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July & August 2015

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1

A new command I give you: Love one another. As Ihave loved you, so you must love one another. By

this everyone will know that you are my disciples, ifyou love one another.”Jesus told his friends and followers that the world willknow that they are his followers ONLY by the love thatthey display for one another words come right from Jesus’mouth, who been for them the perfect Epitome of lovefact, according to St John, this is the only commandmentJesus explicitly identified for His disciples and insisted thatit be kept is a “new command”.BUT what’s new about it -What is this Love?Well, love for Jesus, was never just a feeling. It wasproactive and highly visible. “By this all will know you aremy disciples”. And we can understand this point. Ifsomeone is hungry and lonely, knowing that a group froma well fed and comfortable congregation have said apassing Amen to a worship leader’s prayer of intercessionmentioning the hungry and the lonely would neverconvince the lonely and hungry anyone cares. But someoneprepared to make friends –to offer food and give thehungry and lonely the time of day now that would start tomean something.It seems that our newspapers and our TV screens are sooften full of the evil deeds of humanity – that we forget themillions of acts of kindness and love which happened eachday. I once heard a nun say that ‘The world can be divided intotwo sets of people, those who care and those who don’t. She went onto list some of the simple everyday acts of care that shewitnessed in the community – those we see around us herein this church and village – the visits to the elderly and sick,the clubs and outings –the charity work for those both nearand far.Most of us recognise the need to do things for others andwe do – we are moved to show care and compassion forthe elderly, those affected by disaster– but Jesus wentfurther he said that we should: Love our neighbours asourselves! He said we should love and care for everyone –even those who are perhaps not so easy to love. Evenmore – do we see the goodness and the love in others –most especially those in whom we would not expect it!Here I want to give you an example of what I mean – asimple everyday example of a fairly simple act – yet onewhich serves as Parable of Care – a Parable of Love inaction! By the way it’s a true story. It's a story about aGarden competition in what used to be called an ApprovedSchool and with my previous work I suppose that’s why itspeaks to me!The school in question was one which took boys when theyhad appeared before magistrates two, three or four timesfor breaking the law. It was a strict and austere place witha lack of liberty being the greatest form of punishment.Most of the ‘inmates’ were housed in the main school, butthere was another distant building to which boys who hadshown themselves to be more trustworthy were sent. Itonly housed about 24 but they were allowed more freedomand enjoyed special privileges. For example they wereallowed to keep rabbits and were each given a patch of landwhere they could grow their won produce. They were alsoencouraged to grow flowers and annual prizes were givenfor the best gardens.

One of the lads a this house, Johnny - a lad with a troublesand ‘colourful’ past was very keen on gardening and he wasdetermined to win the top prize. He spent every sparemoment he had on his patch of ground and it was soonevident to all the others that Johnny might well beat them tothe top prize. This spurred them to even greater efforts, andthough their plots improved considerably, none reachedJohnny’s standard.Then he took ill and was confined to bed in the sick bay.Week after week he lay there in misery. He wasn’t so muchconcerned for his health but more for his garden! As he laytin his bed staring at the white walls he pictured the plantswilting for lack of water, and the weeds climbing up andchoking them. He imagined his rabbit breaking out of hishutch and to satisfy his hunger eating his lettuces and othergreens. There was no doubt in his mind, as it came to theday of the prize giving, that his garden would be the worstof all, and it was little joy to him that the doctor had said hecould get up for a little while and go outside,Disconsolately, he walked to the hut where the rabbits werekept, but was cheered considerably when he saw how muchhis had grown. Somebody must have been feeding it for him!As he turned a corner as was his garden he could not believehis eyes. It was full of glorious colour and the vegetablepatch was weed less and the vegetables themselves inexcellent condition. But best of all, stick to a cane was a card,with the coveted words, ‘FIRST PRIZE.’ HE HAD WON!He was quick to recognise the kindness – the care – THELOVE- of his fellow inmates – his friends who had caredenough for him to care for his plot so well!Perhaps we are surprised that those Young Offenders had itin them to act in such a way – to be nothing less thanCHRISTLIKE in their love of a ‘neighbour.’ And in thelight of their actions – we ask ourselves what we would havedone in their place!? Would we have helped Johnny eventhough it meant losing the prize ourselves?Jesus said that when we care enough about others to do evenlittle things for them, it is the same as if we did it for HIM!In a society that is increasingly turning its back on theChristian Church if we are to change that – if we are tobringpeople back to Christ then we need to be shining beacons ofLove – CHRISTTLIKE – in our giving –Kingdom peoplefull of LOVE, MERCY, JUSTICE, COMPASSION andabove all LOVE! In the words of that famous song:Love, love changes everything,hands and faces, earth and skyLove, love changes everything,How you live and how you dieLove, will turn your world around,And that world will last foreverYes, love, love changes everything,Brings you glory, brings you shameNothing in the world will ever be the sameYes, love, love changes everyone,live or perish, in its flameLove will never, never let you be the sameLove will never, never let you be the sameJesus says to his disciples – and says to us all: “love oneanother as I have loved, as I love you – this is the greatestcommandment by this and this alone shall all know thatyou are my disciples.”

MB

From the Rectory . . . .

2Love

The Power To Change The WorldI recently wrote this when I was reflecting on what we canaccomplish if everyone loved unselfishly. Sometimes,because of our experiences in life, we forget how to lovebut we should always remember that without love we losethe most important part of us. Without each person's love,the world is poorer and our hearts become, to sampleOmarion's song, 'an ice box'.

What makes us human is our capacity to love. Love is thatquality that erases prejudice and moves us to forgive,gives us peace of mind in a turbulent world, and keeps ussane.

Love sees broken souls and heals them. Love hearsplaintive cries and answers. Love discerns a need andfulfils it. Love does not see colour, race or features; lovesees people.

Yes, we are imperfect. Our love is imperfect but the powerof love overshadows its imperfections. The power of loveknows no boundaries, no walls. It holds no record ofmisgivings but believes in second chances.

Love does not ask for anything in return. It is at times aself-sacrificing gift but it is given freely. For when wegive love and see the difference that one act of love canmake, the feeling is priceless, indescribable.

And in that one moment, we get a glimpse of the powercontained in each of us, the power, not to change theworld, but to change a part of the world. And then wesee the power of our love working in unison, the powerto change the world.

Julie Le Gendre April 2007

3

What is this “towards a fairer share”?

Each year the diocesan budget pays for the shared costsof mission and ministry across the parishes of the diocese,and puts the diocesan Kingdom People vision into practicefor the fruitful service of church, community and world. Wedo this through a common fund; each parish pays a shareinto that common fund, which we call parish share. We aretrying to find a way of doing this more fairly.

Why is this being done in a new way?

Many parishes have raised questions about how the parishshare is calculated. Malvern deanery developed a new wayof calculating it, which they felt offered a fairer and moretransparent way of assessing what parishes couldcontribute to this common fund. They shared their ideaswith other deaneries and with the Bishop’s Council. TheBishop’s Council asked the Diocesan Synod to adopt it forall the parishes of the diocese, and the Diocesan Synod(made up of representatives from each deanery) voted forit in November 2014 by a large majority

“ From Bible times till nowthe church hasencouraged people togive according to theirmeans to God’s work. Iam glad this approachseeks to put thatprinciple of proportionalgiving front and centre”Bishop John

What persuaded people this was a good idea?

In the past some parishes found excessive fluctuations intheir share because it was being calculated twice: once bythe diocesan board of finance and then a second time bytheir deanery treasurer or finance committee on varyingbases. The new system uses just one calculation in thesame way for everyone, and tries to take real account ofpeople’s actual income.

Why am I being asked to declare my income?

Asking each active church member for a confidential andanonymous declaration of their personal income is themost practical way we have to make a genuinely

proportional assessment of parish share. Jesus praised thewidow who gave her two small coins, over and above thosewho gave a lot more in absolute terms, but proportionallyless than the poor widow (Mark 12:42-44). For many yearsthe Church of England has encouraged proportional giving;now we are improving the way we use this same principleto assess parish share

How can I be sure this is truly confidential?

