Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good summer and that you are now feeling refreshed and renewed, ready for all that is in store this Autumn. The farmers have certainly been busy over the last few weeks, bringing in the crops and often working late into the night. Traditionally Harvest is a time for us to celebrate and thank God for all the good things He gives us. Harvest is a time for us to thank our local farmers and farm workers, and all who work so hard, often over very long hours, to grow and distribute our food. It is also a good time for us to be thankful for what we have, as well as to think of others and to help them in a practical way. Many Churches in the Lordsbridge Team support the local Foodbank Project, and local donations can be left either in the Porch at St Mary’s Church, Hardwick or in the collection box in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Dry Drayton. All donated items are transported on a regular basis to Cambourne from where they go to the City Foodbank Depot to be formally weighed in, stored and reassembled into different-sized boxes to meet the needs of individuals and families, including those in Cambourne and the surrounding villages. Each box is carefully stocked to provide 3 days’ worth of nutritiously balanced meals, as well as a supply of food staples, toiletries and household products that will last much longer. Looking further ahead, we will be collecting donations for the Foodbank at our annual Harvest Festival, at Childerley Chapel, on Sunday 6 October.
I hope you have a good September!
God Bless,
Clare
Clare Coates,
Lead Minister for Caldecote with Childerley, Dry Drayton and Hardwick
clarecoates@lordsbridge.org
07818618795
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Services in September
Sunday 1 September
11:00am Holy Communion with Revd Patrick Cotton.
Sunday 8 September
11:00am Morning Prayer in the Church, with Stephen Coates.
Sunday 15 September
3:00pm Evening Prayer in the Church, with Revd Clare and Stephen Coates.
Zoom
Worship at Home – All Lordsbridge Zoom Service
Every Sunday, 11.00am. Join any time from 10.50am: https://zoom.us/j/82311473640.
On Sundays where there is no service in our church, you are most welcome to join any of our services across the team: please see our website www.lordsbridge.org for further details.
What’s On
Tuesday Toddlers in the Cabin (St Mary’s, Hardwick) is back on September 17th!
All welcome to join us for free play, craft, story and fun!
Eco Church
During the Summer, we joined the A Rocha Eco Church scheme, and are very excited to announce that we have achieved a Bronze Award! We work very hard with very limited resources and a small congregation to best preserve the beautiful Church and its lovely rural setting.
Our Church and churchyard are beautiful and many love walking through this part of a much cherished and ancient local landscape with its special trees and hedgerows in a unique and unspoilt valley location. Maintaining good paths and access involves a lot of work and expenditure and this year’s weather conditions with the huge amounts of rain, followed by very hot weather, have added to rapid vegetation growth and other challenges. The churchyard is also on a slope and the ground is very rough which adds to the complexity of maintaining it. We are balancing public access and the place as a burial ground and following the national Church’s clear guidance on increasing biodiversity in churchyards. The Church of England is committed to seeing how biodiversity can be increased on Church land and we share that objective as a parish.
have been advised that areas of churchyards should be left unmown to allow sward and rare species to grow up and flower. The Church of England has published guidance for parishes on increasing biodiversity, which will form the basis for our planning. This includes leaving areas of long grass, creating wildflower areas, putting bird and bat boxes up as well as installing a bug hotel (or two!), keeping bees and encouraging hedgehogs. We are currently developing a parish diversity action plan as well as cataloguing and finding ways to promote wildflower growth and provide habitats for animals and insects. This has meant adjusting mowing plans with less frequent strimming and only maintaining paths. Once our reports are ready, we will be sharing them on our website, and will update you in our monthly newsletters.
We welcome any newcomers to the team of volunteers who clean and maintain the Church if they would like to get involved.
The Big WCCYM Fundraiser
WCCYM has two main events planned for Saturday 21st September:
- A sponsored walk from Hardwick to Ely (approx. 23 miles!).
- A joint sponsored effort using rowing machines and exercise bikes at Comberton Sports and Arts, to row and cycle 50 miles (the distance to Ely and back) as a group.
If you would like to take part or offer sponsorship, please contact:
Susie Thomson, WCCYM Team Leader & Youth Worker: susie@wccym.org or Tel (mobile): 07714 324617
Useful Contacts
Churchwarden: Stephen Coates; caldecotechurchwarden@gmail.com
Revd Claire Robertson, Lead Minister for Coton, Barton, Harlton and Haslingfield: 01223 874194; clairerobertson@lordsbridge.org
Revd Charles Fraser, Lead Minister for Little and Great Eversden: charlesfraser@lordsbridge.org; 01223 264974
Team Administrator: Becca Herrick; rebeccaherrick@lordsbridge.org