Our former curate, Holly Newton, who left us at the end of July, did a lot of work on disability awareness and church inclusion. She will be starting MA in Theology and Disability in September. Before she announced her departure, we invited her to come and preach in September at All Saints on 21 September and at Holy Trinity on 28 September, about disability and how the church can develop its awareness and accessibility for people with diverse needs and abilities. So she will be returning on these two Sundays to our Team. We do hope that you will come and hear her reflections on this important topic, which, I think we’ll find, affects us all.
Can you believe it is 25 years since Westbury Leigh Community Hall was established followed the reordering of Holy Saviour church in 2000? There will be a celebration taking place at the hall, on Saturday 20 September where cream teas will be served from 2.00 – 5.00pm. This is being organised by Lily Munday and friends. The celebration is open to everyone and it would be lovely to see people from across our Team who have enjoyed visits, events and services there over the last 25 years.
We are pleased to announce that Sharon Waggott has been appointed as our new Team Administrator from 1 September. Sharon comes from a background in housing management, working for a number of housing trusts. She has a great deal of experience in administration and IT and is keen to start a new role supporting our mission and ministry in the White Horse Team. We have been tidying up, sorting out and decorating the Team office to make it more welcoming and attractive. The Team office email address will come back into use on 1 September: office@whtministry.org.uk and we have the same telephone number: 01373 859450. Please be in touch with Sharon directly with your enquiries for baptisms, weddings, funerals, burials of ashes, parish hall bookings or anything else. Sharon will need a bit of time to get used to her new role, so please be patient. She will have a lot to get to used to! Please give her your full support. I’m looking forward to working with her.Revd Rebecca Harris
The first Flower Festival to be held in Wimborne Minster for three years will take place from Friday 26 to Monday 29 September 2025. In recent years Flower Festivals have been staged in The Minster every five years but the one planned for 2020 was postponed to 2022 due to COVID. This year’s event is being brought back in line for a once in five-year event. It also marks the 1320th anniversary of the original foundation of the Minster by St. Cuthburga in AD705 and the 1300th anniversary of the death of St Cuthburga on 31st August AD725.The Festival with the Title "The Delights of Dorset" will involve many of the Flower Clubs across the County together with the Minsters own Flower Arrangers. There will be over 60 Tableaux and many other arrangements depicting interesting highlights of Dorset from the Jurassic Coast to the modern-day traditions, all with the aim of filling the Minster both with colour and taste and smells of the Countryside. Featuring in the Festival is a 16 foot Dinosaur Demelza together with her baby Dino, the Shrine of St. Wite, Mary Anning, Isaac Gulliver, Corfe Castle, an Urban Fox stealing some sausages from a dustbin whilst 100 sheep will be found among the arrangements.The Festival will be open on the Friday, Saturday and Monday from 10.00am to 6.00pm and on Sunday from 2.00pm until 6.00pm. On the Sunday the Bishop of Sherborne the Right Revd Karen Gorham will Preside and Preach at the 9.30am Parish Eucharist.Entry to the Festival is £7.50 and under 18 Free. Advance tickets can be purchased from Carnival Flowers in Poole Road, Wimborne or from the Parish Office in Church House (next to the Minster) weekday mornings only except Wednesdays. Groups and Coach Parties are welcome. Any further details required can be obtained from the Minsters Publicity Officer on: witsend@familyoliver.org.uk or telephone 01202 888703. All proceeds from the Festival are in aid of Minster Funds.
Harvest Thanksgiving in our churchesWe shall be collecting items of non-perishable food to give to the Westbury Food Bank, so please bring along something to contribute.Holy Saviour on Sunday 14 September at 11.00am, including Holy Communion and followed by refreshments.All Saints on Sunday 28 September at 10.00am. We are inviting our local uniformed organisations to join us for this service.The Tin Church, Brokerswood on Wednesday 1 October at 5.00pm with Bishop Andrew. The Bishop will be blessing the new work on the tower and the bell during this service. Followed by light refreshments.Holy Trinity Dilton Marsh – Sunday 5 October at 9.30am. This will be followed by a bring and share lunch.
This month, on the Feast of Michaelmas, 29 September, both Revd Rebecca and Revd Margaret will be celebrating their 30th anniversary of ordination as deacons.Rebecca was ordained in Gloucester Cathedral on this day in 1995 and Margaret at Salisbury Cathedral.We give thanks to God for many years of Christian ministry. Please pray for them both as they continue to serve God and his people and for his sustaining over this time.