Each person is being given two forms to complete. Theyare not lengthy, and will only take a few minutes to fill in.One is a form which simply states you have participated inthe assessment exercise (the survey form). This is the onlyplace your name is recorded. The other is a form on whichyou state your income band. (the confidential incomedeclaration form). Each is placed in a separate box inchurch. Your churchwardens will only see and count yoursurvey participation form. They pass the numbers only, butnot the survey forms or the names, on to thechurchwardens of another parish together with the sealedbox of income declaration forms. This means no one’sincome can be identified with them.

Why is there an option to tick no income?

In some cases an active member may have no income oftheir own. For example, in a family where one adult goes towork, their spouse stays at home, and neither have anyinvestment or other income, the working adult coulddeclare their income band according to their salary, and thenon-working adult could have no personal income todeclare.

Why are you asking about income after tax?

This is the easiest way to be consistent across every parish.Once you start to introduce a long list of possibleexclusions, it gets more complicated for everyone. Formany years Christian stewardship teaching has beenbased on the idea of “First to the Lord”. This encourages usto plan our giving as one of the first, if not the first, item inour budget. I attend two churches: what do I do? You willalready have made a choice about how you deal with yourgiving, either all to one church, or shared between the two.Say you earn £14,000 after tax. If you put all your givingthrough church X then in church X you would tick the boxfor Band D (£10,001 – £15,000), and in church Y tick thebox for Band A (no income). Alternatively if you share your

Towards a fairer shareThe new way in which Parish Share is to be calculated.

Our common fund supporting mission and ministry

towards a fairer share

4giving equally between churches X and Y, you divide yourincome by two to get £7,000 and in each church you tick thebox for band C (£5,001 – £10,000).

“Following requestsfor a fairer approachto sharing our costsof mission and min-istry, I believe thisnew formula canhelp us to addressthe challenges ofour Kingdom PeopleVision.”

Alastair Findlay Chair of theMission, Pastoral andResources Committee

What if someone doesn’t fill in their form?

We hope everyone will, since that gives the clearest picture.However, if more than three-quarters of the church’s activemembership have filled in their forms, then each person whohas not returned a form will be treated as having the averageincome for the church. If fewer than three-quarters of theactive members have returned their forms, the deanerytreasurer will make a calculation for the rest based on theaverage income for the deanery using government data. Thiswill be less accurate as it is based on everyone living in thearea, and not just those involved in the life of the church.What if people fill in the wrong information? Every system wecan use, including those we have used in the recent past, isbased on trust. In filling in these forms we ask you to treatthe other parishes in the diocese as your parish would like tobe treated by them. What will happen with the information?Each deanery treasurer will send the collated information tothe diocesan office and inform each church of the totals forthe their own deanery. When the diocesan synod approvesthe budget for the coming year, the parish share will beallocated proportionally among the churches based on theincome assessment declared through their deanery. Thediocesan office will send this information directly to eachparish treasurer.

What if people fill in the wrong information?

Every system we can use, including those we have used inthe recent past, is based on trust. In filling in these forms weask you to treat the other parishes in the diocese as yourparish would like to be treated by them. What will happenwith the information? Each deanery treasurer will send thecollated information to the diocesan office and inform eachchurch of the totals for the their own deanery. When thediocesan synod approves the budget for the coming year, theparish share will be allocated proportionally among thechurches based on the income assessment declared through

their deanery. The diocesan office will send this informationdirectly to each parish treasurer.

How often will we have to do this exercise?

This deanery survey will be carried out every three years. Ifthere is a drastic change to income or active members in aparish in the intervening years then a church would alwaysbe free to do an interim recalculation in consultation withboth deanery and diocesan officers.

And finally, where does the money go?

These are very broad categories, but here is a breakdown ofour diocesan expenditure in 2014. Parish share funded 61%of this expenditure. The figures here are rounded to thenearest £1000.*

Parochial Mission & Ministry

£5,577,000 72.0 %

Diocesan Mission & Ministry

£789,000 10.2 %

Educa�on & School Support

£297,000 3.8 %

Suppor�ng Parish Church Maintenance &Development

£101,000 1.3 %

Diocesan & Parish Statutory Administra�on &Support

£276,000 3.6 %

General Synod & Archbishops' Council costs

£519,000 6.7 %

Office Management & Administra�on

£192,000 2.5 %

Total £7,751,000

5

There can be fewer subjects morecontentious in parish life that the issue ofParish Share. Parish Share is the namegiven to the contribution each parish makesto the costs of running the Church ofEngland’s presence and mission in theparishes of the Diocese of Worcester.For centuries, the day-to-day costs of thenational church were largely met by ancientfunds. In rural parishes, where the church isoften located at the bottom of the garden ofthe local feudal lord, local expenses weremet by the occupant of that home as part ofthe unwritten contract of noblesse oblige andhas remained an assumption in some partsof the country until quite recently.In 1948 these ancient fluids wereconsolidated into an organisation whichwould become the Church Commissioners.Its preceding body funded many of thenineteenth century city churches,necessitated by the migration of rural labourto the new industrial centres.Since then, the Church Commissioners haveoverseen the investments of a portfoliocurrently valued at £6.7bn.In 1992, the Commissioners suffered in-vestment losses of £800m. While this is heldresponsible for the increased dependenceon congregational giving, that loss wasrecovered within a few years. Whatprecipitated a change in parish funding wasgovernment legislation following the RobertMaxwell pensions scandal, also in 1992.This legislation required that the pensionfunds of organisations be ring fenced so thatthey could never again be risked in acompany’s speculative investment. As theChurch Commissioners complied with thisnew law, so followed the need for operatingincome to start to devolve to the church'sparishes.

How the amount of giving for eachparish is calculated has been a matterof lively debate ever since. Unlike thefree churches, Church of Englandcongregations have been accustomedto belonging to a church where itsexpenses were met by a higherauthority. The transition to parish sharehas been easier in parishes withmembers which have a clear sense of achurch’s purpose, and a clear sensethat we have an obligation to God togive a proportion of our income.The Diocese of Worcester, in theinterests of using an objective criterion,had for some years used informationfrom the Inland Revenue to assess aparish's level of income. Over time, thishas been found to be inequitable and,certainly in Evesham, the Revenue datahas implied that our congregations arebetter off than we actually are.For some years now, the Diocese hasbeen engaged in a listening exercise, totry and find a method which is both fairand effective. Following trials in Malvernand, again, with consultation withDeaneries, we are launching a new wayof assessing Parish Share calledTowards a Fairer Share, which dependson our candidly completing a form ofself assessment. In other words, we getto be in control of what we say we are ina position to give. What follows is a listof Frequently Asked Questions aboutthis new scheme, compiled by DougChaplin, about this new scheme,designed to make its details accessibleand easily understood.Andrew Spurr

Extracted from Evesham Parish Magazine

Doug Chaplin, the Diocese’s Mission DevelopmentOfficer, introduces the results of a consultation withparishes on a new method for calculating Parish Share.

Our common fund supporting mission and ministry

towards a fairer share

6

Thursday 2nd 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

Sunday 5thKempsey 8.00 a.m. Holy CommunionSevern Stoke 10.30 a.m. Holy CommunionKempsey 10.45 a.m. Family Service.

Thursday 9th 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

Sunday 12th

Kempsey 8.00 a.m. MattinsKempsey 10.30 a.m. Family CommunionSevern Stoke 6.00 p.m. Songs of Praise NASH

Thursday 16th 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

Sunday 19th

Kempsey 8.00 a.m. Holy CommunionKempsey 10.30 a.m. NO SERVICECROOME 11.00 a.m. BENEFICE SERVICE (PATRONAL)Kempsey 6.00 p.m. Holy Communion

Thursday 23rd 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion BCP

Sunday 26thKempsey 8.00 a.m. MatinsKempsey 10.30 a.m. Holy CommunionSevern Stoke 10.30 a.m. Informal Worship

Thursday 30th 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

ERVICES forS5th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

6th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

7th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

8th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

7

ERVICES forSSunday 2ndKempsey 8.00 a.m. Holy CommunionSevern Stoke 10.30 a.m. Holy CommunionKempsey 10.45 a.m. Family Service.Norton 10.30 a.m. Family Service.

