St Peter's Yaxley

…reaching out in love and faith

What Alpha Did For Us

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Some members from the last St. Peter’s Alpha course have shared their experience in the hope it may encourage others to attend.

 

“When I joined up to start the Alpha group I honestly didn’t know what to expect, you could say that I was sat on the fence and didn’t have a faith. When I was younger I had gone to some church services, especially around Christmas and I had also been part of a church Youth Group. However, I had only started to go to church regularly in January and at first it was to feel part of a community and I also enjoyed the singing aspect. One thing that I did notice however, was that as soon as I went into church, I felt a sense of calm and peace and during that time I was in the moment.
I had heard Alpha being mentioned a few times during church services and didn’t really give it a second thought until after one Sunday when I had gone for prayer and during that prayer I felt the weight of God trying to push me to my knees. I thought I was imagining this sensation until I mentioned it to others.
So, I then decided to go for the first session of Alpha and in all honesty didn’t think I would attend the others, how wrong was I!! I have found and learnt so much through doing Alpha and have also found my faith. Throughout the course I asked what I thought were silly questions but they weren’t and if I hadn’t have asked I wouldn’t have the knowledge of my faith that I do now. I also shared this experience with my amazing Alpha family. My faith continues to grow every day.
I urge anyone that is thinking about doing Alpha to give it a go, especially if you are sat on the fence like I was.
God Bless”

 

“I had never heard of Alpha before, so when I saw it flash up on the screens at church before service one Sunday, it got my attention. I watched a short video clip on Facebook and it looked interesting. So, I went along to the first session at the vicarage. I felt really nervous as I barely knew anyone at church. I needn’t have worried as by the end of the evening I knew I had just found a lovely group of new friends.
Over the next few weeks we enjoyed watching the DVDs and discussing the topics, as well as sharing personal experiences and great conversations.
My favourite session was The Holy Spirit. A whole morning spent with my ‘Alpha family’ and receiving prayer for the first time, where I experienced the Holy Spirit, will forever be one of my best memories.
Alpha lead me to my confirmation, alongside some of those from our group. Another amazing day I would never have experienced without Alpha.
We now meet once a week and have started our own home group. We have grown so close during our journey through Alpha and are enjoying reading the Bible together and sharing in our love for Jesus.”

 

“I feel I am that kind of person who always have lots of questions with life and also have a lot of passion with life too. During my searching for my answers I have find my favourite job—-Acupuncture Therapist. I experiencing love and understanding love, and the most important of all is that I have find my religion. I really appreciate everyone’s honesty in the group; “easy ” doesn’t appear in grown up’s life, we need faith and bravery to experience life and enjoy life.”

 

“Alpha was something that caught my attention when I was 16 years old; 16 years later I finally got around to going! Even then though, I still needed a lot of nudges. I didn’t think I could fit it in around work and home but after it kept appearing everywhere and was on my mind, I figured God was telling me something and it was time to go. I took the leap and booked on to the course, and invited a friend along for the ride.
The leap was definitely worth it and I needn’t have worried about fitting it in, everything fell into place! Through Alpha I have learnt so much about my faith, I’ve heard different people’s opinions and some beautiful testimonies. Alpha gave me the knowledge and comfort to talk to my non-Christian friends about my faith, in fact it made my faith grow and grow. With knowledge comes a sense of security; this security has given me a new confidence in myself and my faith. It’s made me want to seek more and more knowledge, continually growing and strengthening my faith through further exploration.
It was on Alpha that I had my first encounter with the Holy Spirit. In St. Peter’s one Saturday morning, whilst receiving prayer, I felt a force so powerful it brought me to the ground; it was incredible. Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit was an emotional experience, and one I am blessed to say has occurred regularly since Alpha.
My journey through Alpha brought something else special into my life; my Alpha family. As the weeks passed the group grew closer together, choosing to share life experiences, comforting and encouraging one another. The friendships built during Alpha are very special and each member of the Alpha family holds a special place in my heart. We still meet every week and have now formed the Post Alpha Home Group, where we continue to learn together and support one another.
Alpha truly blessed me. Even the mention of the name, Alpha, fills me with an excitement and enthusiasm to encourage others to just give it a try. Don’t wait as long as I did, today is as good a day as any.”

