in 1917

Liverpool Walton Band in 1911

The corps rented the former stable from 1881 until 1890 when they moved to a larger converted stable on Dane Street. The corps remained on Dane Street for 5 years and then moved back to Walton Road in 1895. Below is the only known photo of the original hall (the converted stable) on Walton Road. In the photo we see Corps Officer, Adjutant Fenwick, and senior soldier, Mr Stafford, standing in the centre of the hall. This photo was taken for a newspaper a few weeks before the hall was demolished in 1911 to make way for a new purpose-built building.

Original Hall (Converted Stable) on Walton Road

By the mid-1890's, Liverpool Walton was one of the larger corps in the city, with average Sunday attendances of up to 500 in it's halls, and thousands in its open-air services. By then, The Salvation Army being the most popular it has been so far, saw a huge increase in membership and attendance throughout the city. There were 11 Salvation Army Corps, and approximately 5,000 Salvationists in Liverpool.  

In 1911 the corps was able to purchase the land on which it was situated and demolished the old stable. Plans for a new hall were drawn up and the 'The Citadel' was built and then opened in the years 1915 costing £3,504 (roughly £415,000 in todays money). Between 1911 and 1915, the corps had moved to a temporary premises on the nearby Barlow Street. The Citadels design was very similar to many Salvation Army citadels and fortresses that were being constructed up and down the country between the 1890's and the 1920's. By 1930, 12 of the 17 corps in Liverpool had had their buildings replaced in the same style. 

The Citadel's worship hall was designed to seat 200 or 400 standing, and the Young People's Hall was designed to seat 100 or 200 standing. Additional rooms were added to the new buildings Young People's Hall in 1925 and an interior renovation took place in 1977.

The Walton Road Citadel Building

New ministries were founded on the opening of this new building. Liverpool Walton did regular meals for up to 600 poor and disadvantaged people from the surrounding areas, both children and the elderly, throughout the 1920's and 1930's. 

Liverpool Walton's Soup Kitchen

The 1920's also saw the commissioning of our Songster Brigade (Senior Choir), along with the corps first string band. The Songsters were commissioned by Mrs Staff Captain Ching on 2nd November 1921, and gave their inaugural festival on Tuesday 6th December 1921 under the leadership of Mrs Commandant Hannam. A week later, her son Stanley Hannam was commissioned as the first official Songster Leader of the brigade.

Liverpool Walton Songsters in 1924
Songster Leader - Ike Ward

The building on Walton Road became in need of repair because of age and repeated vandalism. Dry rot, roofing issues, falling plaster and mould has begun to plague the building.

A new building was first discussed in 1983 but it wasn't until 1987 that the plans for our current building had been finalised. Corps members felt that it was best to move away from Walton Road at this time. They recall that there was no real community spirit in the area, as a lot of the Victorian housing around the old site had been demolished and people has moved to the newer estates built by the city council away from the centre of Walton. It also had no parking, and the main road was unsafe for children to cross.

Demolition of the old Victorian neighbourhoods

Walton Road Hall in 1989

And so, the search for the new location commenced. It took the corps a number of years to find land within Walton to build upon. After two years of praying and searching the streets, and area known as 'The Triangle' on Cavendish Drive (the main road through one of the councils new housing estates) was offered to the army by the council. The council had planned to build a pub for the community on the site, along with a post office, and a supermarket, but wanted to know what the army would build if they had the opportunity. The Corps Officer (Church Leader) at the time, Ray Ebden, told the council, 'We will build a church for the community'. 

And so, the prayers were answered. Construction of the new building, on The Triangle, started on 12th October 1987 and completion was reached just over a year later in November 1988. The overall cost of the project came to £306,725 (that's nearly £700,000 in today money!). For the first time in a very ling time, the corps had a brand new, modern and much more adaptable space to worship and serve the city from.

The new buildings main worship hall was designed to comfortably seat some 250+ worshippers each Sunday. This could be increased to 400 by opening up the movable wall system between the main worship hall and the young people's hall. Corps members recall the smell of the fresh paint upon first visiting, and the overall sense of a new era. 

Back on Walton Road, after 74 years of use, the last weekend in the Walton Road building took place on 14th and 15th January 1989. The theme for the weekend was 'We'll praise him for all He has done, and trust Him for all that's to come'. Thousands of people came and found God at both of the buildings on Walton Road, and thousands of souls were saved for Christ. The works and memories from the ministry within these halls still live on today.

The building was then put up for sale. Many alternative uses were considered, even an application to turn the building into a nightclub. This application was declined in respect of the buildings history and the properties deeds stating that alcohol was not to be consumed on the premises. Eventually a trader bought the site and briefly moved in.

Sadly, not long after moving out of the building, in April 1990, the it mysteriously burnt down and partially collapsed. It was later deemed unsalvageable and was demolished. Today, a branch of McDonald's occupies the land on which the hall was once situated. 

The weekend following the last in Walton Road was the official beginning of a new era for the corps. The new and current building on Cavendish Drive was opened on Saturday 21st January 1989 by Commissioner and Mrs Edward Read (Principle of the International College of Officers in London). The Opening and Dedication Ceremony was attended by over 400 people with standing room only. A Celebration Festival followed the opening ceremony in the evening, again attended by over 400 people.

Once moved and settled at Cavendish Drive, our church went through a period of reidentification and over a space of time, adapted to the needs of our local community in our new location. A small community programme was started up in our building in the early 1990's which involved the establishment of a parent and toddler group once a week, a body and soul group and some other activities for children, youth and Over 60's. This all happened in our Young People's Hall and Lounge.

Corps members recall thinking the new activities would have quite some interest, but didn't expect them to be as well attended as they actually were. So obviously, it was a huge shock to the church youth workers when hundred of children and youth from the estate came to the first Wednesday night Youth Clubs.

Sunday Services also saw an increase in attendance as new families started attending from the estate. Over the remainder of the 1990's we realised our need to cater even more for our community as our community programme grew. As it grew, towards the end of the 1990's we came to the realisation that our building was no longer ideal for the number of people entering it throughout the week. More space was needed to house the programme and the building, now just over a decade old, needed a bit of an update.

After a study into the needs of the community in the 2001, an extension was designed and added to the original build on Cavendish Drive. Building work commenced in 2004. It heavily altered the appearance of the building and more than doubled it in size. The extension contained facilities for the new Community Centre, built to host the ever growing community programme. These new facilities included, a new main entrance, reception and foyer, three new general purpose rooms, a second community hall, extra offices for the additional staff required to run the centre, a second and larger kitchen and an IT Suite. The original 1989 part of the building was also renovated at this time. This involved reconfiguring the main worship hall, dividing one of the original general purpose rooms into four smaller rooms, and giving the rest of the building a much needed general facelift.

The newly extended building and community centre was opened in a dedication ceremony on July 2nd 2005 by Commissioners Keith and Pauline Banks.  

The newly opened Community Centre quickly became an even busier hub of activity. The corps teamed up with Liverpool Adult Learning Services and offered a range of GCSE and BTEC courses, as well as simple interest courses. Many subjects were on offer such as Maths, English, History, Modern Foreign Languages and IT, as well as more practical subjects such as Dress Making and Cookery. As well as all of this, the well established groups such as Playbox (Parents and Toddlers) continued to run and grow. As well as this, for the first time, the corps offered a self-service café which was open for the groups, classes and courses that used the building throughout the week. 