Thursday 6th 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

Sunday 9thKempsey 8.00 a.m. MatinsKempsey 10.30 a.m. Family CommunionSevern Stoke 3.15 p.m. Family Service

Thursday 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

Sunday 16thKempsey 8.00 a.m. Holy CommunionKempsey 10.30 a.m. Holy CommunionSevern Stoke 10.30 a.m. Holy CommunionKempsey 6.00 p.m. Patronal Songs of Praise

Thursday 20th 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion BCP

Sunday 23rdKempsey 8.00 a.m. MatinsKempsey 10.30 a.m. Holy CommunionSevern Stoke 10.30 a.m. Informal Worship

Thursday 27th 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

Sunday 30thKempsey 8.00 a.m. Holy CommunionKempsey 10.30 a.m. BENEFICE SERVICEKempsey 6.00 pm Choral Evensong

Thursday 3rd Sept 10.15 a.m. Holy Communion

9th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

10th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

11th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

12th After Trinity (Green)

13th Sunday After Trinity (Green)

8

FROM THE PARISH REGISTERSAnd other important notices

BAPTISMS

3rd May 2015 Elise Freya Grace Rogers17th May 2015 Edward John Hickman24th May 2015 Miley Elizabeth Harris14th June 2015 Leo David Peter Rimell

WEDDINGS

24th May 2015 Danielle Hughes to Timothy Worton6th June 2015 Rebecca Spencer to Duncan Smart

FUNERALS

30th May 2015 Vera Roberts15th June 2015 Martyn Salisbury17th June 2015 Betty Bridgwater17th June 2015 George Neels-Jones

Wednesday 1st July 2.30pm Cornflower Club meets at the Parish Hall.Friday 3rd July 11.00am “Little Angels” Pram and Toddler Group meets in Church.Saturday 4th July 2.00pm Annual Church Fete – at Church and St. Mary’s House.Wednesday 8th July Women’s Fellowship outing to Hereford.Friday 10th July 11.00am “Little Angels” Pram and Toddler Group meets in ChurchSaturday July 11th 4.30 – 8.00pm Family Fun Evening at the SchoolMonday 13th July 10.30am “Coming Together” meets in St. Mary’s House 7.30pm PCC meets in St. Mary’s HouseWednesday 15th July Cornflower Club outing to Weston. 7.30pm Neighbourhood Plan presentation in Church.Friday 17th July 9.30am School Leavers Service in ChurchMonday 20th July 7.30pm Healing Prayer Group meets at Gill Warfield’sSaturday 25th July 7.30pm Deanery Social at Longdon RectorySaturday 1st August 12.30pm at the home of Joy Clee - Buffet Lunch for MorogoroMonday August 3rd – 7th 9.30am – 12.00pm Holiday Club in the School.Monday 17th August 8.00pm Parish Prayer Meeting at the Gill Warfield’sSaturday 12th September Worcestershire and Dudley Historic Churches Trust Ride + Stride

9

Pimms cakes

6.00 pm

10

St Denys’ Church, Severn Stoke

United Benefice of Kempsey and Severn Stokewith Croome d’Abitot Church

We are hoping that by the time you read this, all the workto provide new heating and lighting in the Chancel at St

Denys’ Church and the curtaining to the Chancel will havebeen completed. With this new arrangement, we are hopingthat our services will be warmer, especially in the winter, andeven more welcoming.

The architect appointed to suggest proposals for thesecond phase is already working up plans for the proposedinternal loos, kitchenette and screened storage. It is a veryexciting time for all who love and cherish St Denys’, so pleasecome and see.

The Church is open between9.00 a.m and 5.00 p.m. every day.

United Benefice Prayer Meetings – Welcome to ourmeetings (usually the last Monday of each month) for an hour,from 8.00 p.m., next meeting date in July is yet to bearranged at Gilly Walfield’s house. We give thought andprayer for people and projects around us and for the health andenhancement of the Churches’ work.Contact John (W/ 371 218) if you would like to join us.

St Mary Magdalene, CROOMESunday 19th July at 11.00 p.m.

The Annual Croome ChurchService

followed by our picnic overlooking Croome Court.All welcome to join this superb Benefice event.By kind consent of the Churches Conservation Trust

and with the cooperation of the National Trust

DON’T FORGET that the culvert beneath the roadto Croome from High Green is closed until

September and detours are sign posted via Pirton fromthe north and by Defford and Besford from the south,

so allow a little longer journey time!

The total raised from the houseto house collection in the area

is £558.24. Thank you to allwho gave so generously and to

those who kindly gave up their time to do thecount up, now safely banked for use by CA intheir worldwide work of care in the unhappiestparts of the world

HAPPENINGS in SEVERN STOKE and environs JULY 2105

PARISH REGISTER

The funeral of Angela Harris of Worcester, beloveddaughter of Ron and Gwen Johnson of Severn Stoke tookplace at St Denys’ on 28th May. Our sympathy goes to herhusband Graham and their children and of course to Ronand Gwen and her wider family.

The church was full with her friends and relations, awonderful tribute to her and her family. The collectiontowards the maintenance of St Denys’ Church waswonderfully generous and very much appreciated, raisingover £500.

SEVERN STOKE and AREA FLAG(Flood Action Group)

Those interested in affirming their membership of theSevern Stoke Flood Action Group have been invitedto make a donation into the FLAG Bank Account (the amount is entirely up to the individual andvoluntary) or make a ‘pledge’ or ‘promise’ to ourFLAG group to be held until possible action is needed.

This will enable us to have some immediate funding inorder to cover requirements such as advertising /stationery / and anything else that is needed to pushforward our aims in the next few months.

Details for donating available from Secretary, JuliaSnowball of Church Lane, Severn Stoke.Anyone wishing to join the FLAG should contact: TimWeeks on 01905 371309 or email him attimothy.weeks@btopenworld.com

FRIENDS OF ST. DENYS, SEVERN STOKERaising funds to modernise the church!

The Tea Party at Severn Bank, generouslyhosted by Bev and Ian Daly, was attended byover 100 guests. The Friends’ committee andothers excelled themselves with mountains ofdelicious sandwiches and cakes and the Venuewas outstanding! The sun shone on it all andas the first event of the enlarged Friends’ fundraising, for modernisation and improvements toSt Denys’ Church, it raised a fantastic £1289.00.LOOK OUT for the next big events, the VillageBarbecue on Sunday 13th September andthe Auction of Promises at the NationalTrust’s Canteen at Croome on Friday, 13thNovember.

11These are not to be missed!

Sunday 12th July at 6.00 p.m.

SONGS OF PRAISE at THENASH

Accompanied by the Salvation ArmyBand,

followed by Strawberries, Cream andWine Cup,

provided by The Friends of St Denys,asking for donations of £5.00 each.

Please bring your own chairsand don’t forget the collection during

the service is for the work ofThe Salvation Army.

SEVERN STOKE and KINNERSLEY100 CLUB

June’s lucky £30 winner was Sacha McNeilly of SevernStoke.New members always welcome: Cheques in favour of‘Friends of St Denys‘, please to: John Henderson, 100Club Secretary, Meadow Hill House, Severn Stoke,Worcester, WR8 9JP or Telephone W/ 371 218 formore information.

VILLAGE FUN DAYSaturday 8th August from 2.00 p.m.

on the Rose & Crown Green,Severn Stoke

Bigger and better than ever, to raisefunds for local flood prevention works

Loads of Stalls, including cakes, plants and the famousFriends of St Denys’ Bottle Stall, Games Races, Tug-of-War competition, Pig Roast, Ice Creams, Concourse ofspectacular Cars and much more.

