Annual Report 2024-25

Rector's Report

In my Pastoral Letter for the April edition of the Benefice magazine, Roundabout, I reflected on the Victorians' attribution of symbolic meaning to flowers.  Bluebells were associated with: humility and steadfastness (the blue ones); gratitude (the lilac/purple ones), everlasting love (the pink ones) and purity/spirituality (the white ones).  It seems to me as we come to look back on another year in our Bluebell Benefice, that these are the virtues in which we will want to have blossomed and grown in most – whatever else has been happening.  And that it is also with prayer for this same Spirit of humility, steadfastness, gratitude, love and holiness that we come to say thank you to God for all that has been, and 'yes' to all that lies ahead.  

It has been another exceedingly full and rich year, crammed with opportunities to meet together, to celebrate, to welcome new members into our villages and congregations, and to grieve together at the loss of those we love so much.  Over these last twelve months, we have had the privilege of holding:

The weddings of: 

Beth & Nick, Chris & Zoe, Julie & Richard, Flo & Jason;

and calling the banns of:

David & Eleanor, Claudia & Josh.

The baptisms of: 

Haygen, Tommy, Isla & Emilie, Jack S, Zeppelin, Jack F;

and blessings for: 

the Shermans (gravestone) and the Barbers (new home).

The funerals of:

Laurence Broderick, Andrew Bowen, John Gillett, Maurice Cain, Pam Merrill, Felicity Learey, James Kent, David Adlington, Barry Girling, Olive Holcroft, Gordon Lawson, Pat Brown, Jenny Blanchflower, Louise Wigan, Delia Wright, Jim Brittain; 

and the laying to rest of:

Doreen Brown, Helen Palin, Bob & Barbara Armstrong, Andrew Daniels, David Kitson and Pat Brown.

May the loves and stories of all of those named here, and held in our hearts, continue to be a blessing, and bloom with hope and peace, on earth and in heaven. 

Log of (just some!) of the past year's special services/events

By planting Bluebells,  'you can recreate that amazing woodland bluebell carpet experience in miniature'.

I wonder if we have reached this stage of growth because, through this past year, these are some of the things we are seeing:

• a more regular, consistent-sized Sunday morning congregation of c. 35–45, in all four churches – and often with 10-12 children, if with Sunday School.  Average numbers at the midweek communions have also grown to c. 10-11.

• a sense of joy in the worship and in the staying over coffee afterwards.

• the delight of welcoming new members to our congregations, bringing with them so much practical help and encouragement.

• a deepening rigour and consolidation of our safeguarding systems and processes in ways that are now helping to enhance our care.  Please see full Safeguarding report here.

• a flourishing confidence in the children from Barnabas Oley in leading services (18 children, from across all year groups, volunteered and led Mothering Sunday this year).

• younger, 'shyer', members of Lego Church now joining in conversation and thinking about the stories and builds.

• ...and a number of children growing out of the younger provision we offer, and needing 'next steps'.

• the depth and breadth in the Bluebell Fellowship Group topics and conversations.

• joyful participation from the villages, school and wider Deanery in the Come & Sing evensongs.  Please see full Choir report here.

• a steady embedding of a regular congregation at F4, with a growing volunteer team from all church denominations and none.

• a growing ministry team with the arrival of Revd Annabel this winter, and the near arrival of our curate Juliette next month, and interest in the Benefice providing more training placements.

• the coming together in a sense of urgency and expectation in a new gathered prayer meeting for the Bluebell villages.

• the hard work of those who do so much to clean, decorate, look after and care for our church buildings and churchyards.  Please see Fabric report here.

• the natural enjoyment of being in partnership with wider community groups, events and seasons (41 people took part in putting on the Narnia Carol service, the majority not from the congregation).  Please see Bellringers' report here.

• a year's practice with a more shared governance structure of PCCs has helped streamlined some time, responsibilities and paperwork, but has now helped show up some more areas for further honing and pruning.

How to grow Bluebells

Planting and care

• Plant ‘in the green’ bulbs at the same depth they were in the ground before (look for the junction where the foliage turns from white to green). Plant dry bulbs at least 10cm deep and space 10cm apart; ensure the pointed growing tip is facing upwards.

• For a more natural effect, plant small clumps of bluebells together with irregular spacing between clumps. You could also throw the bulbs across the planting area and plant them where they land.

• Water bulbs well after planting.

• Growth and flowering may not be brilliant the following year, while the plants re-establish. Be patient!

• After leafing and flowering each year, don’t cut the foliage off – the leaves use sunlight to make food which strengthens the plant for the following year.

