Those behind the construction of a new “prayer wall” in the UK have announced they plan to donate a million bricks to social housing projects, enough to build 100 new homes.
The ‘Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer’ will be located on the outskirts of the city of Birmingham and, taking the form of a giant Mobius strip, will be constructed from a million bricks, each one representing an individual answered prayer from people across the country.
The proposed ‘Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer’, PICTURE: Supplied.
One the prayer wall, which recently received planning permission for its construction at Coleshill, is built, organisers have said they will link with the two social housing partners, as well as council housing charities and international social housing initiatives, to provide enough money to finance the building of 100 houses.
Richard Gamble, the visionary behind the project, said it was his 11-year-old daughter who suggested to him that “we should ensure that the Eternal Wall had a significant social impact”.
“This project is the practical outworking of what we stand for as a charity, we have been clear since the start that the project needed to sow back into the great work that charitable organisations are doing across the country.”
Gamble said social housing was at a “crisis point” in the UK.
“[I]t is our hope that we can play a small part in supporting those most in need,” he said. “Our hope would be that Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer creates opportunity to support those charities who are working to help those most in need. In the first generation of Eternal Wall’s lifetime, we expect to generate five times the value of the build for charities.”
An example the sort of social housing which will be built with the bricks. PICTURE: Keystone Foundation & Cornerstone Partnership.
Ed Walker, the founder and executive director of Hope into Action – one of the social housing partners, welcomed the news.
“For years we have worked with the homeless, females fleeing domestic violence, those in recovery from addiction, former prostitutes, refugees, asylum seekers, and those in modern slavery to help them find a roof over their head. Finding that accommodation is a challenge but working with organisations like Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer who have already gained such a high profile, provides more awareness and more funding to help those who are often forgotten.”
The two year construction of the wall, which will stand 59 metres tall, is expected to kick off next year.
To contribute a prayer to the wall, head to www.eternalwall.org.uk/testimony.