FREE Entry, so not an event to be missedEveryone welcome!

SEVERN STOKE PARISH HALLSevern Stoke.Parish.Hall Website

www.severnstokevillagehall.co.ukIt’s not quite ready yet, but keep an eye outfor it and keep it in mind as the Hall is areally good place to hold a party. Please callTrish Rowe for bookings on 01905 371339 orDave Thompson on 01905 371171

1st July Diocesan AGM Hagley evening23rd July – Evening Meeting at 7.00p.m. Venue to be agreed.

The National Trust - CroomePark and Court -

Access to the Park and Court is only through themain Visitor Reception and Car Park. The Park,Shop and Canteen will be open every day from10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and the House will openevery weekday EXCEPT TUESDAYS, forGuided Tours only from 11.00 a.m to 1.30 p.mand open generally from 1.30 to 4.00 p.m. AtWeekends, House open from 11.00 a.m to 4.00p.m.For more details and events, contact W/ 371006 or e-mail: croome@nationaltrust.org.uk

or visit the website atwww.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome

CHURCH CLEANINGSEVERN STOKE

JULY3rd Mr Henderson and friend17th Mrs and Mr Gittins31st Mrs and Mr Cox

AUGUST14th Mrs and Mr Humphrey28th Mrs and Mr Everitt

CHURCH FLOWERSSEVERN STOKE

JULY10th and 17th Merab Opie24th and 31st Jane WardAUGUST7th On behalf of Doreen Ewins (Jane Ward)

12

SummerFeteSaturday 4th

July2.00pm

St Mary’sChurch

Kempsey

13

Saturday, 4th July at 2.00pm

We look forward to another wonderful feteagain this year with lots to see, to do, to eatand to enjoy – something for all ages and funfor all the family. Please tell your neighbours,family and friends.Come and have a really enjoyable afternoon –either taking part in all the of the

, and stalls orjust relaxing to the sound of beautiful musicwhile enjoying a lovely cup of tea and adelicious cake or two. You might be tempted by

and Pimms, youmight not be able to resist the BBQ or youmight prefer the mouth watering taste of

. You could have a

ride in a ,

,

be

delighted by andmuch, or just sit and listen to thesounds of the and the

while waiting to hear yourname being called for one of the many and

in the .

Please come – we really look forward to seeingyou

St Mary’s Summer Fete

We should be very grateful if you are able tohelp by providing any of the following:We need

* Cakes galore for the teas and for the CakesStall* Plants and Herbs – all different sorts* Lots and lots of bottles for the famous BottleStall* Home-made pickles, jams, preserves, honey,cordial* CDs and DVD’s (please no videos)* Children’s Toys and Games* Special Items for the Silent AuctionPlease could you bring them to the Church atany time or to St Mary’s House at the followingtimes:Monday, 29th June: 5.00pm – 7.00pmTuesday, 30th June: 5.00pm – 7.00pmWednesday, 1st July 5.00pm– 7.00pmThursday, 2nd July: 5.00pm – 7.00pmFriday, 3rd July: 5.00pm – 7.00pmSaturday, 4th July: Any time after 9.00amWith very grateful thanks from the FeteCommittee for all your wonderful help andsupport. It is very much appreciated.(If you need anything collected please phoneAlan (769214) orLibby (353935)

Summer

4th

HELPERS at ST MARY’SSUMMER FETESaturday, 4th July

A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who has kindlyoffered to help at the Fete this year. We are

really grateful for all your support.* If you are helping to put up gazebos pleasecould you arrive at the Church any time from8.00 am onwards* If you are running a game, a stall, anentertainment or selling food or drinks and areplanning to ‘set up’ in the morning please cometo the Church or St Mary’s House any time after9.00 am* If you are helping in the afternoon we should bevery grateful if you could be ready by 1.30 pm asthe Fete will be opened at 2.00 pm

Our warmest thanks to everyone. Every bit ofhelp is really appreciated - thank you from all onthe Fete Committee

14

THE LAWNSNURSING HOME

Kempsey

SUMMER CREAM TEASunday

5th JULY 20153.00pm to 5.00pmEveryone Welcome!

Please join us to raise funds forThe Lawns Residents Fund

CAKE STALL,TOMBOLA,KNITTED GOODS & RAFFLE,TEA & CAKES!

15

Our Strawberry Tea was a great success and wasenjoyed by lots of people. The sun was shining so

we were able to sit in the garden to enjoy our tea. Thankyou to everyone who came and supported us and to thosewho couldn’t be there but gave a donation. Thank youHeather and John for your hospitality and providing cakes,bowls of strawberries and cream, meringues, scones andshortbread. The total amount raised was £277-00 and willbe allocated to the Nepal disaster.Look out for our next event which will be theBig Breakfast at the Talbot on 5th September, 10.00a.m.until noon.Tickets available from Julia Grant or Heather Daviesprice £7-00.

Bev’s Cake BreakThank you to everyone who donatedcakes for this ever popular fundraising event. Thank you too, to thesupporters who flocked to taste adelightful range of cakes: LemonDrizzle cakes, Victoria Sponges,Chocolate, Mocha, AppleFlower Cakes; Banana Cakes,Fruit Cakes, Muffins, FruitScones. The list was almostendless. Thanks to our exhausted bandof helpers - we couldn’t have done it withoutyou! Everyone had a super time and we raised a fantastic£630.20 for helping local sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis.Everyone is looking forward to next year’s Bev’s CakeBreakBev Smith

Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating disease affecting over1000 people in the local area, which seems to be a hot spot.This is why we are so keen to raise money to help localsufferers.Specialised exercise plays an important role in maintaining,even improving, mobility and NHS Physiotherapists haveteamed up with pf2 health clubs, who have NHS trainedspecialist trainers to develop individual exercise packages.Recently, pf2 Manager, Paul Jordan and personal trainerLucy-Jane-Aris ran Worcester Half Marathon and raisedover £400.00 for the Worcester and District Branch of MSSociety. Bev Smith

Words guaranteed to cause asurge of adrenaline:1. "Tea?"2. "All tickets please"3. "I just felt a spot of rain"

Very British Problems

16

The wedding of Duncan Smart & Rebecca Spencer6th June 2015‏

Grace Community

Our next meetings are in the Parish Hall on Sunday 19thJuly and Sunday 16th August, at 10:30am, starting with

tea/coffee and biscuits.We gather together to celebrate God’s goodness and

His love for us. Why don’t you come along and join us,you would be very welcome.

We have a shared lunch at the end of the meeting andyou would be most welcome to stay and enjoy this and

some friendly chat.For more information please contact Dave and AnnNorton on 01905 820401 or visit our website

www.gracecommunitykempsey.org.uk

Coming Together Fellowship

At our last meeting we enjoyed getting together withMichael Grima and his wife Margaret, whom we hadn’t

seen for a while.On 13th July Mike Cammock will be our speaker and

on 10th August Owain Bell will join us as our speaker.We are an ecumenical group and meet in St Mary’s Houseon the second Monday of the month. We meet at10.30 a.m. for coffee and a chat, then our meeting starts ataround 11.00 a.m. A snack lunch at noon where we onceagain get a chance for a natter.

If you would like to join in Christian fellowship with usplease, come along, you would be very welcome.Contact Julia Grant 820138 or Carol Shaw-Ling 821467

Cornflower ClubOn 20th May we had a beautiful array of photographs thattwo members of Kempsey Camera Club very kindly came toshow us, everybody really enjoyed these slides. On the 3rdJune Terry Church came and talked about growing up in theBlack Country especially in Wall Heath.Our last meeting in the Parish Hall is on 1st July at 2-30 p.m.Then on 15th July it is the trip to Weston-Super-Mare, this isthe end of the term. We meet again on 9th September in theParish Hall at 2-30 p.m.If you are a lady or gentleman over 60 years old and live in theparish please, come and join us to see what we do, you wouldbe very welcome.Julia Grant 820138

Christian AidCollection

I would like to thankeveryone who took part in

Christian Aid Week. We had many volunteers who wenthouse to house in Kempsey and Kerswell Green. I hadmoney that came to me after the first count, which meantthe Grand Total that I sent off to Christian Aid was£2,185-11. Thank you to all who gave so generously, thismoney will go a long way in helping those less fortunatethan ourselves. Julia Grant

Flower ClubOur June meeting was held at the Evesham Country

Park, and most of us who went spent several hoursthere, and had lunch before the meeting. There was plentyto see, (and to spend our money on).