• If you want to help your bluebells spread, lift and divide bulbs after flowering. If your bluebells thrive, spreading will also happen naturally via bulb division and seed.

• Dense clumps of bluebells may eventually out-compete more delicate spring plants or spread to the ‘wrong’ place in your garden. Removing heads after flowering will help prevent spreading and unwanted bulbs can be dug up during the growing season when they are more easily found.

(From 'How to grow Bluebells' from the Woodland Trust website: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk)

How we grow a Bluebell Benefice

We continue to shape our prayers and plans around our four missional priorities, linked into Jesus' parables of the Kingdom:

Deepening our Contemplation  

'The Kingdom of Heaven is like TREASURE buried in a field' 

• Growing thoughtful, prayerful discipleship through our services, wider groups & 1:1s.

Learning from and with our Children  

'The Kingdom of Heaven is like MUSTARD SEED' 

• Seeing the Kingdom through their eyes and ideas, passing on the legacy of faith to those following us, nurturing their growth and being nurtured by theirs.

Being alongside our Community  

'The Kingdom of Heaven is like YEAST' 

• Serving our parishes, joining in and leavening with light, welcome and generosity all that is good and life-giving within them.

Being generous in our Care  

'The Kingdom of Heaven is like being entrusted with the Master's own property/TALENTS'.

• Using all that we have (time, resources, buildings, safeguarding, gifts and skills) with wisdom, creativity and compassion to look after one another & our neighbours, in sickness and health, and proactively engage with wider needs brought to our particular attention: The Need Project, Hope into Action, MIND, the Royal British Legion, EACH and various DEC appeals.

These priorities lead us into some key Benefice working principles:

• Doing things together wherever possible.

• Prioritising our young.

• Going beyond in our welcome to one another: generously, creatively and confidently inviting others, and joining in.  

• Simplifying down to keeping 'the most important things the most important things'.  And enjoying serving others!

Fabric Report

St Bartholomew's, Great Gransden (Rob Chignell)

As usual all routine maintenance has been carried out:  fire extinguishers, boiler, lightning conductor; leaves removed from roof and all downpipes cleared etc.

The one expensive item during the year was the replacement of the pump in the cess pit. After many years this side of things is now working with no  smell in the toilet, even when it is being used by a lot of people.

We have tenders for £25,000 approx. for 'A' schedule works from our 2021 Quinquennial. There have been some delays in being able to apply for grants due to some confusion related to Patron Chancel Liability.   Herringbone are able to complete the works in October if we give them the  go ahead very soon.

Many visitors comment on the good state of our 600 (nearly) year-old Church.  We are very lucky.

St Margaret of Antioch's, Abbotsley (Philip Soar)

1. Various maintenance and repairs were carried out during the year including replacing slipped tiles and repointing part of ridge on the chancel roof and the rear gate to the church yard (the latter by kind donation).

2. The Quinquennial Inspection was carried out in the year and a Report received in November 2024 from the architects, Stephanie Norris Architects Ltd. 

3. The report was positive with the following summary of action points that the PCC will endeavour to address in the future.

4. There were no urgent works identified.

5. Over the next two years the following works should be considered (briefly described as):

a. Replace missing tile from Chancel north slope. 

b. Repoint joints and cracks to drainage channel against Chancel.

c. Provide sheltercoat to stones on Chancel north elevation and stone niche above Vestry door.

d. Repoint open joints on Vestry (east elevation) and Chancel (north elevation to east of Vestry) and three buttresses. 

e. Repoint movement cracks to fourth buttress on south elevation.

f. Liaise with CCT re crack to Nave (east crossing wall).

6. A check list of maintenance items is identified and include such items as the removal of ivy, remove moss and weed growth from the buttress and check further cracking in the Haylock Tomb and monitor headstone movement.

7. A trees' survey and further maintenance of lower branches to be considered.   FYE 12/24

St Peter & St Paul's, Little Gransden (Nick Wareham)

All necessary preventive maintenance has been undertaken.  

We secured planning permission and Diocesan approval to undertake the programme of tree work as recommended by the tree survey conducted by the expert arborist, Christian Pinta.  The tree work in both the old and new graveyard areas of the churchyard has been completed.  We have commissioned the regular structural engineer inspections recommended following the Architect’s quinquennial inspection in 2022 and are planning to complete a number of non-urgent remedial recommendations that were made in that report. 

We are extremely grateful to those who contribute to maintaining the church fabric and the churchyard, those who ensure the interior is clean, and the volunteers who provide flowers throughout the year and on special occasions.  We are especially grateful to Sheila George who unlocks and locks the church on a daily basis.