Our next Alpha course starts on Wednesday 17th October, 7.30pm, at SPC. We’d love to see you there.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.

Welcoming the Autumn Changes

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It’s starting to feel like Autumn is approaching. With Autumn comes change; a change in the weather, change in routine for those with children at school and a change in the clocks to name but a few.

Change is definitely upon us at St. Peter’s as we enter a period of time without a vicar; an interregnum. Change is so often deemed as negative and scary; however, the Bible tells us change is good. We, at St. Peter’s, are embracing this change and believe God has a plan for us and we need to allow change to grow us as a church.

The process is already underway to find a replacement for Jon; however, this will take time to ensure we find the right fit for our church. During this time, we’d like to reassure everyone that things will resume as normally as possible. Sunday services will be led by visiting clergy or members of the church and the majority of services will go ahead as scheduled, with the exception of 9am services on 30th September, 21st October, 4th & 11th November and 2nd & 16th December. On the majority of these dates there will be a 9am service at St. Giles in Holme, please check the Notice Sheet for details. We are delighted to confirm that Sparks, our group for 0-4s and their parents/carers, previously led by Jon and Ingrid, will continue to run fortnightly on Friday mornings from 9.30am, with the regular Sparks team in attendance.

At this time, we encourage everyone to pray for what lies ahead for St. Peter’s and for Jon & Ingrid as they move to a new Parish. We regularly hold 24 Hour Prayer events at St. Peter’s and we invite everyone to attend our next event on the 6th October, starting at 9am, where there will be prayer stations to focus our prayer on our church at this time. To book a slot, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you throughout the coming months.

God Bless

Laura

 

Laura Ashley, St. Peter’s Parish Communications Officer

07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk

Jon & Ingrid have been called to move on

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This will be my last article as we are moving to Huntingdon this month. We will be sorry to leave as we are very happy living and ministering here. However, Ingrid and I are certain that God has called us to move on.

It has been a real privilege to be the Vicar here for the past nine years. Thank you all for the support which you have given me personally and to the life and working of the church. My last Sunday in Yaxley will be September 23rd and I will be leading the services at both 9am and 11am. It would be really good to see you at one of these services. My last service in Holme will be on Saturday September 8th at 4.30pm and again you’re very welcome.

The process for recruiting a new Vicar has already begun and will move ahead after I have left. In the mean time it will be “business as usual”. If you need to get in touch with St. Peter’s in Yaxley please contact Laura in our Parish Office on 07939 449255 or email her at lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk. If you need to contact the church in Holme please visit www.holme-parish.co.uk

May I invite you all to a concert at St. Peter’s on September 29th at 7.30pm. Classical Reflection have appeared on BBC’s The Voice and have performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Tickets are available by clicking here or phone the number below for further details.

Thank you all once again for your support. May I sign off by wishing you God’s richest blessings for the future.

With my prayers,

Jon
Jon Randall (Vicar) 07939 449255

Together We Make A Family

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Home groups go by many names, house groups, cell groups, small groups. My favourite is Family Groups.

In my first few weeks in this role, I was kindly invited to attend the Wednesday lunchtime group, led by John Harper. The group has been running for the best part of 5 years, with 14 members, of which there are around 10 at each session, plus Millie the dog. John and Sandra have set up home groups in all of their previous Parishes with each one following the same format of sharing lunch, followed by teaching, then prayer. Incredibly, John and Sandra still see the members from John’s original home group from before he married Sandra!

Watching this home group interact as they arrived and prepared the meal, can only be compared to that of watching a feel-good Christmas movie. One where all the family are arriving home not having seen each other in weeks and hugging and laughing together; the group were surrounded with love. In John 17:22-23, we read “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” This group demonstrated the meaning of this Bible passage to me beautifully through their interactions with one another; it is through this unity that we can see the love of God.

