Firstly, St. Francis church in Bournville is quite simply a beautiful church, both inside and out…read more I can't really comment on the general work or services of the church, but I had the good fortune to attend a friend's wedding there recently and was impressed by how beautiful, bright and welcoming the building is - as well as the clergy there. It is a big church, but simple and elegant, tastefully decorated inside in light blue and cream - which was, conveniently, the colour scheme of the wedding. I have no idea whether this was intentional on the bride's behalf, or just plain co-incidence. I do know that they were an extremely accommodating lot at St. Francis, so who knows? Maybe they re-painted just for her... The wedding party rocked up with their own vicar, musicians, decorations and what have you; all of which were readily welcomed and accommodated by the vicar - Peter Babington - and his staff. According to my (now married) friend, they were great at keeping in touch and making sure everything ran smoothly as well. So, as I said, I can't tell you about Sunday services or other day-to-day church activities, but for a wedding, this place seemed perfect.

This is actually quite a fantastic looking church. It's one of those churches I've been to for a…read morewedding that I attended a couple of months back. It's pretty large inside and offers traditional features which I always adore when walking into a religious building. The colours they've used are colours I'd expect to see in a church. It's effective and presents an image of an important place. When I went there for this wedding I attended, the church looked great in the backdrop of all the wedding pictures. Due to the traditional look of the church from the outside, it worked well in regards to offering a scenery for the wedding party. The church congregation and vicar are very welcoming and it's nice to attend a church where you are not badgered about attending their church. This left me with a positive feeling about the religious establishment that I may visit the place again.

The Nishkam Centre is located on Soho Road and is at the forefront of advancing community and…read moreeconomic wellbeing; promoting interfaith, intercultural, intercommunity dialogue; and championing social justice and inclusion. After being built by volunteers: Fact-'the building is worth £6m', it's a centre piece on the Soho Road area. The centre is not too far from town, its very access as you can catch the 74, 75 or bus number 79 to access the centre from Birmingham City Centre. By car it's about 10 minutes away from the Colmore Row area. It's such a lovely building, beautifully built and has some superb interior features inside- with a glass lift at the main reception area, a bit scary for those who are afraid of heights. The Nishkam Centre is a religious building but also offers venue spaces which can be booked out by external organisations looking to hold a networking event or function at the centre; from weddings to elegant birthday parties. I first visited the Nishkam Centre last year when working for Birmingham City University but revisited the centre a few backs when there was another community networking/professional development session. The space which I love the most is the room which faces Soho Road, on one of the upper floors- I can't remember which floor it is now. The room has long, glass windows which mean you can see most of Soho Road, Handsworth area from the room; the view is spectacular.

I have always admired the construction of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick. A Gurdwara is the…read moregateway to Guru, a place of worship for the Sikh's. Sikh's wear turbans, that's how you can tell if someone is a Sikh. They are not allowed to cut any of the hair from their heads or bodies. I'm not sure if this rule applies to Sikh women as well. Britain is a multi-cultural society, one that allows all people to freely practice their religious customs and cultures. The Gurdwara is another building that reminds us of that fact daily. I went inside and had a walk around, it was quite an opulent interior with effigies of multiple gods ordaining the walls and ceilings. If you are in the area and would like to find out more, just pop in and have a look around like I did.

Shree Krishna Mandir is like my second home. I have been attending the Mandir for many years now…read moreand I get a lot of joy just by visiting the Mandir. The Mandir was established in 1971 and is recognised all over the world with it being used for religious, social, educational and recreational purposes. Unfortunately in December 1992, the Mandir was destroyed by an arson attack. However the deities of Shree Radha and Krishna remained untouched. When it happened, I was heartbroken as were the local community. But seeing the new Mandir re-open in 2010 was a fantastic sight to see and it is something I will never forget. The new Mandir was designed in accordance with Shilpa Sastras - a design philosophy based on Hindu religion. The Mandir will continue to serve as a Centre for culture, worship and peace that aims to benefit all of society irrespective of race, colour creed, caste or religion.