St James', Waresley (Neville Chapman)

Roofing repairs all successfully completed.  Maintenance and improvement work has been carried out on the churchyard with plans now to install a new memorial bench.  Regular Inspections have been completed on the Bells, Organ, Electrics and Fire extinguishers.  The Masonry work identified in the last Quinquennial inspection being is reviewed for completion this year.  The next quinquennial inspection is arranged for October.

Bell-ringers' Report

Sheila George, Tower Captain:

2024 was again another busy year for the bellringers. As well as ringing for the normal 3rd Sunday of the month Benefice Service we have rung on other special occasions in the church’s year – Mothering Sunday, Scouts Service, D-Day celebrations, Patronal Festival, Remembrance Sunday, All Souls, Advent Sunday and funerals of Maurice Cain and Barry Girling.

The Scouts visited the tower in the Spring for a tour and everyone (including their leaders) were given a short taste of ringing a bell. In June we took part in the Ringing Festival at Gamlingay and Gt Gransden came 1st in the Call Change Competition. A Christmas Tintabulation in December drew 2 visitors: no new recruits but connections were made for social media. The Sunday School had a tour of the tower after the service also in December which ended with the children chiming the bells.

Josh our young ringer gave a talk at his school about his hobby and also had a written report published in the Ringing World. Josh was also part of the Fen Tigers band taking part in the Ringing World National Youth Contest in London in the summer when the team came 3rd. Seven Quarter Peals have been rung, one by a visiting band, a quarter in memory of Maurice Cain, one on Hunts District Quarter Peal Day and the others mainly for ‘fun’. A Devon Call Change Peal (60 on thirds) was also rung by members of the Hunts District. Other visiting bands of ringers this year were from Hinckley, Norton, Hexham and Ely Young Ringers – the Fen Tigers.

Our ringers are encouraged to ring at other towers and a Mini Outing was held in April to Bedfordshire the format being 2 towers in the morning followed by a pub lunch (most important) and a tower in the afternoon. In October we ventured further afield to Leicestershire and a visit to Taylors Bell Foundry. We rang at a Prestwold before picnic lunch

was eaten in the church as the weather was inclement and then moved onto the foundry. The tour of the foundry finished with us ringing the set of bells there, a first time for some ringing on 12. We had exchange practices with Ramsey and a trip to Croxton to try out the new ropes.

Some of our ringers help out at Caxton during the summer months and have also ventured into Cambridge to the St Clement’s Ringing Centre. We were pleased to be able to help out at Bourn to ring for a funeral in December. Two of our ringers have enabled the bells at Waresley to be rung for services.

Our social events help us to keep together, and the annual Ringers & Singers Safari supper was held on a wet summer evening, covid raising its ugly head again meant a last-minute change of venues. Our Christmas Dinner took the form of a bring & share lunch just into 2025 and we are most grateful to Sue & Ant Taylor for hosting this in their new house in Elsworth.

Ringers are always encouraged to move on, one way is through the ‘Silent’ practices using the sim which Phillip runs on a Wednesday morning, and of course training continues at every Thursday practice, with various levels of the Learning the Ropes scheme achieved and certificates awarded. Emily Santus underwent an intensive training session in August so that she completed Level 1 and was able to go off to Uni in Brighton with a new skill and able to join in ringing there. We were asked to take over the training of young ringer Hayden(aged 9) from Conington during the summer. He also completed Level 1 but then suddenly left us as a new hobby, Judo, clashed with our practices. 

In December we hosted a Ringing Seminar for the Ely Diocesan Association and led by Phillip in the Reading Room. The subject was to look at ringing in the future and what we can do to stop the decline which is happening countrywide. With the majority of the current 35,000 ringers now either retired or approaching retirement, the picture of bellringing in 5 years’ time will be very different.

A short video of our year can be found here.

...

Choir Report

Whilst still not having a permanent organist, a rota of organists, from the villages and further field, means that services are accompanied each Sunday, but this is not ideal as we are often not able to practice with the organist who is playing on the Sunday.

We are most grateful to Lloyd Barnett from St Neots who comes over from Eynesbury to play at most Wednesday Choir Practices. Several of us were able to join St Neots’ choir for evensong to celebrate Lloyd’s 40 th anniversary.

We extended an invitation to Barnabas Oley School for any of their pupils to join us to experience what it is like to sing in a church choir. Several children joined us on 2 occasions – Harvest Festival, and the Crib Service at Christmas. It involved joining us for practices beforehand and singing at the services.

During the year we have sung 219 hymns, 66 anthems and 7 psalms.