The success of the community centre again led to a number of new people attending our church on Sundays. Through helping others through educational and practical ways, people have come and found the love of God.

As time went on, new initiatives were started. In 2012, the community centre teamed up with the North Liverpool Foodbank and since then has been helping to feed those in our city, who otherwise would have struggled to do so. In 2013, The Hub Coffee Shop was opened. Run by volunteers from our church, the coffee shop has helped to build relationships with the people in the community. It provides a place for people to socialise. Greater partnerships were built between the church and the children's centre, and many other different social care and educational agencies who all began using the building for their groups, classes and activities during the week. 

Our church is constantly adapting to needs and changes of the local community. There was no bigger change that that of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We could no longer meet in person, something we have never experienced before. Despite all of this, our doors have remained open since the start practically supporting those who are in need. We are still here, and we are still serving!

Thanks to modern technology and gifted church members, the church and community centre have been able to continue operating online. Our virtual community centre can be found on Facebook and all of our church services and music can be reached on our YouTube Channel. 

As COVID-19 restriction are slowly being lifted, and our church and community activities are able to resume, we look forward to seeing what happens next and trust God for our future.

All glory, all praise, and all thanks belong to our amazing God who has blessed us abundantly over the years. Our future is secure as we trust in His promises and His faithfulness. Many changes may have happed over the last 140 years, but our mission and ministry remains the same...

To save souls, grow saints, and serve suffering humanity
 
Key Historical Dates 

• First Sunday School - February 1883
• Liverpool Walton Band - Commissioned 1885
• Liverpool Walton Young Peoples Band - Commissioned 1892
• Liverpool Walton Singing Company - Commissioned around 1900
• Liverpool Walton Songster Brigade - Commissioned 1921
• Liverpool Walton, or 'Liverpool 2', was the second Salvation Army Corps to be opened in the City of Liverpool after Liverpool Toxteth Corps or 'Liverpool 1' was opened in 1879. At the Salvation Army's peak popularity, Liverpool Walton was one of over 20 Salvation Army's in the City of Liverpool. 

 
​History of The Salvation Army in The City of Liverpool

The Salvation Army itself was founded in July 1865 in East London. The Salvation Army became active in Liverpool on 4th August 1879 when the first corps (church), Liverpool Toxteth (also known as ‘Liverpool 1’), was opened. Archives from The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre in London have shown that at The Salvation Army’s peak popularity in the early 1900’s, there were over 20 Salvation Army corps in Liverpool alone!

The corps were Liverpool Toxteth (1), Liverpool Walton (2), Liverpool Bootle (3), Liverpool Breckfield, later renamed Liverpool Beacon (4), Liverpool Roscommon Street, later renamed Liverpool China Street, and then Liverpool Everton (5), Liverpool Temple, later renamed Liverpool Congress Hall (6), Liverpool Seaforth (7), Liverpool Toxteth Park, later renamed Liverpool Dingle (8), Liverpool Kensington (9), Liverpool Waterloo (10), Liverpool Edge Hill (11), Liverpool Garston (12), Liverpool Old Swan (13), Liverpool Aintree (14), Liverpool Clubmoor (15), Liverpool Tuebrook (16), Liverpool Speke (17), Liverpool Belle Vale (18), Liverpool Childwall Valley (19) and Liverpool Stoneycroft (20).

There were some other corps in the city that bared the Liverpool name but were not numbered. These include Liverpool Knotty Ash, Liverpool Wavertree and Liverpool Stancombe. There was also an Outpost in Kirkby (ran by Liverpool Walton), which wasn't considered part of the City of Liverpool when it opened in the 1960's. 

Each corps in the city differed. Liverpool Temple/Liverpool Congress Hall was the most central corps in the city and opened in 1883. Being right in the heart of Liverpool it was often unofficially referred to as Liverpool Central Corps.

It was a very large corps which also, for some time, held the Liverpool and North Wales Divisional Headquarters. However, when living space in the suburbs became cheaper and more expansive, people moved out of the city centre. This led to the corps becoming smaller.

In the end, because of its facilities and sheer size (originally being a music hall with a 1000+ seater auditorium and a skating rink), Liverpool Congress Hall was used as a meeting place for huge divisional/regional Salvation Army events where hundreds of people from corps all over the Liverpool and North Wales Division, as it was known back then, would meet for special services and events like Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas and Youth Councils etc.

The Liverpool Congress Hall building was owned by The Salvation Army until 1994 and was demolished in the early 2000's to make way for an office building. 

The Salvation Army in Liverpool also has an extensive and very impressive history of social work.

Many hostels were opened in the city like Ann Fowler Women’s Hostel and Norton Street Men’s Hostel. The Salvation Army also opened children’s homes like Strawberry Field which was made famous by the Beatles. We ran retirement homes such as Mary Fowler Eventide Home and the Oriel/Irlam Road Eventide Home in Bootle and had women’s hospitals and homes such as the Elmswood Maternity Hospital, Cradlehurst Home for Mothers and Infants and Chesterfield House.

Social centres such as Park Lane and Great George Square Men’s Social Services Building were also opened by The Salvation Army. A furniture warehouse was opened on Scotland Road in Vauxhall, just outside the city centre. From the 1940’s The Salvation Army even had a hotel and tearooms in Liverpool. The Salvation Army also had five Goodwill Centres across the city, in the suburbs of Dingle, Edge Hill, Everton, Speke and Wavertree. 

The Salvation Army continues to work in the great City of Liverpool today through its church & community centres, charity shops and its Lifehouses. Today Liverpool Walton, Liverpool Stoneycroft, Liverpool Valley and Liverpool Bootle Corps are still very active in serving the city. The Salvation Army still runs two Lifehouses (Hostels), Ann Fowler Lifehouse and Darbyshire Lifehouse helping those in need. There is a Salvation Army charity shop within the Liverpool Bootle building.

The Salvation Army has also reopened Strawberry Field to the public. Here there is a new facility featuring a training centre for young people with special educational needs, a new exhibition space dedicated to the story of the Beatles and grounds, a café and a gift shop.  

Check Strawberry Field out using the link below. http://strawberryfieldliverpool.com/
 
Over the years there have been corps in the following locations:

