Extend listed-churches grant scheme, bishop urges
THE Bishop of Dudley, the Rt Revd Martin Gorick, who’s the Acting Bishop of Worcester, has added his voice to calls for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to be prolonged past the present deadline of March 2025. Under the terms of the scheme, established in 2001, VAT on eligible repairs or alterations costing greater than £1000 to a listed place of worship may be reclaimed. With other campaigners, the Bishop has written to MPs in support of the scheme. He said on Monday that the lack of the scheme, “at worst, may very well be the difference between being solvent or not. The irony to this discussion is that new-build works are exempt from VAT.” A choice concerning the way forward for the scheme is to be made by the Department for Culture Media and Sport in the approaching months (News, 22 November).
King backs campaign for carols outdoors
THE King has expressed his support for the cross-denominational initiative Shine Your Light, which inspires churches across the UK to carry their carol services and nativity plays outdoors (News, 11 October). Involving 700 churches of 68 denominations, it was piloted last 12 months and relaunched in October with a recent goal of 1000 churches and 100,000 Christians to succeed in an extra a million people, each UK residents and tourists. Dr Jonathan Oloyede, the convener of the National Day of Prayer and Worship, which is leading the initiative, said this week that the King’s support was “such an encouragement”. Partners include the Church of England, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance, the Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and the United Reformed Church. Shopping centres, village greens, and community centres are among the many suggested locations. shineyourlight.org.uk
Party in cathedral ‘not consistent with core values’
A CHRISTMAS party in Liverpool Cathedral last week for employees of Liverpool FC was stopped early by cathedral staff after “drugs paraphernalia” were found, a cathedral spokesperson told the BBC. “During an event within the last week, an incident occurred that was not consistent with our core values,” the spokesperson said. “The team on duty followed the proper procedures to bring the event to an early close. We wish to thank our staff and Liverpool FC for the swift actions taken and partnership working, and can proceed to review our procedures and mitigation measures for future events.” The club said that an “incident” had taken place on Thursday night of last week. “We don’t condone or tolerate the usage of illegal substances at any of our sites or events.” None of the club’s players was present.
Leeds project focuses on homeless people’s creativity
ST GEORGE’S CRYPT, a 95-year-old homelessness charity in Leeds, has launched a public art project, “Lazarus”, to alter perceptions of homelessness. A bunch of homeless people from St George’s Crypt are to be supported by the artists Pippa Hale and David Hawkins, over five months, in making a public artwork to be displayed in the town. “Homelessness is commonly seen as a posh, unsolvable issue, but we all know that the people we work with at St George’s Crypt are filled with creative potential,” the top of health and well-being, Christine Lane, said. “Each participant’s journey is about reclaiming dignity and expressing the stories of their lives in a strong, creative way.” Leeds Art Gallery, Assembly House, Left Bank Leeds, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park are partners of the project. Ms Hale, a up to date artist based in Leeds, said that the project would raise up “the voices of those that are marginalised in our society, and values their strength, resilience, and inventive expression”. Mr Hawkins, an environmental artist from Skipton, said that the project was about showcasing “creativity and inspiring society to revise their view of homeless people”.
Award for scheme to record closing Scottish churches
SCOTLAND’s Churches Trust (SCT) has been awarded the title of “Religious Heritage Innovator of the Year 2024” to the Future for Religious Heritage, for its initiative to coach volunteers to document Scotland’s closing churches and to develop a “rapid church recording methodology” to support this — documenting movable items inside each church before they’re “inevitably dispersed, sold, or lost”. SCT’s network has to this point recorded 50 churches. Its chair, Professor Adam Cumming, said: “It is nice to see the exertions and dedication of our volunteers recognised so clearly. We also must thank the assorted congregations for his or her support.”
Vicar apologises over Father Christmas
THE Vicar of St Faith’s, Lee-on-the-Solent, in Hampshire, the Revd Dr Paul Chamberlain, has apologised after telling a bunch of schoolchildren from Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School that Father Christmas didn’t exist. The diocese of Portsmouth said in an announcement that Dr Chamberlain had made an “error of judgement” when, during an RE lesson, he addressed the group of ten- and 11-year-olds, a few of whom reportedly began to cry. “After talking concerning the nativity story from the Bible, he made some comments concerning the existence of Father Christmas,” the statement said. “Paul has accepted that this was an error of judgement, and he mustn’t have done so. He apologised unreservedly to the college, to the parents, and to the youngsters, and the top teacher immediately wrote to all parents to elucidate this.”
RSCM renames its youth choir
THE Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is changing the name of its youth choir from Millennium Youth Choir to the RSCM Youth Choir. The choir, founded in 1999, is for singers aged 16 to 23, and sings music of all styles and periods at cathedrals and churches across the country. rscm.org.uk