I love this mosque it is a peaceful and serene place to be in to gather your thoughts and prayer to…read moreAllah. There are books avaliable in the main prayer room but only for reading inside. There are also ablution and restroom facilities and the mosque also teaches Islamic studies and FREE quranic language classes on wednesdays and Thurdays after the night prayer.

I am fast making it my mission to visit as many Quaker meeting houses as possible. I find the…read morequaker faith fascinating and their open, friendly, welcoming invitation into their buildings astounding. It's made perfectly clear in their venues being called a meeting house. I'm not religious in the slightest but I've visited a few Quaker houses now and this one is a really quaint space being utilised by a wide range of the community. When I nipped in it was in the midst of preschool pick up but the staff were friendly and helpful. They have a great space and one that they not only hire out to the community and use for their worship but they also have a creative day just to bring people together to make in a space amongst other creatives and without any disruption from the trappings of daily life. Their building is set just next door to Northfield's main shopping area and right on the doorstep of the park. Perfect location if you need a venue in Northfield.

I confess I am the clerk to the Development Committee for the Northfield Quaker Meeting…read moreHouse--therefore chose 3 stars as did the first reviewer. Northfield Quaker Meeting House is available for parties most Saturdays. Reasonable rates, good kitchen, large hall and attractive garden directly adjoining Victoria (Northfield) Park which has a really good playground area for children. The Northfield Shopping Centre is a short walk across the park. The Meeting House has its own car park, is very close to the Bristol Rd (buses into city centre) and a 15 minute walk from Northfield Train Station. Contact the warden at 0772 835 6894 for details.

I have not been in the Church at Hill Top Methodist Church. However I have been in the Community…read moreCentre part of the building. Regular services do take place at the Church and there are Community events that take place at this venue. Rooms are available to hire but obviously you would need to check for availability. There is also a kitchen available so if you are providing any catering services on the day then the kitchen can be used. I tend to use the Community Centre when it comes to practising for musical events/concerts. I have not had any problems with the place and I have found it to be quite useful. During my teenage days, I attended the Centre for a Summer Youth Club which I thoroughly enjoyed. My mother uses the Community Centre for work purposes and she does not have any issues with the venue. This is me being picky but the grass could do with a cut. That is my only criticism.

If the community of the Jewellery Quarter was a human body, St Paul's Church would be it's beating…read moreheart. It's one of the most picturesque places in the Quarter and really worth a visit if you've never popped in before. The church is overseen by the lovely and eccentric Vicar Mary (who's love of Craft and Film is something to behold). It really is a lovely place to have a wander around, even if you're not in the least bit religious. Honestly, I can vouch that I have been in several times and have never even been singed (it was a relief not to burst into flames). As one of the more hospitable green spaces in the Centre of Birmingham, over summer it's a haven for picknickers, lunch-timers and readers. Over the winter, it's a magnet for sledgers and intrepid snowman makers. As well as Churchy-things, the building has been used for a multitude of cool events. Did you know Elbow hosted a super secret gig in the catacombs a couple of years ago? I have been to Jameson's events, Film screenings and live music based events here. It's well worth keeping an eye on the noticeboards as you pop by, you never know what the Vicar has up her sleeves!

I'm not a church-goer, nor am I religious - but I absolutely love the architecture of churches and…read morereligious buildings, and I love the ambience and calm that descends whenever I am in one. St Paul's has taken a surprising and progressive approach to business by expanding their reach to include operating as a music venue - presumably to carefully handpicked acts only. I've been fortunate enough to see Laura Marling and Lisa Hannigan play gigs here, and both of them suited the venue perfectly. The vaulted ceilings carry their voices clearly across pews and pews of fans, and the acoustics meant the instruments all sounded crystal clear. I'm sure more performers will start seeing churches as an alternative venue to perform in (particularly if they're acoustic and/or folk) though I really can't see any loud heavy metal being performed here!