Stretton Handley School writes:

On Tuesday, 3rd October, Stretton Handley Church of England VC Primary School had a very special visitor.

The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, kindly gave up her afternoon to join the children in a special Collective Worship service.

Staff, governors, parents / carers and members of St Mark's Church congregation were also in attendance.

The school's Church Council members led the service with prayers and the lighting of candles.

Bishop Libby gave an interactive talk to the children which included telling them what she did and what she wore.

She asked five pupils to come out to the front and allowed them to try on each part of her 'Episcopal vestments' and gave an explanation of what each part meant.

Also in attendance was Mr Ernest Fox, whose grandfather originally started the giving of a Bible to Year 2 pupils annually; he gave an explanation of how it all started.

His own father, Sam Fox, took over the tradition when the Sunday school ceased to run in 1960 and the Fox family have continued with the tradition, for which the school is extremely grateful.

On this particular occasion, pupils from Years 3 and 4 who had missed out before the Covid lockdown and unforseen circumstances also received a Bible.

Bishop Libby and Mr Fox presented the Bibles together.

In September 2021, St. Mark's Church started the tradition of giving out 'Special Bears', which came in a decorative bag with its own poem, to all the pupils attending the school.

This has now moved forward and each new starter receives their own "special bear" at the start of the new school year.

These have proved to be very popular and a source of comfort at times for the children.

This small gift confirms the link between the church community and school; let's hope it will continue to do so into the future.

Bishop Libby presented the new children with their own "special bear", but the biggest surprise of the afternoon was when the tables turned and Bishop Libby was presentedwith her own 'Special Bear' by one of the school church council members.

Knitted in purple wool, it came complete with it's own gold vestments showing the school badge.

Bishop Libby was very pleased to receive it and said she would treasure it.

A very pleasant afternoon was enjoyed by all in attendance with a wonderful atmosphere that was difficult to miss.

>> Derby Diocesan Board of Education website

The recent Storm Babet forced the vicar of St Alkmund's, Duffield, to move a wedding to a neighboring parish after river water innundated the church.

St Alkmund's, which is in the flood plain of the River Derwent, was one of many in the diocese affected by the storm.

This is the second time the church has flooded in the past four years and the third time the church hall has flooded.

The vicar, Revd James Hughes, said he had to move Saturday's wedding to nearby St Paul's Little Eaton: “By Friday, previous experience told me that flooding in the church was a distinct possibility.

"So I kept in close contact with the couple and we decided to delay the final decision until Saturday morning.

“With three inches of water in the church building on Saturday, it was a quick decision, not to mention the two feet of water in the church hall!

"When we did the wedding rehearsal on Wednesday, little did we know that things would not go according to plan, though the bride and groom were very understanding about the situation, even though it wasn’t quite what they had in mind.”

The clean-up operation is now underway, though it may be a week or two before services can resume in St Alkmund’s.

It is hoped that the local Church of England school can host the church’s services and there have been a number of offers of help with the clean-up.

Other parts of the village flooded too because the River Ecclesbourne also burst its banks, a scene that was repeated around Derbyshire and in Derby.

The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, said: “My prayers are with everyone affected by the flooding as once again so many lives and livelihoods have suffered.

"We give thanks for our local authority teams and emergency services who rose to the challenge of keeping us safe, and for the resilient partnerships across the city and county that facilitated such a coordinated and generous response to the crisis.

“The people of Derbyshire have an incredibly strong sense of community and I know that many neighbourhoods, businesses and individuals are rallying round to support those who need it most.”

More than 70 Bishop's Badge Awards have been presented to church and community volunteers in the Diocese of Derby this year.

The final presentations were made in a special Celebration of Lay Ministry, in Derby Cathedral on Sunday, 1 October.

The annual awards celebrate lay ministry and service in church and community, and recognise the distinguished service and dedication of many individuals contributing in Jesus’s name to the mission of the church.

Bishop Libby said: "It is always a pleasure to mark and celebrate the gifts of people across the Diocese of Derby and to thank those who offer so much to develop and sustain the life of the church and its work in the wider community.

"We give thanks for the often hidden, yet crucial and remarkable work of people who do not seek recognition, but whom we honour specially today."

>> See the photos from Sunday, 1 October

>> See the photos from Sunday 17 September

There were three Bishop's Badge Services this year.

The first was held to celebrate generosity and courage shown by school children towards others.

The other two services, held in September and October, recognised missional innovation and missional long service in parishes, churches and communities thoughout the diocese.

Recipients of the Bishop's Badge are nominated by clergy in the parishes of the diocese and the reasons for the nominations can be wide and varied.

On receiving his Bishop's Badge in September, John Sterland said: "My late father whilst being a member and former tower captain of St Andrew’s (Swanwick) received a badge a few years ago for his work supporting the major refurbishment of the clock and bells at St Martin’s Alfreton. I feel quite reflective and privileged at being recognised in a similar way."