The joy and laughter continued throughout the meal of homemade soup, bread, cheese and fruit. Whilst there was volume in the various conversations and laughter, there was also a calming, relaxed atmosphere. It was the perfect time for everyone to talk and catch up with one another; it felt like home. Afterwards, everyone worked together to tidy away and make tea. They worked in beautiful synchronization, once again enhancing the feeling of a family that knew each other well and had been doing this for many years. It was then time to retire to the living room to begin the study.

The group have studied a variety of subjects over the years, including Rembrandts The Prodigal Son and various DVD studies such as The Theory of Everything. At this session they were starting a new subject ‘Christ and the Chocolaterie’ based on the film, Chocolat. The study takes key events from the movie and relates them to key Bible messages. Everyone in the group was free to have their own opinion and respected those of others. There was time for people to ask questions and hear one another’s thoughts which subsequently helped my own thought processes. The talk was followed by a time of prayer and reflection, and then goodbyes.

I left the group, feeling in awe of the love and familiarity I had experienced. I was welcomed into the group with open arms and instantly made to feel part of the family. Thank you for the invitation and for the wonderful experience.

If you have been considering attending a Home Group, I cannot recommend them enough. They allow you to form good friendships, allow for a time where you can ask questions, hear the views of others, a time to open up and to pray for one another. They are how we get to know one another and build our Church family and unity. Home groups are truly special places.

John & Sandra’s group meet on alternate Wednesday lunchtimes during term time. St. Peter’s have many different groups on at different times so there should be something to suit everyone.

Please speak with Jon if you are considering joining a group.

God Bless.

Laura Ashley (PCO) 07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk

 

Rescued by a Refugee

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I wonder if you saw footage or read about the refugee from Mali who rescued a four year old in Paris recently.

The child had been left alone in his fourth floor apartment while his father went shopping. Somehow the boy got out onto the balcony and had climbed over the rail. He was hanging on by his fingertips. Mamoudo Gassama, who is 22, saw the boy and with strength and skill and no regard for his own safety scaled the outside of the building rather like Spider-Man. He reached the balcony where the boy was and Mamoudo pulled him to safety. A large crowd had gathered on the ground and one of them captured the incident on his phone. Footage then went viral.

Mamoudo has been hailed as a hero. He was then invited to meet President Macron who promised him fast track citizenship and a job with the city’s fire department.

Around two thousand years ago another refugee came to rescue the whole of humanity which was, at best, “hanging on by its fingertips”. With no regard for his own safety Jesus allowed himself to be lifted up and nailed to the cross. Soon afterwards having risen from the dead Jesus ascended into heaven to “sit beside the President”. The citizenship won by Jesus however was not for himself but for all who believe and trust in Him. Those who follow Jesus are promised permanent citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you feel like you are hanging on by your fingertips or if life has never been better or if you are somewhere in between you are very welcome to join us at St. Peter’s (or your local church) and find out more about the invitation to become a citizen of God’s everlasting Kingdom.

May I invite any primary school aged children to our Big Top Holiday Club from August 28th to 31st. There will be NO clowns. Further details on our website or from our church office (number below).
With my prayers,

Jon
Jon Randall (Vicar) 07939 449255; vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

My Splash Walk Tips

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I ventured out on my first Splash Walk at the end of May, unknowingly picking one of the longer walks to attend.

We trailed seven miles from The King’s Head in Wadenhoe to the National Trust’s Lyveden New Bield, and back again. The length of the walk allowed for plenty of conversation and adventure through muddy puddles, fields, kissing gates and long grass. Along the way, I thought of a few handy tips to share with new Splash Walkers:

1. Invest in waterproof walking boots/shoes
It’s safe to say I learnt why Splash Walks are aptly named ‘Splash’ walks. Although we had a beautiful sunny day for our walk there were areas in the woods that were still rather boggy from the previous days rain. In some areas we ventured through bushes in order to avoid muddy puddles, however not all could be avoided and resulted in two rather wet, inappropriately dressed feet. I didn’t let this dampen my spirit and it all added to the adventure bringing back happy childhood memories of rambling through woods.