As quite a few people will be on holiday at varioustimes during the summer, there will be no meetings in Julyor August, and I hope members will enjoy some niceoutings and good weather. The next time we will meet willbe on Monday 14th Sept. and it will be at my house,10 Lyf’s Lane.

I look forward to seeing you all there. Have a lovelysummer.

Joy Dale 820417

St Mary’s 100 Club

Winners drawn on 10 June.

1st Prize Peter Fitzjohn2nd Prize David Walters3rd Prize Fiona Harrison

Sue Fitzjohn

17

A FREE week long Holiday Club with lots offun, crafts, games, stories & music!

FOR AGES 4 - 9 YEARS

MONDAY 3RD AUGUST— FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST

@ KEMPSEY PRIMARY SCHOOLBookings are for the whole week & are LIMITED to 20 PLACES!

For more information contact:Craig Morgan 07837 128967 Email: craigmorgan1978@yahoo.co.uk

Mark Badger 07828 233049 Email: mark.badger@motov8.org.uk

Journeys

18KEMPSEY CAMERA CLUB

With some warm sunshine (if tempered by cool winds)suggesting that summer is about to arrive (at least as I

write in early June), with the AGM over and its minutesdispatched, and with the programme set for next season, weall hope to spend some time in the coming months travellingand actually taking photographs (just like last year)! As previously noted, our main public showing ofthe summer will be on Saturday 4th July, when we will beholding our usual exhibition of the photography of the Clubat the Church Fete. We would be delighted to see you there,as either interested spectators or potential members. We also hope to hold a number of impromptuevents over the summer, which we will try to advertise onour website: www.kempseycameraclub.co.uk, so please keeplooking! In anticipation of the new season, please note thatwe are always delighted to welcome visitors, whetherprimarily interested in photography, or for a specific subjector speaker, at our meetings. Many such visitors havesubsequently become more involved in the Club which,although thriving, remains sociable, broadly-based andinclusive, and we hope that you might join their ranks. Thesixteen meeting schedule will cover the second and fourthWednesdays of each month from September (excepting lateDecember), with all meetings commencing at 7.30 pm. Wemeet in the Kempsey Community Centre in Main Road,Kempsey and seek to encourage and inspire each other byholding competitions, practical evenings and outings, and byhosting talks and demonstrations of photographic work,both that of members and of guests. Further details of allthis, plus a growing selection of our images, including thosetaken on our professionally-tutored workshops over the pastcouple of seasons, is always available to view on our websiteat www.kempseycameraclub.co.uk We look forward to seeing you on the 4th of July or,if this isn't possible, on another future occasion. In the meantime, the suitably summery imagedisplayed with this article is "Shimmering Sands" taken byJayne Winter ARPS.

Malcolm A HaySecretary

CorrectionI endeavour not publishing articles which are not fromknown reliable sources and those showing political bias.Sadly, last month, one slipped through the net. The

“letter” thanking outgoing District Councillor Adam Reawas political in nature and was not signed.Whilst attempting to determine whether the article wasgenuine, the pressure of a very tight printing deadlineinadvertently allowed it to go to press. I apologise forthis slip.To correct the anonymity, the article was sent by e mailfrom Lisa Stevens.Contributors are reminded that they are totallyresponsible for their article and that in submittinganything for publication, that it is accepted on thoseterms.Duncan Smith

Women’s Fellowship

Members enjoyed an interesting and very pleasantevening as Fiona and Glenys showed us how to

create pretty flower arrangements. Such skill as theycombined “a few bits and pieces from the garden” withpretty pink and cream flowers to make such attractivearrangements. Thank-you Fiona and Glenys .Members were reminded of the forthcoming Church Feteon 4th July where we shall be running the cake stall - cakesare particularly requested - other goods also for the variousstalls.Members were also reminded of the forthcoming trip toHereford Cathedral and city on Wednesday 8th July. At thetime of writing there are 9 seats left on the coach foranyone who would like to join us. Call Wendy Coen on820821 for seat reservations and further details. The coachwill be picking-up at 9.45 opposite the Community Centre,and 9.55 at the Parish Hall.The members’ tea party will be held on Wednesday 12thAugust at St Mary’s House at 2.30pm. Please note there is amis-print of the date in the Year’s programme - the correctdate is Wednesday 12th. All members are asked to bring awrapped raffle prize.Wendy Coen

Dealing with a queue jumper bygently shaking your head andmuttering "unbelievable".Followed by….Rolling your eyes in unison withthe person closest to you andfeeling you've bonded with asoulmate.

Very British Problems

19

20

Photographic

Competition

Subject CreaturesGreat& Small

per entry

£2.00

Children’s e

ntry

£1.00

Exhibition & JudgingSaturday 10th October10.00am to 3.00pmin St Mary’s Church

Application formsJulia Grant 01905 820138

The Colour photos on the front cover of KlinkS areproving to be popular and I am often asked who took

them and where where they were taken. They were alltake by me and the locations were our garden in St Peters,the blue bell, in Worcester Woods, catkins, WorcesterCrematorium and frost on leaves in St Mary’sChurchyard.

If you would like to submit appropriate photos orpainting for use on the front cover, please contact me.

Anyone with a camera can enter the Save theChildren Photo Competition. The title is All

Creatures Great and Small. Your entry can be a simple6x4 print or mounted or framed. Colour, black and whiteor tinted.

Get your entry form from Julia Grant (820138) andsubmit your entry by Saturday 3rd October with yourentry fee of £2.00 per photo or £1.00 for children'sentries.

Exhibition and Judging will take place in St Mary’sChurch on Saturday 10th October. Do come along, andview the stunning photographs of animals of all sizes andenjoy the exhibition with a drink and a piece of cake.All proceeds will go to Save the Children projects,helping the most deprived children, in this country andthe rest of the worldDuncan Smith

Closing Date 3rd October

A Date for your DiaryCome and join us

for a Hearty Breakfastat the

Talbot KempseySaturday 5th SeptemberMore information fromJulia 01905 820138

Heather 01905 821040Save the Children Charity Number 213890

21

22

Worcestershire and Dudley HistoricChurches Trust

Sponsored Ride and Stride

Saturday 12 September 2015

More information, sponsor forms and relateddocuments can be downloaded from the website:www.worcesteranddudleyhistoricchurches.org.uk

Half the money you raise will go to the church/chapel ofyour choice, and half will enable the Trust to continue to

support churches with grants towards repairs andimprovements

23

Listening for LifeEssential Skills for a Healthier World

A four session course taking place on

Saturday 19th September 2015

10.00am – 4.30 pm

and

Saturday 26th September 2015

10.00am – 4.30 pm

St Mary’s Church

Church Street, Kempsey

24The BellsSpecial Occasions

The primary function of Church bells is to welcome thefaithful to Church, and the evidence of this can be

heard in Kempsey every Sunday morning from 10.00 amwhen the bells begin to ring for the 10.30 Service.However, there are other occasions when the bells aretraditionally rung: -

Christmas. The bells are rung from about 10.45 pm onChristmas Eve, to ring-in Christmas. They are not rung atmidnight because the Christmas Service is taking placethen, and the bells normally stop 5 minutes before aService begins.