• Liverpool I (Liverpool Toxteth), Park Place, Toxteth, opened 1879. Later moving to Yates Street, Toxteth.
• Liverpool II (Liverpool Walton), Walton Road, Walton, opened 1881. Corps located on Cavendish Drive, Walton as of January 1989.
• Liverpool III (Liverpool Bootle), Stanley Road, Bootle, opened 1881.
• Liverpool IV (Liverpool Breckfield), Breck Road, Everton, opened 1881 and closed in 2006. Later moving to St Domingo Road, Everton and becoming Liverpool Beacon.
• Liverpool V (Liverpool Roscommon), Roscommon Street, Everton, opened 1881. The corps was renamed Liverpool China Street when it relocated to China Street, and then Liverpool Everton
• Liverpool VI (Liverpool Temple), Pembroke Place, Central Liverpool, opened in 1883. The corps was renamed Liverpool Congress Hall and was also unofficially known as Liverpool Central Corps. A large office block now stands in the corps place.
• Liverpool VII (Liverpool Seaforth), Seaforth Vale North, Seaforth, opened in 1888.
• Liverpool VIII (Liverpool Toxteth Park), Park Road, Dingle, opened in 1889. The corps was later renamed Liverpool Dingle.
• Liverpool IX (Liverpool Kensington), Coleridge Street, Kensington, opened in 1899. Now the home to Elim Church Kensington. 
• Liverpool X (Liverpool Waterloo), 47 East Street, Waterloo, opened 1891.
• Liverpool XI (Liverpool Edge Hill), Earle Road, Wavertree, opened in 1892.
• Liverpool XII (Liverpool Garston), Woolton Road, Garston, opened in 1902.
• Liverpool XIII (Liverpool Old Swan), Prescot Road, Old Swan, opened in 1902.
• Liverpool XIV (Liverpool Aintree), Longmoor Lane, Aintree, opened in 1904.
• Liverpool XV (Liverpool Clubmoor), Daneville Road, Clubmoor, opened in 1907 and closed in 2006.
• Liverpool XVI (Liverpool Tuebrook), Chester Road, Tuebrook, opened in 1929.
• Liverpool ---- (Liverpool Knotty Ash), Little Bongs, off of East Prescot Road, Knotty Ash, opened in 1934.
• Liverpool XVII (Liverpool Speke), Beaconsfield Road, Speke, opened in 1959. Closed in 2006.
• Liverpool XVIII (Liverpool Belle Vale), Mildenhall Road, Childwall, opened in 1961.
• Liverpool XIX (Liverpool Childwall Valley), Mildenhall Road, Childwall, opened in 1974.
• Liverpool XX (Liverpool Stoneycroft), Prescot Road, Old Swan, opened in 1997.

There are also records at The Salvation Army's International Heritage Centre of there being a Liverpool Stancombe Corps, opening in 1909 and a Liverpool Knotty Ash Corps, but little is known about where these corps were located, the year in which they opened or how long they were around for.

There was also a Outpost in Kirkby which was run by Liverpool Walton Corps. Kirkby didn't bare a Liverpool name or number as Kirkby wasn't considered part of the City of Liverpool at the time of opening.

Other nearby corps included:

• Birkenhead I (Birkenhead Central) Corps, Wesley Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, opened 1881. Now located on Vincent Street in Birkenhead Town Centre.
• Birkenhead II (Birkenhead Bidston) Corps, Birkenhead, Wirral, opened 1882.
• Birkenhead III (Birkenhead Park) Corps, Brook Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, opened 1947. 
• Moreton Corps, Barnston Lane, Moreton, Wirral.
• New Ferry Corps, Back New Chester Road, New Ferry, Wirral.
• Ormskirk Corps, location unknown.
• Rock Ferry Corps, Old Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral, opened 1882. First located in Booths Yard, then New Chester Road, moving to Oriel Road in 1915, then to its current location on Old Chester Road in 1955. 
• Seacombe Corps, Demesne Street, Seacombe, Wirral.
• Skelmersdale Corps, location unknown.
• Wallasey Corps, Poulton Road, Wallasey, Wirral.

2022 Events

Keep an eye out on this website and our social media pages for details of events.

140th Anniversary Celebrations

As a church, we were due to be celebrating our 140th anniversary in 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, all celebrations, events and parties have had to be put on hold. However, we are hoping to be able to celebrate in 2022. 

Liverpool Walton Band of The Salvation Army

The Liverpool Walton Band of Salvation Army is a group of talented and dedicated brass players and is 31 in size. Players are all members of our church and range in age from mid-teens to their 70's. Members share a desire to praise God through playing. The band was established in 1885, 4 years after the corps opening. Still today, nearly 140 years later, the band plays an essential part in our worship at Liverpool Walton, and in delivering the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in the great City of Liverpool.

The band is currently under the leadership of our Bandmaster, Neil Lacey.

The Band can be seen bringing the message of the gospel at events in the city, such as LightNight, religious festivals like the Pentecost Pageant and at Christmas which is a particularly busy time for the band.

Lately the band has adapted to the COVID-19 Pandemic and produces virtual pieces of music which can be seen on our YouTube Channel. Take a look at one of their virtual piece 'Rosehill' below. The band has recently resumed weekly practices and is hoping to participate in Sunday meetings again soon.

​

Liverpool Walton Songsters of The Salvation Army

The Liverpool Walton Songster Brigade, which has recently celebrated it's centenary, was established in 1921 and is our churches senior choir. As of September 2021, it consists of 56 active members ranging in age from early-teens to their 70's. The songsters bring the message of the gospel to people through singing and can be heard each Sunday during our meetings. The Songsters play a vital role in our worship.

The brigade is currently under the leadership of our Songster Leader, Lynsey Lacey, and Deputy Songster Leader, Kevin Elliott, assisted by our Songster Secretary, Glyn Samuel, our Songster Sergeant, Margaret Lacey, our Songster Librarian, Lorna Richardson, and Songster Pianist, Glyn Griffiths. We also have our bassist, Tom Elliott, and percussionist, Ben Griffiths. We are very blessed to have two of our members, Mary Elliott and Neil Lacey, in the International Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army. 

The songsters often take part in special events and deliver programmes to churches and other Salvation Army churches and centres all over the UK. In 2001, Liverpool Walton Songsters travelled down south to take part in the Boscombe Easter Convention where they sang the song 'Easter Tale' which had been specially written for them by Wayne and Darren Bartlett. They've even travelled over-seas, like when the brigade travelled to Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands to deliver festivals and programmes to corps and churches there. 

Recent events for the songsters include visiting Wigan Salvation Army in November 2017 as they celebrated 130 years of The Salvation Army's work in the town, and Nelson Salvation Army in February 2018 to help them celebrate 137 years of work. The songsters visited St Teresa of Avila RC Church in the December of 2018. They gave a programme which included a finale involving the children from St Teresa's Catholic Infant and Nursery School. All money collected during the event went to the school.

In February 2019, Liverpool Walton Songsters hosted the International Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army for a weekend. The weekend went down tremendously with packed out concerts & meetings and God at the centre of all that was done.

In March 2020, the songsters travelled down to London to take part in the 40th anniversary celebrations of the International Staff Songsters in the Fairfield Halls in Croydon. On the same weekend, they led worship at Penge Salvation Army in South East London. 

In September 2021, having resumed weekly practices after nearly 18 months, their first and most recent trip away after the COVID-19 Pandemic was to Macclesfield, Cheshire in November 2021 to join the corps in celebrating 138 years of work in the town. 

Lately the songsters have had to adapted to the COVID-19 Pandemic and so have produced a number of virtual pieces of music which can be seen on our YouTube Channel. Take a look at one of their virtual piece 'Jesus, What a Saviour' below. 

If you would like to contact the songsters, please email them at LWSongsters@outlook.com 

​Liverpool Walton Singing Company

The Liverpool Walton Singing Company is the junior choir and was established in the early 1900’s. It consists of 28 members, their age raging between 7 and late-teens. The Singing Company takes part in worship each week and delivers the gospel to our congregation through some truly fantastic songs. The Singing Company is currently under the leadership of our Singing Company Leader, Kat Samuel.

Like with our senior sections, the singing company has produced a number of virtual pieces which can be viewed on our online services on our YouTube Channel.  

Liverpool Walton Young People's Band

The Liverpool Walton Y.P. Band (our junior band) was started in 1892 and is another important section at Liverpool Walton, inspiring the younger generation through brass music. They are just over 26 in size and take part in worship on the first Sunday of each month. The Y.P. Band is currently under the leadership of our Young Peoples Band Leader, Neil Lacey, and Assistant Young Peoples Band Leader, Steph Samuel, not to forget an amazing team of helpers constantly tutoring new members to play their instruments. The Singing Company and Y.P. Band work closely together and much is planned for them to take part in, in the future.