And nominating Cara for a Bishop's Badge Schools Award, her head teacher said: "Cara goes above and beyond to show love and support to her peers; always noticing if someone is struggling or left out and offering friendship; showing what it means to build community by supporting and welcoming everyone. Her unquestioning support for others during tough times, even when she herself has been experiencing difficult situations, is transforming to those who she stands alongside and a model for others to follow."

Those presented with Bishop's Badges on Sunday, 1 October were:

Awards for Missional Innovation

• Helen Hodgson, Belper, St Peter
• Beryl Hill, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Ann Johnson, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Ann Jwala, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Sue McIntyre, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Anne Parkin, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Barbara Walford, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Margaret Bromby, Cotmanhay and Shipley, Christ Church
• Robert Henry Glassey, Elmton with Creswell and Whitwell with Steetley
• June Fawcett, Great Longstone, St Giles
• Su Woollen, Great Longstone, St Giles
• Hilary Maltby, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity
• Sue Wells, Old Whittington, St Bartholomew

Awards for Missional Long Service

• Barrie Birkin, Ashford in the Water, Holy Trinity
• David Lee, Ashford in the Water, Holy Trinity
• Kathryn Naylor, Bakewell, All Saints
• Carol Wicksteed, Bakewell, All Saints
• Joy Layton, arlow, St Lawrence
• Alan Milner, Barlow, St Lawrence
• Roger Stubbins, Barlow, St Lawrence
• Geoff Walker, Barlow, St Lawrence
• Keith Wollerton. Belper, St Peter
• Robin Norman, Blackwell, St Werburgh
• Julie Barker, Boulton, St Mary
• Iris Armett, Buxton Team Parish
• Josephine Fry, Buxton Team Parish
• Alan Kirk, Buxton Team Parish
• Eric Thompson, Buxton Team Parish
• Pam Woodroffe, Buxton Team Parish
• Brian Moorhouse, Castleton, St Edmund
• Doris Gould, Chesterfield, Holy Trinity & Christ Church
• John Holmes, Chesterfield, Holy Trinity & Christ Church
• Audrey Musson, Chesterfield, Holy Trinity & Christ Church
• Julie Hart, Cotmanhay and Shipley, Christ Church
• Alwyn Tew, Cromford, St Mary
• Kim Hardy, Derby, St Anne
• Alison Haslam, Derby, St Anne
• Dennis Bull, Derby, St Barnabas
• Dorothy Ann Oliver, Derby, St Barnabas
• Valerie Dykes, Etwall, St Helen
• Jennifer Rowson, Great Longstone, St Giles
• Jennifer Rowson, Great Longstone, St Giles
• Peter Rowson, Great Longstone, St Giles
• Andrea Clarke, Hatton, All Saints Church
• Alison Mottram, Hatton, All Saints Church
• Frances Toye, Hatton, All Saints Church
• Michael Osborne, Holbrook, St Michael
• Susan Crabb, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity
• Lindsay Steele, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity
• Rachel Coupe, Melbourne,St Michael with St Mary
• Hazel Hole, New Mills, Saint George the Martyr
• Margaret James, New Mills, Saint George the Martyr
• David Wellens, New Mills, Saint George the Martyr
• Pat Hassall, Sawley, All Saints and St Mary
• Anne Ball,Stanley and Stanley Common
• Janet Costall, Stanley and Stanley Common
• Sue Hartley, Sutton on the Hill, St Michael
• Janet Hopper, Swadlincote, Emmanuel
• David Hopper, Swadlincote, Emmanuel
• Maggie Fenby-Taylor, Ticknall, St George
• Jenny Stewart, Ticknall, St George
• Margaret Whyte, Ticknall, St George
• Paul Whitehall, Walbrook Epiphany
• Jean Parsons, West Hallam, St Wilfrid
• Ruth Bennett, Whitfield, St James
• Gillian Booth, Whitfield, St Luke
• Laurie Gill, Whitfield, St Luke
• Janet Magson, Wingerworth, All Saints

Those presented with Bishop's Badges on Sunday, 17 September were:

Awards for Missional Innovation

• John Bird, Littleover, St Peter & Blagreaves
• Jim Davison, West Hallam, St Wilfrid
• Gen Tarr, New Mills, Saint George the Martyr
• Margaret Weightman, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
  
  

