Bere Regis Duck Race and BBQ on Friday 2nd June was a great event. We raised £1017 for the Church. Many thanks the organisers and to all who sold ducks, bought ducks and helped in so many ways!
Bere Regis Church Summer Fete
Made £832.85!
Congratulations and Thank You, everyone!
Songs of Praise at Bere Regis Church
Come and sing your favourite hymns
11am Sunday 25 June
Celebrate our Saint (St. John The Baptist), our parish and ourselves!
A thank-you to everyone who makes our village special
Raise your voices and then enjoy coffee and cake!
FROM THE REGISTERS
Wedding
At St Laurence, Affpuddle
On May 6th – William Peter Wilfred King and Alice Victoria Seymour
Funerals
At St John the Baptist, Bere Regis
On 4th April – Tracey Marsden
On 28th April – William Cleall
At St Laurence, Affpuddle
On 25th April – William Smith (‘Tractor John’)
Food Banks
Food Bank – Update!
Usually every two months we hand over about five carrier bags full of your gifts to the Food Bank. In April there were ten bags – so thank you from the people who were very grateful....and please keep them coming!
There are boxes in both our churches for you to place any goods you would like to donate. This provides a simple way of helping people who have fallen on hard times.
I would ask: Please ensure that your gifts are at least 6 months in date.
You do not have to be a church member to contribute!
The boxes are emptied regularly
and the contents given to the Wareham Food Bank.
The list of what is most appropriate is:
Tinned Soup Fruit Juice(carton) Pasta Sauces Baked Beans Rice/Sponge Pudding (Tinned)
Tomatoes (Tinned) Pasta/Rice (1kg) Tinned Vegetables Tea Bags/Coffee Instant Mash Potato
Tinned Meat/Fish Tinned Fruit Sugar (500g) Biscuits or snack bars
The FOOD BANK provides for local individuals and families in crisis -
Thank you for your support!
Every two months we have been able to hand over about five carrier bags full of your gifts to the Food Bank people who were very grateful....so please keep them coming! At Harvest there were many bags.
There are boxes in both our churches for you to place any goods you would like to donate. This provides a simple way of helping people who have fallen on hard times.
I would ask: Please ensure that your gifts are at least 6 months in date.
You do not have to be a church member to contribute!
The boxes are emptied regularly
and the contents given to the Wareham Food Bank.
The list of what is most appropriate is:
Tinned Soup Fruit Juice(carton) Pasta Sauces Baked Beans Rice/Sponge Pudding (Tinned)
Tomatoes (Tinned) Pasta/Rice (1kg) Tinned Vegetables Tea Bags/Coffee Instant Mash Potato
Tinned Meat/Fish Tinned Fruit Sugar (500g) Biscuits or snack bars
The FOOD BANK provides for local individuals and families in crisis -
Thank you for your support!
Mission Apostle - Bere Regis Church Roof Project
Repairing the ravages of time
It was built by the Normans, embellished in the Middle Ages, survived Henry VIII, the Roundheads and two world wars.
But age, weather and thinning lead is catching up fast.
The most recent survey of our Parish Church has shown that the lead roof over the nave of the church is coming to the end of its useful life. It has served us well over 100 years or more, but, despite assiduous care and repairs over the years, lead wears out and it is now no longer even able to be patched. It needs to be replaced.
It is, of course, not just a matter of replacing the roof. Much more importantly, it is about preserving our magnificent medieval carved roof, and indeed, ensuring our lovely church continues to be available and accessible to all; accessible not just for regular worship, and for all those important rites of passage, such as christenings, weddings and funerals but also for celebrating and commemorating the great national occasions.
It is estimated that repairing the roof, thus safeguarding our church, will cost in the region of £200,000.
We may be able to reduce that sum by obtaining a VAT refund, but we will still need to find a considerable amount. There is little or no money available from Church of England sources, so it is down to us and to fundraising.
We have a fundraising plan, which is already demonstrating some significant successes. We are undertaking 3 strands of activity:
Strand 1 is to apply for funding from grant making trusts and foundations. We have already received £10,000 from a trust fund and we have an application going in to Viridor Credits Environmental Company shortly. We anticipate the majority of our funding will come from trusts.
Strand 2 is to seek donations from Bere Regis residents. In due course we hope to contact every adult in every household in the Parish. In the meantime we are delighted to say that some early personal approaches have already resulted in £12,500 in gifts and a very generous legacy.
Strand 3 is to arrange through the summer a variety of fundraising events and activities which we hope will be generously supported.
It is very important when applying to trust funds to demonstrate that there is considerable local support for the project. It is therefore hugely encouraging that we can say that we already have some £72,000 given or pledged towards our target. We will still need every bit of generous help and commitment we can call on to raise the balance of £128,000 to safeguard the future of our beautiful parish church.
If you would like to help, or make a donation, please contact Charles Masheder, our vicar, Richard Smith, the Treasurer or Ian Ventham or Judy Newton.
Charles Masheder