Like with our senior sections, the YP Band has produced a number of virtual pieces which can be viewed on our online services on our YouTube Channel. 

The Worship Band

The worship band at Liverpool Walton is responsible for our modern and contemporary worship. The worship band consists of about 12 members. They lead several songs during Sunday meetings. Instruments include piano, keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, drums, brass and vocals. The worship band leads the congregation in songs produced by the likes of Hillsong, Spring Harvest, LIFE Worship and many other contemporary Christian artists.

Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic so far, the worship band has played a vital role in our online worship. So far, it has produced over 50 virtual songs which can be viewed on our church YouTube Channel or it's own channel. The Worship Bands YouTube Channel can be reached through the following link Liverpool Walton Salvation Army Worship - YouTube 

Take a look at one of their virtual songs 'What a Beautiful Name' below.

Some Oldies...

Liverpool Walton Band in 1911
Bandmaster - Charles Lockett

Liverpool Walton War-time Band in 1916
Bandmaster - Charles Lockett

Liverpool Walton Songsters in 1924
Songster Leader - Ike Ward
One of our churches favourite historical photos... it shows the spirit of our church that still exists 100 years later. Look at all those laughing and joking faces!

Liverpool Walton Songsters Circa 1930
Songster Leader - John Hardy Roberts

Liverpool Walton Singing Company & YP Band in 1933

Liverpool Walton Band Circa 1930
Bandmaster - Charles Lockett

Liverpool Walton Band 1981
Bandmaster - Brian Twist

Liverpool Walton Songsters 1981
Songster Leader - Tony Stephens

Liverpool Walton Singing Company in 1981
Singing Company Leader - Avis Elliott

Liverpool Walton YP Band in 1981
YP Band Leader - Kevin Elliott

Liverpool Walton Timbrel Brigade in 1981
Timbrel Leader - Betty Elliott

Liverpool Walton Home League Singers in 1981
Home League Singers Leader - Mary Elliott

Liverpool Walton Band in 1989
Bandmaster - Brian Twist

Liverpool Walton Songsters in 1989
Songster Leader - Tony Stephens

Liverpool Walton Singing Company in 1989
Singing Company Leader - Mary Elliott

Liverpool Walton YP Band in 1989
YP Band Leader - Jeff Pearson

Liverpool Walton Band in the mid-1990's
Bandmaster - Gordon Elliott

Liverpool Walton Songsters in the mid-1990's
Songster Leader - Brian Twist

Liverpool Walton Band in 2000
Bandmaster - Kevin Elliott

Liverpool Walton Songsters in 2000
Songster Leader - Brian Twist

Liverpool Walton Songsters at Blackpool Citadel in 2006
Songster Leader - Lynsey Lacey

Liverpool Walton Songsters at Blackpool Citadel in 2006
Songster Leader - Lynsey Lacey

Liverpool Walton Songsters at Moor Lane Methodist Church in 2007
Songster Leader - Lynsey Lacey

Liverpool Walton Songsters in 2010
Songster Leader - Mary Elliott​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Prayer changes things!

As one of our churches favourite songs say, 'Cast your cares on his shoulders'.

Here at Liverpool Walton, we have a committed group of people within our church who will pray for someone as soon as they possibly can. There will always be someone within the building who is willing to pray with you upon request and offer pastoral support. If you would like the church to pray for you or for a situation you find yourself in, please don’t hesitate to ask a member of staff or leave a prayer note on the prayer requests notice board in the Prayer Room. Prayers can be left anomalously if you prefer.

Our Prayer Room has just been refurbished and is open throughout the week during the centres opening times. It is a very calm and tranquil place.

Please feel free to use the Prayer Room for quiet reflection and prayer.

The Prayer Room will be open depending on whether UK Government and Salvation Army guidelines permit it to be. 

Happy Christmas!

From everyone here at The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton, have a very happy and blessed Christmas, and a peaceful New Year. God bless.

Christmas Toy & Gift Appeal

As Christmas Day draws closers, we'd like to acknowledge those who have donated toy, clothes, healthcare products etc to us for our appeal.

We've received donations from... 

• The Entertainer Toy Stores in both Liverpool One Shopping Centre and Liverpool St John's Shopping Centre
• St Michaels Church, Blundellsands 
• The Wilcox Family
• Liverpool Walton Salvation Army Toy Service
• Oakvale United Reformed Church
• Moor Lane Methodist Church
• McDonalds Switch Island
• McDonalds Aigburth Road
• Princes Group Limited
• City Churches
• St Luke's Goodison Church
• All Saints Church Childwall
• Sutton Kersh Estate Agents
• Sellick Partnership 
• Baxter Healthcare
• CMS Law
• Steris, Knowlsey
• And many personal donations from individuals across the city

We've provided for...

• City Hearts
• Florence House YMCA
• Various Heath Visitors 
• Liverpool Derbyshire Lifehouse (The Salvation Army)
• Liverpool Ann Fowler Lifehouse (The Salvation Army)
• Salvation Army Prison Ministries
• Childrens Centre
• St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School
• Ransworth Square Primary School
• Northcote Primary School
• Rice Lane Primary School
• Huyton with Roby Church of England Primary School
• Disabled Childrens Services
• Kinship Carers 
• Liverpool City Council
• Walton Nursery
• Creative Support

COVID-19 Update (Sunday 19th December 2021)

We would just like to make you all aware that due to the increasing COVID-19 infection rates both within our city, and the whole of the UK, Christmas Carols with the band on Thursday 23rd December at 11am will now be online only and will livestreamed from the church onto our either this channel or onto our Facebook page (Keep an eye out for details). Our Christmas Day Family Service will also now be online only, and will be released onto this channel as a pre-recorded premiere. We will await further guidance from both the UK Government and The Salvation Army's National Headquarters in London with respect to whether in-house services for Sunday 2nd January 2022 can be held. Thank you all for your understanding at this time. Please be assured that we are praying for our community, our city, our country and indeed the world at this time. God bless you all.

Carols by Lamplight

Tonight (12th December 2021) we hosted our very first Carols by Lamplight in our front car park.

There was a real sense of both Christmas and Community Spirit as we shared in singing our favourite carols together. The hot chocolate tasted fantastic, the kids received treats from Santa, and our church leader, Lin, prayed blessing over our community.

We'd like to say a massive thank you to our very own Andrei for the aerial shots. Take a look at his Facebook page by clicking on the following link Andrei 

G7 Summit in Liverpool

The meeting of the G7 foreign ministers is taking place today and tomorrow (December 11-12) in Liverpool.

A group from Liverpool Walton Band were up at 6am this morning in order to clear security and greet the ministers in the foyer of the Museum of Liverpool with the Christmas message in music. We were delighted to be there and pray that we helped to give the foreign ministers a good start to their day.

YA and Students Bible Study & Meal 

We are happy to announce that we have started a bible study aimed specifically for the Liverpool Walton Young Adults (18+). The study will begin at 5pm each week (term time only) and will include a free meal afterwards for all who attend. Our YA are a very friendly group and love welcoming new faces to their family. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any interest in this group.

Over 18's Football

We are also very happy to announce that our church has started up an over 18's football group. The group meet bi-weekly at 8.30pm at Goals Liverpool North in Aintree. 