2. Join the group for lunch
The prospect of a good pub lunch is more than enough to keep you going when you’re flagging three quarters of the way around! Another incentive is hearing Richard call the pub to start preparing the food, you know then that you’re on the home straight and that the Brie and Bacon sandwich is not far off! The pub also gives you time to relax together, catch up with anyone you didn’t get a chance to talk to during the walk, and rehydrate with your choice of drink!

3. Take a spare pair of shoes
Even if you don’t have wet feet or blisters, air to the feet feels a luxury after seven miles – a spare pair of flip flops or alternative are a must! Even more so if you are staying for food.

4. Take water
A combination of chatter and exercise calls for water! I enjoyed having time to get to know friends a little better and have since found out that there are many benefits from walking & talking in the countryside, such as help with depression, anxiety, grief and difficult life transitions.

5. Every once in a while, take a moment to look around
Whether it’s a brief pause from walking, or a pause in conversation, look up and take in the sights of the countryside, and all that God has created for us. The Splash Walk offered me an opportunity to explore somewhere I hadn’t been before and appreciate the beauty and stillness of the countryside.

Thank you to everyone who was on the May Splash Walk. Despite feeling a little achy and sporting flip flops for the following 24 hours, I thoroughly enjoyed the walk. The walk was definitely made easier with the flow of conversation and promise of a good meal with friends. This was my first walk in different terrains and one I found very enjoyable. It was lovely to explore new territory and discover a new village, where people swim in the river! I look forward to walking with you all again in the future!

The next Splash Walk is taking place on Saturday 30th June.

For more information on Splash Walks, please speak with Chris Grant or Richard Hilliard.

God Bless.
Laura Ashley (PCO) 07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk

“A bell’s not a bell ‘til you ring it…”

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If you heard the church bells on Friday night, chances are you heard me ringing!

When Ray originally asked me if I fancied bell ringing it took me by surprise. It was something I hadn’t considered before and I’d never thought about there being actual people in the tower ringing the bells on a Sunday morning. Once I thought about the idea of bell ringing, it became something that interested me and I had to give it a go.

The door to the tower has always been intriguing, mostly because of the large padlock which has always had me pondering what it’s like up there. Well, it turns out it was nothing like what I expected! The ringing chamber is a bright room, decorated with notice boards and plaques. There’s small windows and apart from the stair workout, which seems to go on forever, you don’t realise how high up you are. There’s even electricity and a bench to sit down. Apparently, what I had learnt about bell ringing from watching Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a child, had not been correct!

The skill involved somewhat blew me away. I was definitely naïve in thinking you just pulled on a rope and made some noise (Disney has a lot to answer for)! Each bell, there are six, is a different note and weight. Some people can play some tunes on certain bells and not on others and very few people are able to operate number six, due to the weight. There’s much to learn; the sounds of the bells, positioning of hands, when and where to hold and let go, even how hard to pull the rope. The team also talk in ‘code’ when they’re ringing, and number codes surround the walls of the tower – it’s fascinating!

The team gave me demonstrations on what I would do and made it look easy; I guarantee you it is not, but my goodness is it fun and well worth the challenge! Even the simplest things like leaving my hands by my side somehow became difficult once instinct had set in. I was eased in gently with small exercises to complete and felt very comfortable trying new things, with full support from the team. Ray is a fantastic teacher; full of knowledge, patience and encouragement.

Thank you to Ray and the team for having me and showing me the ropes (sorry, I couldn’t resist!). I found watching and listening to you all absolutely fascinating and loved ringing the bell myself. As I left St. Peter’s I felt a sense of pride that I had contributed (just a little) to the sound of the bells that the village had heard, on a warm summers evening. I look forward to returning and understand now why people warned me about ‘catching the bug’.

Bell ringing is a great hobby, that combines music, sport, friendship and laughter and is completely free! If you fancy trying your hand at bell ringing, please speak to Ray Porter.

God Bless.
Laura Ashley (PCO) 07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk

Give Thanks & Encouragement

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On May 9th I had the great privilege to be involved in a service at St. Giles, Holme at which Lance Bombardier William Barrington, Bill, was presented with the Legion d’Honneur.

