THE music of a children’s choir from Uganda, is to ring out joyfully at St Oswald’s historic church, Winwick, on Sunday 16 June.The concert performance is to celebrate the work of Watoto, a Christian charity, which provides love and care in East Africa’s vulnerable communities.The visit is being hosted by Winwick Church and Christ Church Croft and the choir consists of Ugandan children who have been tragically orphaned at an early age in life. The choir is on a three months tour of Britain to promote songs from their album “Better Days –There is hope”, and raise awareness of Watoto’s work in providing love and care for abandoned and orphaned African children.The concert performance itself is vibrant and colourful like Africa itself and the children taking part will share their personal stories through emotional and heartwarming song and dance.Watoto children’s choirs have travelled extensively in recent years and have met the late Queen Elizabeth, performed for the president of the United States and visited almost every major parliament in the world.The rector of Winwick, the Reverend Martin Cox, said: “The children are being cared for by a Christian charity which seeks to provide them with love and care so that they can lead fulfilling lives. The choir is on tour in the UK to promote this work and seek supporters. The story they share through music is one of hope and joy and it is an enormous privilege to host the choir at St Oswald’s, Winwick.”Proceeds raised from the album and from donations will help Watoto continue to provide vulnerable children with an education, medical care, a safe place to call home and the love of a family.Watoto is a family made up of people from all over the world who are working together to ensure the forgotten have a place to belong. The organisation established a local church in Uganda in 1994 in a time of civil war. Since then the group has rescued thousands of orphaned and abandoned babies and children placing them in loving homes. It has equipped and empowered vulnerable women in their neighbourhoods and sent over 100 children’s choirs across six continents.Watoto children’s choir concert at St Oswald’s Church Winwick, 5 30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday 16th June. Admission free.*Warrington Worldwide 5/6/2024
Great Sankey resident Jackson Beck is proud to release Abducted, which is available on Amazon or Kindle.The crime novel is once again based in Cyprus – a place he holds close to his heart from holidays in past years.It features Gareth and Erica Fisher – two siblings who lose their parents unexpectantly to the Covid pandemic.After dealing with two funerals, solicitors, banks and insurance companies all while going through the grieving process, the siblings decide to take a break.Paying homage to holidays with their parents, they decide to re-visit the Plantation Hotel in southern Cyprus.Under the warm Cypriot sun, a string of emotions and home truths are revealed and laid bare before they settle in to a well-earned break.The sun is shining, the food is excellent and the sea is warm. What could possibly go wrong?Jackson said: “I have a particular interest in Cyprus as we owned a holiday home there for 10 years.“I noticed that there was a particular problem of women going missing from Limassol, Larnaca and in particular Nicosia.“I contacted the police and explained that I was in the process of writing another novel based in Cyprus relating to an abduction.“They were very transparent and helpful in explaining some of the problems that they are currently dealing with.“I have touched on some of these issues in Abducted.”All three of Jackson’s novels are influenced by the historic church of St Oswald in Winwick.He previously explained: “I was looking through some old church council meeting minutes and came across an entry from the 70s.“This stated that a number of refugee children from Cyprus had been brought to the church, and when I researched further into the war in Cyprus in 1974, I was taken aback by the movement of people on the Island.Overnight, lifelong neighbours became enemies and communities were isolated or partitioned, all due to the polarising effect that the fighting had on the two different religions.“As a result, many people lost their lives, and some parentless children were welcomed into the UK.Land and property also became a big issue in Cyprus, which is the backbone of his third novel, entitled Nightfall in Famagusta.“But it all originated from the church council meeting minutes at St Oswald’s in Winwick,” Jackson added.Warrington Guardian 9th March 2024
A great turn out last night, 28th February, for the Collation of The Reverend Martin Brian Cox as Rector of Newchurch and Croft, and Priest-in-Charge of Winwick in the Deanery of Winwick by the Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath Bishop of Liverpool and induction and installation by the Venerable Simon Fisher, Archdeacon of St Helens and Warrington.A special thank you to all at Newchurch Parish Church who made the evening a success and to those who provided refreshments.
One of the most historic churches in the country dating back to Anglo Saxon times, St Oswald’s Church, Winwick, will give a warm welcome to its newly appointed priest in charge, the Reverend Martin Cox, at the end of February.Mr Cox will also be welcomed by parishioners as the new rector of both Newchurch parish church, Culcheth and Christ Church, Croft.All three churches have been without a minister for several years - St Oswald’s Winwick, for nearly three years and Croft and Newchurch for five years.Mr Cox’s appointment will be celebrated at a collation service at Newchurch on February 28 by Bishop John, the Bishop of Liverpool. Congregations from the three churches will be in attendance.Mr Cox was born in North Staffordshire and worked for Staffordshire County Council as a social services manager before being ordained. He has been the team rector of three churches at Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common for the past eight years. He and his wife Heather, a school administrator, have two daughters, Amy and Natalie and six grandchildren. Mr Cox enjoys cooking and open water swimming and he and Heather are musical theatre and travel enthusiasts.He said: “We are delighted to come to the three parishes and to our new home at the Newchurch rectory in Culcheth. We are very much looking forward to this fresh chapter in our lives. One of my main aims will be to make this a sustainable ministry and to be both approachable and available to all my parishioners. I hope to meet as many people as possible at the collation service in February.”John Watkin, church warden at St Oswald’s Winwick, said: “We whole heartedly welcome Martin and Heather to our parish. We have not had a minister for nearly three years and during that time the Church Council and our congregation have faced many financial and operational challenges. The church building itself had to be closed for a lengthy period due to a huge reroofing project followed by a complete failure of the heating system. In the meanwhile we have been working closely together with Newchurch and Christ Church by having a rota of combined services at each of the parish churches in turn, and offering support to each other. With Rev Cox’s guidance and effort, we can now look forward to progressing from strength to strength.”Warrington Guardian 25/01/2024
