Our current flower arrangers at All Saints have informed me that they will be stepping back from this after the end of the year and Christmas. Our flower arrangers have done sterling service over many years, more recently focussing on the major festivals of Christmas, Easter, Harvest and our Patronal festival on 1 November. It has become more challenging since the advice to stop using Oasis for environmental reasons (use of plastic), the rising cost of flowers, as well as the ongoing watering which needs to happen during the week when they are busy with work and other commitments. I was very sorry to hear this, as I’m sure we all appreciate their wonderful creations during the year which brings our beautiful building to life. I’m sure we would all like to offer our grateful thanks to all our flower arrangers. There are a few months to go, so we have a bit of time to think about what we could do from the New Year.One of our newer members has offered the following invitation to be considered:Calling all budding florists!We are looking to form a new team of flower arrangers to work on a rota system to decorate the Church and to continue to make it an alive and welcoming space.No experience necessary, just a passion for flowers and the ability to create one or two vase arrangements.Or maybe you are new to the area and have a skill for creating wonderful plinth arrangements?Going forward we want to use sustainable props and locally sourced flowers as much as possible. Perhaps you are a keen gardener and could provide us with your own home-grown flowers?We are looking for a new team to start in January 2027. Please contact Sarah Wiseman if you would like to get involved.
Our Disability and church inclusion group has arranged to have a disability audit take place at All Saints' Church, Westbury on Saturday 10th October. We have invited our Diocesan Disability advisor to come and conduct this for us, accompanied by her husband. This will probably take the whole morning. She will be looking at our facilities for those with a diverse range of needs and abilities, in our church building, our services, events and activities. She will then write a report and let us have it when it’s ready.We are very grateful to her for agreeing to do this for us. It will provide us with some ideas and actions for how we can improve our facilities for those with particular needs, and we hope to make our building and events more accessible for a wide range of needs. This will be presented to the PCC in due course, for their consideration.
Each month a YouTube video is created with members of the team and it is sent out with the Monthly Newsletter.This month it is all about Mothers Union - the national picture, the local programme and celebrating its 150th Anniversary. To join or to find out more, contact:Westbury Branch - Jean JaneDilton Marsh Branch - Jocelyn Short (narrator of the video)
WHAT IS WHCH? Westbury Parish Hall is the home of the White Horse Community Hub. They are a new charity which has been set up to focus on making improvements to the hall; to increase the bookings, its useability and implement a modernisation plan. The overall aim is to care for and secure the hall for future generations to come! The trustees are members of the general public who have kindly stepped forward to volunteer and work together. There are also four church trustees on the WHCH committee, which includes Rev’d Rebecca.GRANT: The charity has received two grants in the last few months from Westbury Lions and the Westbury Town Council. These funds will support the ongoing renovation activities.CURRENT USAGE: WHCH is working with the Team Administrator (in the Parish Office) to increase the number of bookings, as it is an underused space in the community – which still needs to pay for itself.HALL BOOKINGS: Contact the Parish Office.
This year the Church of England authorised a new ecumenical special day in the Common Worship calendar - The Festival of Creation in Christ to be celebrated on the first Sunday of September. The Feast of Creation in Christ serves to reminds us that we are not called to worship the created order nor merely to offer lament for ecological crisis. Rather, the Festival is an opportunity to:come before God to give thanks for the divine act of creation,behold all things as made through Christ the Word, andtreat the world as gift, covenant, and responsibility.The Festival connects the liturgical celebration of creation with the Church’s calling, expressed in the Fifth Mark of Mission, to ‘safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth’.Creation must be cherished because it is created in Christ, sustained in Christ, wounded by human sin, and destined for renewal in Christ.General Synod 2408ZBoth All Saints and Holy Trinity Church will be celebrating this new Festival - why not come along and join in?