Liverpool Walton Songsters at Macclesfield

On Saturday 6th November, our songsters (senior choir) were honoured to visit Macclesfield Salvation Army in Cheshire to join them in celebrating 138 years of work in the town.

This was a very special night, being the first time the songsters had given a concert since their trip down to London just weeks before the first COVID-19 lockdown.

The songsters gave a great programme that was received amazingly by the congregation at Macclesfield. The love of Jesus could be felt in the room that night. Take a look at some of the photos below.   

YA Barbeque

A great night gathering... On 13th October, our YA (Young Adults or 18-30's group) enjoyed an awesome barbecue in our garden. It's great to see them getting back together after the pandemic and enjoying being amongst one another.

Take a look at the highlights video and the photos below. 

Welcome Students!

A huge congratulations to all who have reviewed their A-level (Sixth Form/College) or GCSE (High School) exam results this week, you have been in our thoughts and prayers.
Here at Liverpool Walton, we enjoy welcoming students into our church family each year, and would love to hear from you if you are planning on studying in Liverpool City Region.
Why not drop us a Facebook message, or send us an email and we’ll link you up with James Griffiths who is our student rep and send out one of our Student Welcome Packs.
For more information, see our 'Students' section. 

YA Barbeque

It was great to welcome the YA back for their first gathering at church since before the pandemic began! The YA is our church Young Adults group (18+). They met up for a late evening BBQ and enjoyed some social time together in our new garden to the rear of our building. It was great to socialise and catch up as friends for the first time in over 18 months.

Songsters is back!

And we're back! Last night (9th September) was the first songster rehearsal in 78 weeks!

Lots of smiles and lots of fun. Everyone was pretty hot and exhausted by the end (sorry, gang), but it didn't sound half bad.

Might be a little while before we're at full strength and you can hear the (new) fruits of our labour, but watch this space...

We're Back!

It's been a long time coming, but we've made it! Not that we've particularly been anywhere over the last 16 months, but as of Sunday 13th June 2021, we are back to in-house Sunday Services!

We are now broadcasting our services live from our church building, with a physical congregation. These live stream services now include both real-time speaking (such as sermons/messages, bible readings and testimonies) as well as pre-recorded content (such as the worship, KidZones, Church News, Songsters and Band).

Under UK Government and Salvation Army Guidelines, we are still unable to sing in church and have to limit the number of people attending worship each week. Despite this, our physical congregation is gradually growing as COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifted.

Once our COVID-19 secure attendance capacity has been reached on Sundays, we will introduce a booking system for worship. We will continue to increase the capacity as restrictions are lifted. We're praying that we'll soon be able to safely house our whole congregation once again. Thanks to everyone for their patience.

Celebration Morning!

He is Risen!!! Happy Easter to you all from The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton. Featured in this mornings online service, here is Liverpool Walton Songsters singing 'Celebration Morning' and we'd like to share it with you on this Easter Sunday.

We're 140 Years Old!

On this day (27th March 2021), 140 years ago, The Salvation Army commenced its mission and ministry in the suburb of Walton in the City of Liverpool. We thank God for his faithfulness over those years and for all he has enabled us to do for him. As part of our acknowledgement of this huge milestone, our media team have been working on a short documentary video entitled ‘The Salvation Army Liverpool Walton – A History’, telling the story of our corps from day one, to present. Why not take a look now. We may have changed over the years, but our message and purpose remain the same... to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity.

Building Improvements 

Our roof rebuilding scheme is more or less complete. Whilst the building has had less people in it due to the pandemic, we have now started a series of other redecorations and modifications. These include:

• New carpets in the Main Worship Hall and the IT Suite.
• Redecorated Music Room.
• Redecorated Toilets (Male, Female and Accessible on original side of building)
• Redecorated Kitchens on both sides of the building.
• Redecorated Community Hall.
• New Garden around the back of our building.
• Widened pathways and fire escape routes around the perimeter of the building.
• We have started a gradual replacement of all florescent lighting with much more efficient LED lighting throughout the interior of our building. We have over 100 florescent light fittings in our building which use over 300 florescent tubes. As you can imagine, this is very expensive to run. Changing to LED will help us to be more cost-effective in the long-run. After this project has been completed, we will look at replacing all external lighting with LED fittings also.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us to make these changes to our building, whether that be funding or carrying out the practical side.

Foodbank

Foodbank drop-in every Monday from 9.30am to 12pm. 

Please ensure you are eligible for a food parcel by obtaining a Trussell Trust Foodbank Voucher, either from Liverpool City Council, a agency that has referred you, or The Trussell Trust itself.

Employment Plus

Struggling to find employment?

Each Monday between 10am and 12pm you can meet with Doug Harrison, our Employment Development Coordinator, right here at our centre.

He is available for support with finding work, job searches, writing CVs and so much more! 

If you need advice and information, Doug is the man for you to see. 

He can be contacted by phoning 07342999109 or emailing him at douglas.harrison@salvationarmy.org.uk

See the video below for an example of how The Salvation Army has helped people in Liverpool, not only with employment, but with food parcels and emotional support.

Levelling Up | Phil's Story

Phil from Liverpool had always found work in factories but in the last 10 years he noticed that jobs have become less secure, with many only offering zero-hour contracts. With his hours drastically cut during the pandemic, Phil could not afford to eat and turned to The Salvation Army for help.

“Years ago, you would get full time hours, but the last 10 years it’s always been zero-hour contracts, so you could get three days one week and a full week the next. Jobs are less secure now and it’s hit and miss depending on the company you work for. It used to be you’d work for three months and then get a permanent contract after that, but it’s rare that happens now.

“I found myself having to go to The Salvation Army for food parcels for the first time. Without them, I would probably be dead because I had no food. I lost about a stone and a half because of the stress. It’s amazing what they do, but people are still struggling.

“The Government need to reassess things and look in a different way. It’s all very well putting people on furlough, but the people who are working for agencies aren’t getting that. The agencies are making money, but the workers aren’t really being treated well.”

When the Government announced earlier this year its plans to ‘Level Up’ the country, by allocating funding to address the geographic inequalities across the UK, we knew what a difference that could make to people like Phil.

However, we’re concerned that under current plans, the majority of the funding will end up being spent on big infrastructure projects instead of projects that help communities recover by upskilling people and helping them access employment.

Our report into the #LevellingUp Agenda reveals specific areas requiring investment include access to childcare, training and progression into high wage/high skill sector jobs and entry level job opportunities for young people.

To find out more about Levelling Up and our recommendations visit: https://bit.ly/2WgDklX

Legal Advice

Legal Drop-in every month from 9.30am - 12pm 

We are pleased to be able to offer a monthly drop in Legal Clinic with Bell Lamb & Joynson.

We've been running our Community Centre since its opening in 2005.

We currently host a number of courses each day ran by Liverpool City Council Adult Learning Service, WEA and many other organisations. The courses vary from IT, Art, Dressmaking and History to English and Maths. Please don't hesitate to contact us via phone or email for further information about the latest courses. 

If you would like to rent a room for a course, group or conference please see the 'Room Hire' section of our website for details.

We are in the process of resuming our courses, classes and activities

Please call the Community Office on 0151 525 4785 for accurate information about which activities have resumed.

