During October St Mary’s Church is making its annual appeal to the wider village community for help in meeting its insurance costs for the year. This, with the roof alarm, is now approximately £5,000 p.a., i.e. beyond what is realistically feasible for the regular congregation on their own. No funding is available for this from the central Church of England or the Government.

The village and friends of the Church have been generous in helping with this, in recent years, though we are only too aware of the financial difficulties that many currently face. It is an important village asset with broader benefits to us all, at the centre of one of the best-known village scenes in the country. Most of us would like to see this maintained for future generations and we hope you will feel able to help, especially in view of its Grade 1 listing, considerable history and broader use.

Gift Day envelopes can be brought to the Church between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 18th October, where people will be ready to welcome you and receive them. The alternatives are; to use the giving box close to the main Church door, the contactless machine on it, or www.tinyurl.com/donate-cavendish, or post it through the letter box of The Manse, Melford Road, CO10 8AD or the special box in the Village Shop, marked ‘for St. Mary’s Church’. Cheques should be made payable to: “PCC Cavendish” and for those using BACS, the Sort Code is 30-98-31 and Account Number 00594368. We would be grateful for any contributions you feel able to give.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to anyone who is thinking of attending Church services. Further information is in the Church Welcome brochure, on various notice boards, the Village and Church website (https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/2117/) and the Village Magazine.

Members of the Parochial Church Council