Bill was awarded this honour for his involvement in the D Day Landings in Normandy in June 1944. If you live in Holme or Conington you can read more about this award in last month’s Holme Parish News. I’ve known Bill for several years and he is a warm and inspirational character.

As I drove home across the fen after the service it occurred to me that 74 years was a long time to wait to be thanked. Now, I’m certain that Bill didn’t do what he did in Normandy (and indeed elsewhere in WWII) in order to be thanked. However, it did feel to me like a good reminder of the importance of thanking those around us who make a positive impact on our lives.

I heard a Christian speaker ask recently how one could tell if someone needed encouragement. “It’s straightforward,” was his response: “if someone is breathing they need encouragement!” In other words, we all need to be thanked and encouraged – Christians, those of other faiths and those of none. May I suggest that as you read the rest of this article you give some thought to who you might say “thank you” to today? This simple act will make a real impact on the person / people you thank.

If you enjoy folk music may I extend a welcome to you to a concert which is being held at St. Peter’s at 7.30pm on Friday June 8th as part of the Oundle International Festival. The concert is being given by TEYR and tickets can be purchased at www.oundlefestival.savoysystems.co.uk

You are all very welcome to join us at St. Giles, St. Peter’s and indeed other local churches as we thank God for all that he has done for us.

With my prayers,

Jon
Jon Randall (Vicar) 07939 449255; vicar@saintpeters.co.uk

Together Let’s Build A Community

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This year saw my first experience of Community Sunday and I’m proud to have been part of it.

Arriving in church it was great to see so many adults and children, all in their ‘work clothes’, chatting about what the day may have in store. Some people had even researched how to correctly perform their assigned jobs, now that’s dedication (and also leads me to wonder what we did before Google and You Tube!). Before heading out to our jobs we joined in prayer for everyone involved in the day and also for those who were unable to help.

Armed with a bucket and paintbrush, our team headed out together in search of the fence that needed freshening up. The homeowner was20180513_123739 very grateful to have us there; she clearly took a lot of pride in her garden with various pots of blooming flowers and plants. Painting was something she was no longer able to do, so I was honoured to be able to do this for her. The first task was getting into the paint! Those containers are rather tricky to master but after a blood blister and paint splatter, we were in (who knew that first paint splatter would be the first of many)! Throughout the day we received visitors with gifts of bacon sandwiches and paintbrushes which were greatly received, the tips of how to paint were not, but did provide us with some giggles.

Upon admiring our finished fence, we felt we had more to give. We discussed what else we could do and with permission from the householder, we expanded our brief and painted another two fences. Still not happy that our work was complete and with a bucket of paint left, we once again spoke to the householder who agreed we could also paint her shed! When we left the garden, it was totally transformed and we had one very happy homeowner; it felt fantastic! The day had been a great way to get to know those in my team, and what better way than spilling paint on one another; a good ice breaker if ever you need one! The team worked in very different ways, we had the ‘slap it on the fence’ approach, the ‘fine detailer’, the ‘master shed painter’ and the ‘tidy upper’. We complimented one another perfectly. This was my first experience of painting a fence and despite being paranoid about spilling the paint all over this lovely lady’s garden, I thoroughly enjoyed it due to the company of my team.

20180513_133117The expanding of our brief meant we were the last ones to return to St. Peter’s and so unfortunately, we missed all the other teams returning. It did mean that we got to eat the leftover sandwiches and cakes and we were still served a well earnt cuppa. I also missed the Barbeque, due to family illness. I would have loved to hear all the stories from the day and will definitely be there next year.

I’d like to say thank you to Andy for organising the day; a great deal of time and preparation goes into this event, before, during and after. This day helps many people in different ways; help with jobs that people cannot carry out alone, company for those who may not see anyone at weekends, the church family get a chance to know one another a little better and who knows, for the people we meet and those they tell about us, this day may play a small part in their journey to exploring their faith and ultimately finding Jesus!

It shouldn’t go without saying a big thank you to everyone who took part; whether that be physically on the day, or by making referrals, providing food, taking photos or supplying tools and encouragement. We had 62 volunteers on the day; 39 adults and 10 children out on jobs and 11 support staff. Together we helped build a community, something we should all feel very proud of.