Our Virtual Community Centre can be found on Facebook through this link Liverpool Walton Salvation Army Virtual Community Centre

As we are able to open back up after the pandemic, we will gradually release adverts for the courses, classes, groups and activities returning to our building. Keep an eye out on this website and our social media sites. 

The Hub Coffee Shop was established in 2013 and is run entirely by a group of hard working volunteers from our church. It was refurbished over the summer of 2019 so looks bright and fresh! The hub offers a range of reasonably priced snacks, hot and cold beverages and some tasty lunches as well as a listening ear. 

The Hub Coffee Shop is open Monday to Thursday (9.00am – 3.00pm)

Please note that The Hub Coffee Shop is only open during term times and therefore is closed throughout all school holidays.

We are hoping to reopen The Hub at the end of September 2021. We would like to thank all of our lovely customers for your understanding throughout it's closure during the COVID-19 Pandemic and are looking forward to seeing you all soon! 

During the 6-weeks summer holidays, The Hub Coffee Shop is open 9am - 3pm on Thursdays only, on what we call 'Whatever the Weather Thursdays'. Numerous activities are on in our building suited for children and their parents. 

Food Hygiene Rating – 5/5 (Very Good) by Food Standards Agency

A warm welcome awaits all students at Liverpool Walton!

With over 80,000 students, Liverpool is by far one of the most popular and loved student cities in the UK. Liverpool has three large universities: University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University. Liverpool also has the City of Liverpool College and Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), Liverpool Media Academy (LMA) as well as Edge Hill University just down the road in Ormskirk.

At Liverpool Walton we have the privilege of welcoming many students studying in Liverpool to our church each year. We have a fantastic bunch of youth, students and graduates who’d make you feel really welcome.

If you are coming to study in Liverpool and are looking for a church or looking to continue worshipping at a Salvation Army corps, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us by phone, email or social media. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have about our church or student life in Liverpool.

Our Corps Youth Secretary, Chris, studied in at University of Liverpool only a few years ago and our Student Rep, James, graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in July 2019. They are happy to answer any questions you may have. Their contact details are below...

Email our CYS, Chris Longmore - longmore.cj@gmail.com

Email our Student Rep, James Griffiths - j.o.griffiths@ntlworld.com

Upon receiving an email, phone call or message on any of our socials, we'll get one of our Student Welcome Packs either emailed over to you or we'll mail out a paper copy to you in the post.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Free Sunday dinners easily arranged!!! 

Student Travel

We try our best to ensure that students coming to Liverpool Walton get a lift to church and back. However, here are some travel details in case this isn't possible.

Liverpool has a very extensive and reliable pubic transport network which covers the whole of Merseyside. There are buses, trains, trams and ferries to get you from A to B, under one company called Merseytravel. 

From the City - If you're living in student accommodation in town and are coming from Liverpool City Centre, use bus routes 20 to Tower Hill or 21 to Northwood from Queen Square Bus Station, Stand 8. These buses come every 5-10 minutes and take about 20 minutes to reach the Rice Lane, Cavendish Drive junction where we are located just behind the Sainsbury's Superstore. If you are using the Merseyrail local train network, go to either Liverpool Central Underground Station or Moorfields Underground Station, and get the Northern Line (blue line) train either Kirkby bound, and get off at Rice Lane Station, or Ormskirk bound, and get off at Walton Station. These trains come every 10-15 minutes. We are located a 10 minute walk down Rice Lane from both of these stations.

From the Suburbs - Many student choose to live in a house after their first year in university. There are nearly 40 suburbs in Liverpool so it would be impossible to list the directions from all of these. However, we do know that the suburbs of Kensington (near the city centre) & Wavertree, Old Swan and Tuebrook (all in South Liverpool) are most popular for student housing. If coming from Wavertree, get the 60 bus on Smithdown Road from the bus stops at either Arundel Avenue, Gresford Avenue or Hawarden Avenue towards Bootle New Strand. Alternatively, if Picton Road is closer to your house, get the 60 bus from Rathbone Road. This bus continue through the rest of Wavertree, and through Old Swan, Tuebrook, West Derby and Clubmoor.  After about 25 minutes, get off when you reach Queens Drive, Delf Lane bus stop. Then walk onto Rice Lane towards Cavendish Drive (Sainsbury's is on the right hand side) where we are situated behind the store.

Visit the Merseytravel Website for more information.

All room rentals now fully available following the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At Liverpool Walton, we have a number of agencies and groups who rent our rooms. Ours rooms are available for hire from Monday to Thursday (9.00am - 5.00pm).

There are buffet options available for all of the rooms below at some extra cost. See the end of this section for buffet details. 

To book a room or for more information, please contact Jeanette Griffiths (Community Programme Co-ordinator) by calling our Community Office on 0151 525 4785 or via email - jeanette.griffiths@salvationarmy.org.uk 

(Please be aware that our building has been redecorated and some rooms completely refurbished over a period of time. We are awaiting new photos of these rooms to upload to this website) 

Our Facilities

Main Worship Hall

Ideal for conferences, award ceremonies, school assemblies & productions, examinations and gala/banquet meals, the Main Worship Hall has a large alterable stage and a soundproof room for children. There is a large Yamaha grand piano, amps for bass guitars and electric acoustic guitars and a drum kit. 

The AV system was replaced in November/December 2017 with the latest Martin Audio, Allen & Heath and BlackMagicDesign equipment.

• Audio - There are two large passive Martin Audio speakers suspended from trussing in the ceiling and two Laney monitors on the floor for stage/band use. In terms of microphones, we have 5 hand-held mics (3 wireless and 2 wired), 2 head-set mics, stage mics and a brand new digital mixer. There is a Loop system for those with hearing aids. The AV system in the Main Worship Hall is connected to speakers in the foyer and around the rest of the building. These can be used or switched off depending on your needs.
• Visual - We have one large screen & overhead projector in the centre of the front wall, and another overhead projector pointing to a smaller screen on the back wall for stage use. There are screens located in the Foyer and Lounge which can be used as overflow areas. 
• Camera - We own a Panasonic HC-MDH3 camera. This can be used for recording events and can be set up as a camera feed for the screens in the building. There is a BlackMagicDesign switcher which has four inputs. This can be used for camera or any other input. 
• Streaming - (Please note that we require a member of our church media team to be present for this) We have the facility to stream high quality audio and visual to any social media or video platform. 
• Lighting - We have twelve dimmable houselights (Colour - Daylight), four warm white spotlights & seven LED colour pars all suspended from trussing in the ceiling. There is also the option to put either black or silver uplighter floor lamps around the perimeter of the room.

The Worship Hall costs £30/hour.

Capacity: Theatre Style - 250, Cabaret Style - 100. 

Secondary Hall (Young People's Hall)

Ideal for use for conferences, a classroom and for children's activities. There is a servery area through the wall to Kitchen 1. The exits at the back of the room lead to our new garden area. 

The Secondary Hall costs £20/hour. 

Capacity: Theatre Style - 80, Cabaret Style - 54. 

Worship Hall with Expansion Zone (Secondary Hall)

The wall between the Main Worship Hall and the Secondary Hall is a bi-folding wall and can be opened to increase the size of the Main Worship Hall from 228m² to 320m². This setting is ideal for the larger conferences & events we host and for examinations etc. In terms of multimedia, there are speakers in the expansion zone that are linked the main sound system. There are no screens but the screens in the Main Worship Hall can still be clearly seen. The ceiling in the expansion zone is a dropped/suspended ceiling and so is lower than the ceiling in the Main Worship Hall, but again this doesn’t obstruct acoustics or view.

