When a building that a community depends on suddenly closes, the question is rarely whether to carry on. It is how. For St Peter's Church in Bethnal Green, the answer was a marquee that held weekly services for almost exactly a year while the building was repaired. This is the story of that year, and a practical look at what it takes to run a marquee as a place of worship through every season.

A historic church forced to close

St Peter's Bethnal Green is a Grade II listed church in east London, designed by Lewis Vulliamy and completed in 1841 in a free neo-Norman style. It sits within a conservation area and is one of the surviving churches from a wave of church building in the area in the 1840s. Like many historic buildings of its age, it carries the maintenance burden that comes with flint, brick and stone construction nearly two centuries old. The church appears on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, which tracks listed buildings whose condition puts them at risk.

In late 2022, ahead of the church's annual Carols by Candlelight service, the ceiling failed. The building had to close while repairs were carried out, leaving the congregation without its home at one of the busiest points in the church calendar. Rather than cancel, David from St Peter's looked for a way to keep services running, and bought a Gala Tent Elite PVC marquee in the 6m x 12m size.

The marquee in David's words

Setting up for a full year of use

A marquee used for a single weekend and a marquee left standing for a year are two very different jobs. St Peter's set theirs up for the long haul, combining the structure with the right anchorage and comfort equipment so that services could continue safely week after week.

The setup combined several elements:

• Water weight bags on each leg, to anchor the structure on a hard surface where ground pegs are not an option.

• Storm kits, which add tension and bracing to help a marquee hold firm in high winds.

• Ground bars, which connect the legs to keep them at a true ninety-degree angle and reduce strain on the joints and roof.

• Marquee heaters, to keep the congregation warm through the colder months.

That combination is what allowed the marquee to stay up all year. You can see the anchorage and weights, strengthening equipment and other marquee accessories that support this kind of long-term installation.

Why the Elite PVC marquee suited the job

The structure David chose is the Elite specification of the Gala Tent marquee, which uses a heavier cover and a steel frame built for repeated, demanding use. Several features matter for a building standing in for a church across a full year.

• 650gsm heavy-duty PVC cover. The Elite cover is a wipe-clean, UV-resistant 100 percent PVC, heavier and more weather-resistant than a standard polyethylene cover, which suits permanent and semi-permanent use.

• Powder-coated steel frame. The frame uses tubular steel up to 44mm in diameter with a wall thickness up to 1.2mm and a gloss powder-coated finish that resists corrosion. The frame is rated to a tensile strength of 55,000 PSI.

• Fire certification. The marquee is certified to British fire safety standards BS 5438 and BS 7837, which matters for any structure hosting a public gathering such as a congregation.

• Space for a congregation. At 6m x 12m, the marquee offers an eave height of 205cm and a centre apex of 370cm, with room for around 120 people standing or 60 seated, enough for a regular service.

• Weatherproofing details. Commercial Dutch lacing on the doors and sidewalls, reinforced eyelets, side skirts for drainage and removable sidewall panels all help keep a long-standing marquee secure and dry.

The Elite marquee is designed and developed in Britain and supplied as a buy-to-own structure, which is what made a year of continuous use practical and cost-effective for the church.

Keeping a winter marquee warm and usable

One of the biggest considerations for a church or community group thinking about a year-round marquee is comfort in winter. Gala Tent's 1kW infrared marquee heaters provide warmth across roughly a 2m radius, are weatherproof and IP23 certified, and run from a 5m cable. For full heat coverage in a 6m x 12m marquee, six heaters are recommended.

Lighting is the other practical need for services that run into dark winter evenings. LED globe lighting sets give even, weatherproof light across the space and are straightforward to rig along the frame.

Together with the heating and anchorage, these accessories turn a marquee from a fair-weather shelter into a space a congregation can use comfortably through December and January.

What this means for other churches and community groups

St Peter's is one example of a wider pattern. Churches, schools and community organisations regularly need space at short notice when a building becomes unusable, whether through structural failure, repairs or a sudden rise in demand. A commercial-grade marquee offers a fast, controllable answer.

If your church or organisation is weighing up a marquee, a few questions help narrow the choice:

• How long will it stand? A weekend event and a year-long installation call for different covers and anchorage. For long-term use, the heavier Elite PVC cover and a full anchorage and ground bar setup are worth the investment.

• What surface will it sit on? Hard standing usually means water weights or storm kits rather than ground pegs.

• How many people need to fit? Capacity guides the size. The 6m x 12m suits a regular congregation, while smaller or larger footprints are available across the marquee range.

• Will you use it in winter? If so, plan for heating and lighting from the outset.

• Who signs off on safety? For public gatherings, fire-rated fabric and correct anchorage are not optional. Our team can advise on what a specific setup needs.

Our structures have supported communities in a range of situations, from schools needing extra space during the RAAC schools issue to businesses and organisations that needed additional, well-ventilated space during the pandemic. The common thread is a durable structure that can be put up quickly and relied on for as long as it is needed.

Back inside, and looking ahead

St Peter's reopened its building in time for Christmas, and the congregation has returned to worship inside the historic church once again. The repair work continues, as it does for many listed buildings, but for the year it was needed, the marquee did its job.

If you are thinking about a marquee for a church, community group or organisation, call our team on 01709 242454 and tell them how long you need it, how often you will use it, and where it will stand. You can also contact us online, download a brochure, or request a product demo. To talk about community and charity projects specifically, see our charity page.