If you have any photos or experiences of Community Sunday you would like to share, please get in touch with me.

God Bless.
Laura Ashley (PCO) 07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk

My Time With Mothers’ Union

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As part of a new series of website articles I will be visiting the different groups within St. Peter’s. I hope in doing this I will get to know as many of you as possible and together we can let everyone know what you do and how they can get involved.

My first visit was to Mothers’ Union. Upon arriving at church, I was greeted with a hymn book (Yes, St. Peter’s do still have hymn books!) and I took my seat within the circle. Irene Porter led us in prayer and briefly discussed “business”. MU had recently lost a member, she was remembered compassionately and her funeral flowers were with us in remembrance. Irene spoke of a donation that was to be made to MU from the family and ways the money could be used; possibly to help children suffering bereavements. It was then that I realised how lucky I was to be part of a group of wonderful women who want to make a difference in people’s lives, through the work they do in Mothers’ Union.

We sang a hymn and also enjoyed trying to master the classic ‘In an English Country Garden’. Giggles were a plenty as we tried to squeeze in all the lyrics and by the last verse (there were a fair few) we were beginning to master it. It was after the singing that I learnt where the organ was in St. Peter’s; that secret staircase had baffled me for years!

Ros Wright was visiting the MU to talk about ‘The Christian Meaning of Garden Flowers’. Ros guidePassion Flowerd us through the plants in our gardens and spoke of how we can relate these to events and people in the Bible. Did you know that over 100 plants are mentioned in the Bible? The flower that most stood out to me was the Passion Flower, also known as “Espina de Christo” – Christ’s Thorns. Each part of the flower holds symbolic meaning; the 3 stigma represent the 3 nails that held Jesus to the cross and the 5 anthers are the 5 sacred wounds. The tendrils of flower resemble the whippings and the filaments depict the crown of thorns. When I was a child I used to find the Passion Flower a scary looking plant, now I will see it in a very different light; it is a reminder of how much Jesus loves me!

Following the talk, we had tea and biscuits. I was happily surprised to see we were having tea in cups and saucers, something I am very fond of! Chatter amongst members ensued and I was made to feel welcome and met some truly encouraging individuals.

The following Tuesday, I attended MU: Engage. Engage is a much more informal gathering and is a chance for women to get together for fellowship, prayer and advice. We enjoyed a cup of tea (once again in the lovely cups and saucers) and delicious cake. Once we’d all had a catch up, we ventured upstairs to the cosy upper room of the Church. Irene led us in discussion; this week’s topic was about Dash Cams and Sat Navs. We spoke about our preferences and quickly conversation turned towards our own life experiences.

Sitting amongst everyone, I knew I was sat amongst friends. Everyone was open, kind and understanding. There were so many years of knowledge in one room and everyone wanted to help one another in any struggles that they may be facing. Their compassion for one another was beautiful. Mothers’ Union surpassed any preconceived expectations I had and despite being somewhat younger than the regular attendees I still felt very much at home.

I would like to thank everyone at Mothers’ Union for making me feel welcome; I’ve made new friends and experienced first hand what a fun, caring group you are. I will see you all again soon!

If you are interested in attending Mothers’ Union or would like more information, please speak with Irene. You do not need to be a member or mother to attend; everyone is welcome. To see the amazing work that Mothers’ Union do, visit www.mothersunion.org

Mothers’ Union meet:

Alternate Tuesdays for MU: Engage, 10:00-11:30am, at SPC.  The next MU: Engage is taking place on Tuesday 22nd May 2018.

The next monthly meeting at St. Peter’s is on Thursday 21st June 2018, at 1.30pm.

The Mothers’ Union are hosting a Teddy Bears Picnic for parents with Pre-schoolers on Thursday 17th May, at 12:00pm. All food is generously provided by the MU.

If you would like me to visit your group or event, please contact me to discuss details.                                         Laura Ashley (PCO) 07939 449255, lauraashley@saintpeters.co.uk