The Main Worship Hall with Expansion Zone costs £40/hour

Capacity: Theatre Style - 350, Cabaret Style - 160, Examinations - 100

Community Hall

Ideal for conferences, a classroom, a training room and a canteen. There is servery area through the wall to Kitchen 2.

The Community Hall costs £20/hour. 

Capacity: Theatre Style - 70, Cabaret Style - 50.

IT Suite (General Purpose Room 4)

Consists of 11 Lenovo PC's with Windows 10. The room also has a Smart Board with OHP, 2 HP  laser jet printers and 2 HP scanners.

This room costs £25/hour.

Capacity: IT Class - 10 students and 1 teacher, Theatre Style - 15.

General Purpose Room 2 

Ideal for use as a classroom, larger meeting room and training room. GP2 has a sink and worktop area as well as its own private WC. 

This room costs £20/hour.

Capacity: Theatre Style - 20, Cabaret Style - 12.

General Purpose Room 3 

Ideal for use as a classroom, larger meeting room and training room. GP3 has a sink and worktop area as well as its own private WC. 

This room costs £20/hour.

Capacity: Theatre Style - 20, Cabaret Style - 12.

Kitchen 1

Ideal for culinary courses for around 8 people and for catering for your own event, Kitchen 1 is the largest of the three kitchens in our building. Kitchen 1 is fully equipped, containing refrigerators, freezers, a large gas oven and six ring gas hob (with industrial extractor fan), a chinaware warmer & heated buffet server (six buffet pans), a gas grill, a microwave, three sinks (hand wash, utensil wash & food wash), a hot water urn and a large dish washer. Utensils such as knives, rolling pins, pots, pans and trays etc are available.

We provide cleaning products (washing up liquid and sterilising surface spray) and tea towels. There are plates (small, medium and large), bowls, mugs, glasses and cutlery etc also available. In the centre of the kitchen are two stainless steel prep tables. Toasters and smaller kettles can be provided.

This kitchen has one serving area opening to the Community Hall.  

Kitchen 1 costs £15/hour

Capacity: 8  

Small Meeting Room

Ideal for small meetings of up to 6 people or a one to one room. The meeting room has a PC and screen for presentations.

This rooms costs £10/hour.

Capacity: 6

The Lounge

Refurbished in January 2019, The Lounge is a modern and comfortable setting with sofa seating for around 20 people. The Lounge has four 2-seater and four 3-seater sofas, 4 large oak coffee tables, oak sideboard, and a Sharp plasma screen TV with Freeview & a DVD Player and an iPod Dock. There is a servery area through the wall to Kitchen 1.

This room costs £18/hour. 

Capacity: 20

The Garden

A new project which has been part of our building improvements since the start of COVID-19, is our new garden around the back of the building. This area will be primarily used in the summer for our churches social events such as youth and YA barbeques, campfires and for use after Sunday meetings when the church gather for tea and coffee.

After the pandemic, we will look at the possibility of allowing our groups to use this space during the week.

Keep an eye out on this website for details. 

Car Parking

We have two car parks at Liverpool Walton, consisting of 40 spaces, plus plenty of street parking on Cavendish Drive and the side streets. Car Park A (front of building) has 10 spaces and Car Park B (Back of building), which is shared with the Early Years Centre and School next door, has 30 spaces. There is disabled parking in both car parks. Both car parks are well lit at night, have good drainage and CCTV cameras cover both car parks. Walkways around the perimeter of the building are well lit.

Vehicles are left in the car parks at the owners risk. The Salvation Army will not take responsibility for theft or damage to vehicles. 

Buffet Options 

Option 1 - £3 per head & VAT

• Sandwiches - Ham, Cheese, Egg
• Crisps 
• Cake 
• Coffee/Tea

Option 2 - £4 per head & VAT

• Sandwiches - Ham, Cheese, Egg
• Crisps 
• Sausage rolls 
• Quiche
• Cake 
• Coffee/Tea

Option 3 - £5 per head & VAT

• Sandwiches - Ham, Cheese, Egg
• Crisps 
• Sausage rolls 
• Quiche
• Pork pies 
• Mini eggs 
• Cake 
• Coffee/Tea

Extras - All plus VAT

• Fruit Platter - £1 per head 
• Jug of Juice - £1 per jug 
• Tea/Coffee/Biscuits - £1 per head 

Being situated in the inner suburbs of Liverpool, it's pretty easy to find your way to us from all directions. Here is some travel advice...

By Car

Sat-Nav - enter the address below into your Sat Nav. This will take you to the front of our building. The Salvation Army, Cavendish Drive, Walton, Liverpool, L9 1NB. If you don't have a Sat-Nav, more details for car travel are at the bottom of this section.

By Bus

If your coming from Liverpool City Centre, use bus routes 20 to Tower Hill or 21 to Northwood from Queen Square Bus Station, Stand 8. The 20 and 21 buses come every 5-10 minutes and take about 20 minutes to reach the Rice Lane, Cavendish Drive junction where we are located behind the Sainsbury's Superstore.  Another option is the 345 to Waddicar/Melling from Queen Square Bus Station, Stand 10. This bus comes every 30 minutes and takes 20 minutes to reach us. An extra bus for late travel, the 20X to Knowsley Industrial Park/Kirkby from Queen Square Bus Station, Stand 8 is a late bus that operates 2 services from Queen Square between 9pm and midnight. All bus services throughout Liverpool City Region (Central Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) end each day between midnight and 1am. They gradually restart from 4.30am onwards. 

The bus routes 159 to Fazakerley and 215 (North Circular) will drop you off right on our doorstep at Cavendish Drive Termnius. The 159 reaches us after its passed through the following Liverpool suburbs- Fazakerley, Old Roan, Netherton Old Roan Station, Netherton Magdalene Square, Litherland, Seaforth, Bootle Stand Shopping Centre, Kirkdale and Walton. The 215 reaches us after its passed through the following Liverpool suburbs- Warbreck Fazakerley, Croxteth, Norris Green, Townsend Avenue, Clubmoor and stops at Cavendish Drive Terminus. These two buses do not enter Central Liverpool. 

By Train

From the city - If using Merseyrail, the local train network, go to either Liverpool Central Underground Station or Moorfields Underground Station, and get the Northern Line (Blue Line) train Kirkby bound and get off at Rice Lane Station or Ormskirk bound to Walton Station. These trains come every 10-15 minutes. We are located a 10 minute walk down Rice Lane from both of these stations. All local train services end each day between midnight and 1am. They restart at around 5am. 

National Rail Services - There are two terminal stations in Liverpool, Liverpool Lime Street Station and Liverpool South Parkway Station. Liverpool Lime Street offers services to and from all major towns and cities over the UK, including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London. Liverpool South Parkway offers services to and from most North Western towns and cities such as Blackpool, Wigan and Warrington. National Rail services run into Liverpool Lime Street from around 3am til around 1am. The station only closes for 2 hours each night. National Rail services to and from Liverpool South Parkway run from around 6am til midnight, with the station closing for 6 hours each night. 

By Plane

Believe it or not, we have had people travel to us from other parts of the country and overseas by plane. Liverpool John Lennon Airport, situated in South Liverpool, is just a 30 minute drive from our building. The airport offers flights to and from most European countries, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and many other city airports within the UK. Taxi's from the airport to our building cost around £25. Bus route 81A from the airport to Bootle, would drop you off just a 10 minute walk from us.