The New Year. At about 11.30 pm on 31st December,the bells are rung half-muffled. Half-muffled commonlydenotes death and this is to mark the passing of the oldyear. The bells literally have leather pads tied to one sideof the clapper and this gives a sad, echoing, poignant sortof sound -(1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6). At 5 minutes tomidnight, the more capable ringers run up the extra 29stone, spiral steps to the belfry and untie the muffles sothat at midnight, the clear, more joyful sound of the unmuffled bells can peal out across the village, welcoming inthe New Year.Weddings. Before a Wedding, in Kempsey the bells arerung in the usual manner welcoming the Wedding party toChurch. Then the ringers wait in the ringing chamberduring the Service, to be ready to ring in celebration justas the happy couple step out into the outside world. In

Kempsey, the exact timing of this is rather difficult becausethe Wedding Service can neither be easily heard nor seenfrom inside the ringing tower. If ringers clamber on to awindow sill (!) they can just manage to glimpse a small areaat the front of the nave. But traditionally, the bells muststart ringing just as the bride reaches the outside door, so inKempsey this is difficult to achieve with any degree ofaccuracy and has to rely on guess-work. The moreaccomplished Kempsey ringers have a “Weddings” trickwhich they like to display - I have mentioned before thatwhen changing the tune, only two adjacent bells can swapplaces. But that is ignored by Kempsey ringers afterWeddings as they go straight from Rounds (1,2,3,4,5,6) to

“Queens” (1,3,5,2,4,6) and back again to “Rounds.” “Queens”is so called because it was Queen Victoria’s favourite bell-tune. I haven’t come across this “trick” anywhere else.Funerals. As in ringing on half-muffled bells for thepassing of the old year, traditionally bells are half-muffledfor funerals. However, many, perhaps most funerals inrecent years have been a celebration of a person’s life, sothat the sad tones of half-muffled bells are consideredinappropriate and the family request the full, more cheerfulsound of the un-muffled bells.Remembrance Sunday. Bells are always rung half-muffledfor Remembrance Sunday. Listen for it next November -it’s a sad, mournful sort of sound.Peals and Quarter Peals. These are the bell-ringers way ofcelebrating or marking a special event. It could be a nationalevent such as the birth / death of a member of the RoyalFamily; a local event such as the opening of a new school; ora personal event such as a milestone birthday or the death ofa ringer. Quarter peals take about 45 minutes to ring, pealsabout 3 hours. Apart from the Rounds with which everyring starts and finishes (1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6) once theringers start ringing The Method, there will be no repeat ofthe same pattern of 6 (or 8) notes - every single change willbe different. At the time of writing, Henry (Tower Captain)is trying to organise a Quarter Peal to be rung to welcomePhilippa Sargent, our new Curate. Successful peals andQuarter Peals are recorded in “The Ringing Times,” andpeals are often recorded on Peal Boards - traditionally (butnot necessarily these days) professionally-made woodenboards hung on the wall of the ringing chamber recordingthe date, the reason and the names of the ringers.�

25Hanley Castle News

The summer term is rushing by once again and oursports hall has been full of students sitting their public

exams, we wish all pupils (andparents) awaiting exam resultsall the very best. The results arepublished on Thursday 13thAugust, for AS and A level anda week later for GCSEs.

Former pupils mayremember Head of English, MrBill Nicholson, who retires onthe 17th July, after 24 years ofloyal service to the school. Wewish Bill all the best as hewatches cricket, sings with Hanley Voices, our communitychoir and lends his support to our Friends Committee.

Indeed we are saying ‘bon voyage’ to six othermembers of staff and we wish them all well. We are alsodelighted to say that we have replaced them all with qualityappointments. It was a great relief that there was noshortage of applicants for teaching at HCHS and it is agreat reminder to us all of how lucky we are to work insuch a beautiful setting.

Thank you to all dog walkers who ‘pick-up’ after theirpets who do their business on our grounds. This is a majorconcern for us, particularly on The Glebe, which seeshundreds of dog walks each month. Please continue to‘pick-up’ and encourage others to do likewise.

We were delighted to learn from the LEA that onceagain we are over subscribed for our new year seven andwe look forward to welcoming our fresh cohort on the firstday of term, Monday 7th September. Until then could wewish all of you a very happy holiday and we look forwardto sharing our news with you in the new academic year.Grant Mathews (Community Liaison)

Tools with a Mission

Thank you very much for the donations of tools, sewingmaterials and machines that you have given to help

people of other lands who are less fortunate thanourselves. These will be sent to H.Q. in Ipswich wherethey are repaired, oiled and made ready for shipment tothose in need of them.

Teddies for Tragedies

We are still collecting knitted teddies, blankets (pleasemake them 1 metre square) also children’s

vests/jumpers. Thank you for all the colourful happyteddies and other articles, they will soon find a new homein the arms of a needy child. Thank you.

Mary Read

Aluminium/Tin foil

The church is stopping collecting these items so please,don’t bring any more to church. You will have to

dispose of tin foil/aluminium in your dustbin. Thank you toall those who donated over the years but it just isn’t viableany more.Mission Committee

Nepal CollectionOver several weeks after the Nepal earthquake, we had acollection in church for the appeal. We are happy to reportthat our treasurer, David, sent £166-21 via Christian Aid tohelp those in need. Thank you everyone for your donations.

"I decided to take a leap of faith"Teacher Keri Winter, 32, reports on her placement inGhana with the Journey with Us programme.

I enjoyed life as a teacher in North Shields, but I startedto feel restless. People starting saying I should leave my

job - and then a priest I met said the same thing within tenminutes of meeting me!

So I attended a Journey with Us Selection andDiscernment weekend. When I returned to work on theMonday my colleagues commented on how ‘alive’ I was.I decided to take a leap of faith and leave my secure job.

The months leading up to my departure were busy andchallenging - moving out of my house, vaccinations, visa,etc - then I was diagnosed with coeliac disease, and then weheard about the Ebola outbreak in the region.But somehow I retained a sense of peace.

Arriving in Ghana, I felt overawed by the differentsights and sounds, tastes and smells, and culture. Sekondi,where I am based, has a much slower pace of life than I amused to.

Everyone has been welcoming, and I am well lookedafter by Canon Paul Sam and Matilda Laing, who is thehead teacher at the kindergarten where I am helping out.

It is very different compared with education inEngland. Children in creche are expected to sit or sleep onthe carpet for the majority of the day. In kindergarten, classsizes are big - one with 71 children! Lessons can beabandoned because it is too dark to see the board, orbecause the noise of the rain on the metal roof is deafening.

Prayer has sustained me. And I thank God for smallthings, such as a child smiling or sharing their snack with afriend, and I feel grateful for the small ways in which I havebeen able to contribute.

And the children are wonderful. They greet me withsmiles and hugs each morning. I will suddenly feel a littlehand touching my arm, leg or toes to feel my skin. My hairand fingernails cause fascination.

I had a couple of months where I struggled, but ithelped knowing people were praying for me. And now,when I look back, it makes me smile to see God’s gentlehand, crafting each step. I wonder what next!To find out more: www.wearUs.org.uk/journey

26

Mission Week KempseyNovember 2015

We are delighted that in November we will welcome aninterna�onal mission team from Lee Abbey to the Parish.

Lee Abbey is home to a Chris�an community that hosts aconference, retreat and holiday centre on the drama�cNorth Devon coast, where individuals and groups come tobe renewed and inspired by God.

The Community itself consists of around 90 people from allover  the  world:  nineteen  different  na�onali�es. TheCommunity also represents many diverse cultures and agegroups.

The 280-acre estate is located in the rugged, beau�ful and

drama�c Exmoor Na�onal Park. The woodlands,

moorlands, streams, farmland and coastline offer to  guests

the opportunity to connect with God’s creation.

Guests and friends o�en comment that Lee Abbey is a ‘thin

place’ in the sense that God is felt to be very near. It is

certainly one of those places where mee�ng with God in

fresh and new ways is a familiar occurrence.

What we believe“Nailed to a tree for saying how great it wouldbe to be nice to people for a change.” (DouglasAdams)

Jesus challenges people. He tells us that the real way tobe fulfilled is to put ourselves out for each other insteadof figh�ng for Number One. When he was here on earth,many people didn’t like the sound of it. But he gave us aradical idea of how the world really works, and offers usdirect help every day from the loving Father who made it.

