St Mary's Church, Fairford

Churches Together Around Fairford - AGM

7 February 2016 at 4pm in the United Church

There will be a short meeting followed by some ideas for a future outreach from Rosie Emmerson. We will then enjoy a cup of tea and some cakes together. Please come and hear how our activities in 2015 worked out and share our plans for 2016.

See the website.

Church Organ Appeal

At the September meeting of the PCC a resolution was passed to apply for a Faculty for the much needed repairs to the Organ.

The Organ, which was probably built by Nicholson’s of Worcester in the early 1840’s, was last repaired in 1986. It is now needing urgent work on the Great Soundboard and Re-leathering of the Bellows. The estimated cost is in the region of £40,000. We hope to start work after Easter next year and this is estimated to be six weeks.

Obviously a lot of Fund Raising is going to be needed!
Alison Godsal, Co-ordinator of the Organ Appeal

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting has been arranged for Sunday 10th April in St. Marys following the 10.00 am Sung Eucharist Service. This should be about 11.15 am.

Everyone on the Electoral Roll is welcome to attend.

Charity of the Month:
People for You

"PEOPLE FOR YOU" is a volunteer befriending scheme for older, isolated people in Fairford, Lechlade, surrounding villages and Tetbury. Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery, the schemes will work in partnership and will be known as Cotswold Befrienders although each scheme will work independently. This is wonderful news - the impact and consequences of loneliness and isolation is devastating. It is sad fact that with an increasing population and often families scattered around the world many older people live alone with no regular company.

The aim of the charity is to reduce loneliness and isolation. A BBC News Report revealed that 'social isolation is associated with a higher risk of death in older people regardless of whether they consider themselves lonely. This is possibly due to the emotional effects of isolation - that feeling lonely is bad for your health. Volunteers are sought form Fairford, Lechlade and the surrounding areas to come forward - just an hour a week of their time can transform someone's life. Organiser Sue would like to hear from people who feel the scheme might be of interest to them or a friend/family member. Everyone needs someone and it is such a pleasure to introduce a local volunteer to an older person in their own community and then to sit back and watch a mutually sustaining friendship develop.

Mother Theresa is quoted as saying "Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty" - that says it all. Any donations will be gratefully received to fund social and other events. There will be literature on the south wall shelf in the church, or you can contact Sue Black on mobile 07810630167 or email.
Website.

Coffee Morning in aid of Flower Festival

10.00 to 12.00 Saturday 2nd April
in the Heritage Room in the Fairford Community Centre

Bring and Buy, Raffle and Cake Stall. Please come and support us and bring your friends. Money raised is for the flowers for the Flower Festival in St. Mary’s Church, Fairford from 16th to 19th September. The theme of the Festival is ‘Painters’.

The 2015 Christmas Day Lunch

44 people sat down at the Community Centre to a turkey lunch with all the trimmings, cooked and served by a great team of volunteers. Following fruit salad and Christmas pudding, we were entertained with a quiz, while music was provided by Spindrift. After the Queen’s Speech, which was relayed onto a large screen, all the guests, who would otherwise have been spending Christmas Day alone, went home with a bag of goodies for the evening.

A huge thank you goes to all the volunteers for their support and hard work on the day. Without them the event could not have happened at all! The children at Hatherop Primary School made all the table decorations, including placemats, which they covered with messages of goodwill.

The event was also made possible by generous donations, which were hugely appreciated, from 7a Coffee Shop, Andrew Butler, Co-op, Enntwine, Fairford Fish & Chip Shop, The Post Office, Fairford Town Council, Lechlade & District Lions, Londis, The Bull Hotel, The Plough Inn & Waitrose as well as a number of individual donors.
Amanda and Mervyn.

Food Bank update

Many thanks indeed for the temporary measure of 'toiletries only', whilst the C.F.B. dealt with the backlog, which is now resolved.

In addition to our local donations, there was a surprise donation of fifteen hampers from HONDA in Swindon who asked us to please find suitable destinations for these wonderful gifts. Three were given to local families, and the rest went straight to Ashcroft Church for Christmas Eve distribution. Grateful thanks to HONDA for their generosity, I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2016 with my continuing gratitude for your love and support.
Wendy G.