Car (No Sat-Nav) 

The M62, M57 and M58 motorways are all located within a 15 minute drive of our building. Other key routes close by include the East Lancs Road and the Queensway and Kingsway Tunnels. 

M62 - The M62 ends at the border of Liverpool, in Broad Green. Exit the motorway onto Bowring Park Road and follow the road under the flyover and onto Queens Drive (A5058). From here its pretty simple, follow signs towards Bootle/Docks along Queens Drive for 4 miles until you see Alsop High School on your left. Soon after passing the high school, exit Queens Drive onto the Breeze Hill Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Rice Lane. Carry on down Rice Lane 500 metres until you see Clock View Hospital on the left and a large Sainsbury's store on the right. Take a right turn onto Cavendish Drive at this junction and we're just behind Sainsbury's. 

Switch Island (M57 and M58) - Once off one of the motorways, you are on what is known locally as Switch Island. Follow sign posts to City Centre or Liverpool Central Attractions. Go onto the A59 (Ormskirk Road) where you will see a large ASDA Walmart Supercentre on the left. Continue down the A59 until you reach Sainsbury’s at Rice Lane. You will see a road sign reading ‘Salvation Army’ pointing to Cavendish Drive. Turn left onto Cavendish Drive and continue past Sainsbury’s for a minute. You’ll see our building on the left, behind Sainsbury’s, just beyond a relatively new housing development.

East Lancs Road - The East Lancs Road leads straight to Queens Drive (A5058). When at Queens Drive, turn right onto it. Carry on down Queens Drive until you see Alsop High School on your left. Soon after passing the high school, exit Queens Drive onto the Breeze Hill Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Rice Lane. Carry on down Rice Lane 500 metres until you see Clock View Hospital on the left and a large Sainsbury's store on the right. Take a right turn onto Cavendish Drive at this junction and we're just behind Sainsbury's. 

Queensway/Kingsway Tunnels (From The City) - The Queensway Tunnel ends right in the heart of Liverpool City Centre at Old Haymarket. The Kingsway Tunnel ends a bit further away from the city centre in Vauxhall. For Queensway Tunnel users, at the end of the tunnel, take the second exit on the roundabout onto Byrom Street (A59). You will know you're on Byrom Street when the road opens out into a huge 10-lane boulevard with one of Liverpool John Moores University's campuses on the right. Continue to follow the A59 all the way from Byrom Street past the Kingsway Tunnel onto Scotland Road. For Kingsway Tunnel users, once out of the tunnel, exit the expressway using the first slip road. Here you will end up on Scotland Road. From here both tunnel users route is the same. Continue down Scotland Road, then onto Kirkdale Road, then Walton Road, then County Road until you reach Breeze Hill Roundabout with the Queens Drive flyover crossing the centre. Take the 2nd exit onto Rice Lane (still the A59). At the junction with Clock View Hospital on the left and Sainsbury’s on the right, turn right into Cavendish Drive. Continue on Cavendish Drive for a minute and you’ll see our building on the left, behind Sainsbury’s, just beyond a relatively new housing development.

For more information on public transport in Liverpool, visit the Merseytravel Website, the Merseyrail Website or the Mersey Ferries Website

For more information regarding national travel, visit the National Rail Website or the Northern Railway Website 

Our Church Leaders - Majors Chris & Lin Herbert

Chris and Lin have been our Church Leaders (Corps Officers) since they came to Liverpool from Doncaster, South Yorkshire in July 2019. 

They were commissioned as Salvation Army officers in 1994 after studying for two years at The Salvation Army's William Booth College in Denmark Hill, London. They have now been ministers for 26 years. They have a son called Josh, who is married to Vikki, and a daughter called Beth, who is married to Daniel. Josh and his wife Vikki are the officers at Winchester Salvation Army, in Hampshire.

Chris and Lin work with a large number of 'Local Officers' who are all members of Liverpool Walton and are on our Corps Strategy Council (Leadership Team).

Corps Sergeant Major - Heather Elliott

Heather has been our Corps Sergeant Major (CSM) since June 2015.

Heather assists Chris and Lin in worship services and the general running of the church. She helps to keep the communication flowing within the church and takes responsibility when Chris and Lin are away.

Heather works with our Assistant Corps Sergeant Major, James Griffiths. 

Recruiting Sergeant & Community Centre Manager - Jeanette Griffiths

Jeanette has been our Recruiting Sergeant since June 2015. She has been employed at our church since 2007, and since 2013 has been our Community Centre Manger.

Through her voluntary role as Recruiting Sergeant, she and the Pastoral Care Team are responsible for the pastoral care of our church members.

As Community Manger, Jeanette see's through the day to day running of our community centre and the outreach programmes.

Community Support Worker - Becky McGinnigle

Becky has been our Community Support Worker since 2013.

She works alongside Jeanette in our Community Office and help to oversee the running of our community centre and much of the outreach programmes.

Corps Treasurer - Graham Turner

Graham has been our Corps Treasurer since 2012, having previously served as Corps Secretary.

He and his team are responsible for the finance in our church.

He works with our Assistant Corps Treasurers, Amanda Stephens and Wally Stockley.

Bandmaster - Peter Elliott

Peter has been our Bandmaster since 2009.

He is responsible for 31 bandsmen and bandswomen.

Songster Leader - Lynsey Lacey

Lynsey has been our Songster Leader since 2017, having previously served as Corps Secretary from 2015, and is responsible for our Songster Brigade (Senior Choir).

Lynsey looks after 56 Songsters (Choir Members) and works with our Deputy Songster Leader, Kevin Elliott, our Songster Sergeant, Margaret Lacey, our Songster Secretary, Glyn Samuel, our Songster Librarian, Lorna Richardson, and our Songster Pianist, Glyn Griffiths. 

Corps Strategy Council - Kevin Elliott

As well as being on our Corps Strategy Council (Leadership Team), Kevin is our Deputy Songster Leader and has been since 2016.

Corps Strategy Council - Glyn Griffiths

As well as being on our Corps Strategy Council (Leadership Team), Glyn is our Songster Pianist and has been since 2019. He also plays piano for our worship band.

Corps Strategy Council - Megan Birchley

As well as being on our Corps Strategy Council (Leadership Team), Megan is on our Pastoral Care Council.

Corps Strategy Council - Geoff Kendal

As well as being on our Corps Strategy Council (Leadership Team), Geoff writes the Liverpool Walton Informer and has a lot of knowledge about the history of our church and The Salvation Army's activity in Liverpool.

Young People's Sergeant Major - Sylvia Wills

Sylvia has been our Young People's Sergeant Major since 2006. She is responsible for all of the children in our church under the age of 11.

Sylvia works with a large number of 'Young People's Workers' who help her to run our Children's Ministry work.

Corps Youth Secretary - Chris Longmore

Chris has been our Corps Youth Secretary since 2017.

He is responsible for the youth in our church aged 25 and under.

Young People's Band Leader - Neil Lacey

Neil has been our Young People's Band Leader since 2016.

He is responsible for our Young People's Band (Junior Brass Band).

He works with our Assistant Young People's Band Leader, Steph Samuel.

Singing Company Leader - Kat Samuel

Kat has been our Singing Company Leader since 2016 and is responsible for our Singing Company (Junior Choir).

She has a team of helpers who assist her in her role and support the group in singing.