So where is true and las�ng  fulfilment  to  be  found?Become successful, and soon the pressure of peopleprying at your life makes you cave in. Become rich, andsoon all the pleasure of buying something you’ve savedfor is gone and you just worry about who will steal yourmoney. Aim just to be a “good person”, and soon youwonder why you bother being good. People only takeadvantage of it, and a�er all, who said we had to begood?

Robbie Williams would agree about the money:

“I’m loaded, I can buy anything I want and eve‐ryone thinks I must have such a brilliant life,but it’s horrible.”

Then how on earth can we be sa�sfied inside?

Jesus pointed out what nobody else no�ced, not even thereligious leaders at the �me! “You’re blessed whenyou’re content with just who you are–no more, no less.That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners ofeverything that can’t be bought. You’re blessed when youcan show people how to cooperate instead of compete orfight.  That’s when  you discover who you  really  are,  andyour place in God’s family.”

But Jesus did far more than just teach, and was far morethan simply an example. He just couldn’t stand by andwatch people ge�ng things so wrong and running them‐selves into the ground. They were never going to earnthemselves the perfec�on that God wants for people, soJesus came to put things right. He shared our life, tookthe punishment we deserve, died in our place, and roseagain, so that we could be made perfect and know God.

27

The truth is, God loves you so much that if you’d beenthe only person alive, Jesus would still have gonethrough that agonising torture just to save you.

You don’t have to be perfect to get to know God. Youdon’t even have to be good. You just have to realisethat There will be a restlessness inside until you knowGod, Ask him to forgive you for not putting him first,and run Into his arms, where you’ll find anunconditional Welcome. And he’ll carry you the rest ofthe way and Show you what real life is like.

Perfection will only come at the end when all the evilthat’s making us and the rest of the world suffer nowwill Be gone. Defeated. Isn’t that worth living for? Yes,one Day he’ll make all things new! God longs for youto know Him. If you don’t have that knowledge, whynot ask Himto show you? He loves you far too muchto turn you away.

This is at the heart of what the Lee Abbey communitybelieve, and it’s God’s love, God’s power and God’scall that have kept them together and focussed on hisvision for almost 60 years. Lee Abbey is no ancientmonastery – it’s a living international Christiancommunity that tries to model something of what aJesus-centred life can be like today.Besides the centre in Devon Lee Abbey currently hassmall missional communities in: Knowle West,Bristol;Aston, Birmingham, & Acton Vale (LondonDiocese Partnership). They are also actively looking topartner with new and establishing communities SharedVision.The Lee Abbey Movement’s vision is ‘communicatingChrist through relationships’.

Shared ValuesWe are communities to following Jesus and to bechanged in the process. Prayer is the centre of our lifeas community.

Shared PurposeWe:● live and serve in deprived urban communities● seek to make Christ known in these communities● are concerned with both physical and spiritual

needs● are seeking to develop more small communities

acrossThe UK

28 District Councillor Report (Kempsey Ward) from David HarrisonHere I try to give you a brief update on District Council and other items that I have been involved with recently.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

14th June 2015 For further detail or help then please contact your District Councillor ... David Harrison, 8 Brookend Lane, Kempsey –01905 828107 davidthomasharrison@hotmail.com website www.davidharrisonkempsey.co.uk

Please note that the contents of this page are provided by David Harrison who is the sole person responsible for the accuracy.

Post Office Opening in Kempsey – Pleaseremember the Post Office is now open at McColls shop, inKempsey. The hours for the shop AND POST OFFICE areas follows...

Monday to Saturday – 6am to 10pmSunday – 7am to 10pm

Yes you did read right – this is one of the longest open PostOffices in the area – it has taken a long time and a lot ofwork from past Parish Council Chairmen (includingmyself) and our local MP Harriett Baldwin, but now wemust all support this facility as much as possible to keep itopen.

South Worcestershire Development Plan –Well what a mess I made of this for local residents. I

get about 40 to 60 emailsa day and missed the onethat changed the venuefrom Worcester WarriorsRugby Club, SixwaysStadium, to the UniversityArena in Hylton Road –sorry totally my fault. I ammost grateful to Mike Biddlewho informed me on theprevious afternoon otherwiseI would also have been at thewrong venue! This was stillwell supported as I tried toput over the importance of

the village of Kempsey and that we could not take anyfurther planning applications. Lots of questions wereanswered and I hope that the inspector takes account of theconcerns of many parishioners. I thank all those who camealong to support me and you will be pleased to note thatonly two other villages within the Malvern Hills Districthad only 1 person each to speak and neither of them hadany supporters at the meeting – well done everyone.

Speeding in the Villages – The “Safer RoadsPartnership” have increased yet again their presence inour area and many drivers are being reported for exceedingthe Speed Limits – you have been warned!!

Kempsey Church Fete – This is to be held onSaturday 4th July starting at 2pm at Kempsey Church – Iwill be walking about and if you have any questions thenplease stop me and ask.

Severn Stoke Village Fun Day will be takingplace on the green outside the Rose and Crown on Saturday8th August.

Clifton Quarry Extension – The quarry is due tobe extended to the East and West of the A38 at Clifton, andbe operational for approx a further 13 years. – Theapplication has been submitted to Worcestershire CountyCouncil as “mineral extraction” with reference15/000006/CM. Both myself and John Michael have beeninvited to attend on a committee with Lafarge Tarmacregarding this expansion.

A4440 Southern Link Road – Well what ashambles this has been since it fully opened. I wasinterviewed live on BBC Hereford and Worcester Radio

and am pleased that an audit has taken place and someimprovements have already been made and I believe thatsome more are still on-going. The road markings arecertainly better but the width of the road from Kempsey tothe roundabout is still a large problem.

ROAD CLOSURE – The C2056 High Green toCroome D’Abitot road is scheduled to be closed for alltraffic from Monday 1st June for approximately 3 months toenable the culvert under the road to be re-built. Theextended time is because this has to be put back to itsoriginal format which was built in the Capability Brownera, to aid the local drainage, it is a brick culvert and theyhave to re-use the existing bricks.

Planning – The Firs, Kempsey – This has beenapproved in principle, but further details have to besubmitted regarding access and drainage.

Planning – Post Office Lane – 14/00625/\FULThe written Appeal process finished at the end of June andwe now have to wait for the Inspectors Report.

Planning – Boars Head Car Park, SevernStoke – an application has been received for building onthe old car park – 15/00565

Planning at the north of Kempsey behindThe Limes and Kempsey CommunityCentre. I have received numerous complaints regardingout of hours working, removing hedges and trees,inconvenience and most of all the dust. The PlanningOfficers at Malvern have been informed and are lookinginto these problems.

Planning – South of The Lawns – The fulldetail of the two proposals have been submitted15/00509/REM for adjacent to the Lawns and15/00394/REM for near Pixham Ferry Lane.

Flood Defence for Severn Stoke – Discussionsare progressing with the land owners, nearby residents andthe Environment Agency but there is a shortfall of funding.Severn Stoke FLAG are having discussions with severalgroups to overcome this shortfall.

Kempsey FloodDefence – Upgrade nowcompleted and the defence isbeing tested and I believe thatthere will be site visitsarranged soon.

Broadband – No morenews yet about other boxes inKempsey and nothingregarding a timetable for thesurrounding hamlets or alsoSevern Stoke.

Finally – have a wonderful summer and this report will beback in the September issue. Please feel free to contacteither of us with any question or problem. Contact detailsfor John Michael – 01905 820966 and email –john.michael@malvernhillsdc.net

29

‘YOUR PARISH COUNCIL MATTERS’and

Extract of Minutes for meetings of 1st & 8th June 2015

Following the elections, that now seem a long time ago,we have a new elected council working for you, and

myself as the new chairman. Let me briefly introducemyself: I have been connected with Kempsey all my lifeand have lived in the village for fifty two years. I have beenretired for three years which is why I am pleased to havetime to give to this council. I have seen many changes,good and not so good, but life cannot stand still. However,I do feel that we have had imposed on us a larger than fairshare of new developments.

