April 2023

Please contact for information or transport Mr Graham Wigmore 01794

389000 or Miss S Caplen 01794 521774. A warm welcome to everyone.

2ND APR MR G LEWIS

9TH APR EASTER SUNDAY 8:30am MISS S CAPLEN

16TH APR MRS M RASLEIGH

23RD APR REV C KING

30TH APR UNITED SERVICE AT THE CHAPEL MRS K NEWTON

April 2023

To paraphrase Jesse from The Fast Show, “This month we have

mostly been eating soup”! After thoroughly enjoying our visit to the

Lent Lunch in Wellow Church Rooms on 11th March, our talented

soup makers seemed to decide that they were feeding the five

thousand, and on 18th March St Leonard’s was alive to the quiet

hum of seven slow cookers. With six different soups on offer,

visitors had tough choices to make and couldn’t be blamed for

sampling more than one. It was a joy to welcome so many from the

community and across the new benefice into the church, and their

generosity has led to over £500 being donated to UNICEF. Added to

the monies already raised by the five other parishes, a considerable

sum is going to help children and young people in perilous

situations around the world. This was our first event with all six

parishes working together and, with the recent news that the

planned pastoral scheme can go ahead, we hope it will be the first

of many that bring our churches and communities together.

April brings Easter, of course, and a plethora of events. Our usual

coffee morning will take place on Saturday, 1st April. The following

day we hope to welcome back some of those who were confirmed

a year ago on Palm Sunday for a celebratory Communion service.

This will double as Easter Communion, as the service on Easter

Sunday won’t have an ordained priest to distribute Communion,

but will feature an Easter Egg Hunt and a celebration of Christ’s

rising. In a slight change to our normal schedule, the next coffee

morning will be on 29th April. This will have a special Coronation

theme and will feature a display by our inventive Knit and Natter

team, who have been talking in riddles for some months now! We

hope to see many of you there.

I’ll end with a reminder that on Sunday 30th April we will be joining

the service at Wellow Wood Chapel, so there won’t be a service at

St Leonard’s on that day. The following week we welcome Reverend

James Pitkin for a special Coronation service, which (if all goes to

plan) will be his first official service as our brand new Rector. After

a long and protracted vacancy process you will forgive this tired but

happy Churchwarden a heartfelt “Alleluia”!

Clare Durham, St Leonard’s Churchwarden

March 2023

Coronation

Several people have commented to us that a celebration of the upcoming

coronation of King Charles would be a fitting way to mark this historic

event, and we are inclined to agree.

Following the success of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee event last summer we

are working with the Parish Council to create an event along similar lines. It has been suggested that we host an afternoon tea on the Sunday 7th May

at the playing field. We welcome all offers of help in organising it and on

the day so please don’t hesitate to let us know. We will post updates on the

Sherfield English Residents Facebook group as and when we have more

information and in April’s SEDCA newsletter when we will have the full programme.

Other news from The Pavilion

Progress is being made on the replacement playground equipment. Discussions with manufacturers to find the best options with hopefully a final decision soon. Watch this space!

SERP2000, serp@sherfieldenglish.org.uk

SERP2000 is funded and run by the village charity SERP 2000.

Volunteers and new committee members always welcome.