To avoid more in the future, we are currentlyconstructing a Neighbourhood Development Plan forKempsey which will show planners and developers ourpreferred settlement boundaries and aspirations for thevillage. This is a formal document which has to undergorigorous scrutiny and examinations but when concludedwill give Kempsey a level of protection that we have notenjoyed before. We are almost at the stage where we will beputting it out for public consultation and your approval.Details of all the councillors and parish contacts can befound elsewhere in this magazine, and also on the parishcouncil’s website, www.kempseyhub.co.uk. This is a sitethat has parish, district, and county details and contacts, aswell as community information.

Meeting held on 1st June 2015

Councillors were appointed to sit on the Commons &Hams, Community Centre, Environment, Planning,

and Recreation committees.Three pieces of adult outdoor gym/fitness

equipment have been ordered, to be sited adjacent to thechildren’s play area.

Meeting held on 8th June 2015

The council have secured full use of the notice boardoutside McColls shop. We are grateful to McColls for

this. The notice board will be for community and socialnotices pertaining to events in the village or those ofbenefit to it. To have a notice displayed on this board,please contact the Parish Office and not the shop.A defibrillator has been installed on the front of the SportsPavilion at Plovers Rise playing field. This is registered withWest Midlands Ambulance Service and is ready to useshould it be necessary. This brand new equipment has beengenerously donated to Kempsey Parish Council by GraceCommunity Church. I am sure I will be joined by everyonein the village in saying, thank you so much.

David Wilson Homes are appealing against therefusal of planning permission for a site of 76 houses atPost Office Lane. The parish council strongly opposed thisapplication on a number of grounds, but the main onebeing that Post Office Lane, and its junction with Main

Road, is not suitable to cope with the extra traffic thatthis site would bring, plus all the heavy constructiontraffic associated with a build that could last several years.We feel that the danger to pedestrian children and adultsalike, going to and from the village school, far outweighsany benefit that this site may bring to the village.

Malvern Hills District Council is hoping tosponsor a further traffic survey of the area. Thisexpenditure, however, is not yet approved and so weresolved to commit £1000 from our reserves as acontingency for this purpose should MHDC not be ableto fund it.

Lafarge Tarmac are proposing to open a newquarry on the east side of the A38 at Clifton. We havebeen able to appoint one of our Councillors to sit on theLiaison Committee for this project. We are affected in asmuch as this new quarry will likely come right up to theedge of our Ashmoor common that is a Site of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSI).

Trevor GeensChairman

This will be my last report as Chairman of KempseyParish Council due to being fortunate enough to be

elected as one of your District Councillors along with MrDavid Harrison but I shall remain a parish councillor forthe time being. I’d like to thank everyone who helped andsupported me in the recent election and hope I will be ableto contribute effectively in representing all the residents ofKempsey ward at District Council level.On 11th May I chaired the Annual Parish Meeting whichwas preceded by an interesting talk by Tom Vaughan andPaul Hudson of the Worcestershire Archaeology Servicewho reported on the findings of the survey they had carriedout on the Lioncourt Development site. The remains of aRoman or Romano British homestead were discoveredalong with various enclosure ditches and trackways leadingdown to the Hatfield Brook as in those days the ‘main road’was the roman road that runs to the east of Kempsey andalong Holdings lane towards Worcester.

The Annual Parish Council meeting took place onMonday 18th May where I stood down as Chairman and MrTrevor Geens was voted in as Chairman and Miss AnnPatrick as Vice-Chair and I wish them both well in theirnew roles. Both Councillors have proved to be highlycompetent and effective members of the Parish Council andwill make excellent leaders of our council in the future.Finally my appreciation to our Clerk, Mrs Sharon Baxterand her assistant, Mrs Helen Emerick and all my fellowCouncillors who assisted me greatly in my role as Chairman.

John MichaelChairmanKempsey Parish Council12th June 2015

30 KEMPSEY PARISH COUNCILParish Council RepresentativesMr M.J. Bannister, 52 The Limes, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3LG – Tel 820180Mr D Bevan, 17 Oakfield Drive, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3PP – Tel 820171Mr. K Blackwell, 1 The Oaks, Kempsey, Worcester. WR5 3PN – Tel. 820549Mr T Frazer-Cann, 5 Bramblewood, Main Road, Kempsey, WR5 3FL – Tel.828254Mr T. Geens, 16 Squires Close, Kempsey, Worcester WR5 3JE – 01905 820997Mrs. P. Gerrard, 23 Oakfield Drive, Kempsey, Worcester WR5 3PP – Tel. 820955Mr H Hanmer, 8 Elgar Drive, Kempsey, Worcester WR5 3PU – Tel.821931Mr B Hodgkins, 7 Napleton Lane, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3PT – Tel 828449Mr. J. Michael, 18 Meadow Close, Kempsey, WR5 3NL - Tel. 820966Miss A. Patrick, 90 Main Road, Kempsey, Worcester WR5 3LH – Tel 828476Mr D Pugh, Durridge House, Kerswell Green, Worcester, WR5 3PF – Tel. 07419120522Mrs A Smith, 49 The Limes, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3LG – Tel 07807 777783Dr C Waller, Ledges, Stonehall Common, Kempsey, WR5 3QQ – Tel 828383

Parish Council Clerk and Financial OfficerMrs S Baxter, Parish Office, Community Centre, Main Road, Kempsey WR5 3LQTelephone 01905 828183 Email – kempseyparishcouncil@gmail.com“The Parish Office is located to the rear of The Community Centre. The office is open to the public between10.00am and 2.00pm Monday to Friday.Outside these hours, messages may be left on the office answering machine and will be dealt with whenthe Clerk is next on duty.”Parish Council MeetingsAre held on the second Monday of each month at 7.30pm at Kempsey Community Centre. Parishionersmay address The Council during Democratic Half Hour at the start of each monthly meeting.District CouncillorsMr. D. T. Harrison, 8 Brookend Lane, Kempsey, Worcester. WR5 3LD - Tel. 828107E-mail: david.harrison@malvernhillsdc.netMr. J. Michael, 18 Meadow Close, Kempsey, WR5 3NL - Tel. 820966E-mail: richardjmichael@btinternet.comCounty CouncilorMr R Sutton, 41 The Beeches, Holly Green , Upton Upon Severn, Worcs, WR8 0QQ – 01684 593282Worcestershire County Council, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester WR5 2NPE-mail: roger.sutton@malvernhillsdc.net

Local Beat OfficerWPC Sarah Ransome-Williams – 0300 333 3000 E-mail sarah.ransome-williams@westmercia.pnn.police.ukWorcestershire HubE-mail: worcestershirehub@malvernhills.gov.ukTelephone: 01684 862151 (Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat 9am to 1pm)Address: Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR14 3AF

The Churches of St Mary’s and St Denys’Rector: Reverend Mark Badger

Apple Tree Cottage 31 Napleton Lane KempseyTel 01905 820057 Mob 07828233049

Kempsey Readers Severn StokeChurch WardensAnn Blackwell1 The Oaks, Kempsey, WR5 3PNTel 01905 820549

Henry Morris10 Napleton Lane Kempsey WR5 3PTTel 01905 820601

PCC SecretaryMarian Walters MBE8 Old Vicarage Close Kempsey WR5 3NDTel 01905 820558

TreasurerRev David Hassell14 Napleton Lane Kempsey WR5 3PTTel 01905 828096

Sheila Cook32 Lower Ferry Lane Callow End Worcester WR2 4UHTel 01905 831829

Peter Fitzjohn8 Post Office Lane Kempsey WR5 3NSTel 01905 820320

Libby James7 Battenhall Avenue Worcester WR5 HNTel 01905 353935

Paul Kemp7 Byfields Kempsey WR5 3NNTel 01905 821262

Church WardensJohn HendersonMeadow Hill House, Severn Stoke,Worcester, WR8 9JPTel 01905 371218

Jim SpenceTel 01905 371351