Awards for Missional Long Service

• Michèle Aspinall, Allestree, St Edmund
• Kate Bassford, Sawley, All Saints and St Mary
• Janet Bradshaw, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton
• Liz Broomhead, Hartington
• Christine Brown, Blackwell, St Werburgh
• Bryan Clarke, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Margaret Clarke, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Emson Maneya, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby
• Ann Cooper, Youlgreave
• Averill Crisp, Swadlincote, Emmanuel
• Lynne Dawson, Old Brampton, St Peter & St Paul
• Christopher Dullage, Hartington
• John Entwistle, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity
• Jane Entwistle, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity
• Rob Groome, Risley, All Saints
• Brenda Harrop, Youlgreave
• Hannah Hawkins, Brimington, St Michael and All Angels
• Sylvia Homer, Stanton by Dale, St Michael and All Angels
• Zoe Leleux, Stanton by Dale, St Michael and All Angels
• Sue Marsh, Bakewell, All Saints
• Sally Renshaw, Tibshelf, St John the Baptist
• Patricia Rhodes, Tibshelf, St John the Baptist
• Cyril Roberts, Old Brampton, St Peter & St Paul
• Melanie Rose, Belper, St Peter
• Phil Sparrow, Chesterfield, SS Augustine
• John Sterland, Swanwick, St Andrew and Pentrich, St Matthew
• Mary Thompson, Smalley, St John the Baptist
• Mo Tolson, Risley, All Saints
• Alan Tolson, Risley, All Saints

Recipients and their families take the opportunity for a photographic memento with Bishop Libby

Nicky Fenton has been collated and installed as Archdeacon of Derbyshire Peak and Dales.

The service was held at Derby Cathedral on Saturday, 30 September, with Bishop Libby and Dean Peter.

Previously, Nicky was the Bishop of Derby’s chaplain, and a Residentiary Canon at Derby Cathedral. Prior to that, she was priest-in-charge of Hazelwood, Holbrook and Milford.

>> See the photos of the Collation and Installation Service

During her first sermon as archdeacon, Nicky spoke about the Archdeaconry of Derbyshire Peak and Dales and the whole diocese working as a team, and how each of us is called by God to use our individual talents to help each other and to further the work of the Church.

The choir of St John’s, Buxton, from the Archdeaconry of Derbyshire Peak and Dales, sang May the Love of Christ Enfold Us, and Derby Cathedral Junior Choir, the cathedral’s pre-chorister choir for children aged five to nine, sang Mother Mary Full of Mercy.

>> Meet Archdeacon Nicky

 The Collation and Installation Service featured music from Derby Cathedral Junior Choir

Derby Cathedral is currently hosting one of a number of artworks created by local and national artists as part of Shedding Light on long Covid, a thought-provoking programme of events to engage local communities in the latest long Covid research.

The installation, outside the cathedral, invites visitors and passers-by to spend a few minutes sitting on a specially installed headset bench and listening to an audio track which they can download via a QR code.

The track, Breathturn, reflects on the moment of pause we collectively shared during the pandemic and how it affected those with Long COVID using their own words to describe their experience.

Shedding Light on Long Covid has been developed by Scientists and arts researchers at the University of Derby.

The Very Reverend Dr Peter Robinson, Dean of Derby, said: "Derby Cathedral is delighted to welcome S.H.E.D, once again.

"This is such an important opportunity being offered to people of all generations to delve deeply into our shared experiences of long Covid.

"We hope that many will come to the cathedral and enjoy the headset benches under the trees in our church yard and so form part of this precious, continued research."

 In Derbyshire alone, there are approximately 10,000 patients living with long Covid, and this figure is rising weekly.

The virtual and interactive exhibition has been created by S.H.E.D – Social Higher Education Depot, a research and innovation space that engages the public with lifelong learning and teaching through creative industry and cultural practice.

The University has been at the forefront of research into causes and effects of long Covid since 2020.

The research has mostly been learning about the challenges of the condition and how this impacts the abilities of people to undertake their everyday tasks.

The research team hopes to use this learning to create pathways to support people with long Covid.

Bishop Libby has presented around 30 Bishop's Badges to those nominated for missional long service and missional innovation awards.

The special service, A Celebration of Lay Ministry, took place in Derby Cathedral.

The annual presentations celebrate ministry and service in church and community, and recognise the distinguished service and dedication of many individuals contributing in Jesus’s name to the mission of the church.

>> See photos from the Bishop's Badge service

Bishop Libby said: "It is always a pleasure to mark and celebrate the gifts of people across the Diocese of Derby and to thank those who offer so much to develop and sustain the life of the church and its work in the wider community.

"We give thanks for the often hidden, yet crucial and remarkable work of people who do not seek recognition, but whom we honour specially today."

The message of thanks was echoed by Bishop Malcolm in his reflection.

The service is one of three being held this year to present Bishop's Badges; the first was held to celebrate generosity and courage shown by school children towards others.

The final service will be held on Sunday, 1 October.

Those presented with Bishop's Badges on Sunday, 17 September were:

Awards for Missional Innovation

John Bird, Littleover, St Peter & Blagreaves

Jim Davison, West Hallam, St Wilfrid

Gen Tarr, New Mills, Saint George the Martyr

Margaret Weightman, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby

Awards for Missional Long Service

Michèle Aspinall, Allestree, St Edmund

Kate Bassford, Sawley, All Saints and St Mary

Janet Bradshaw, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton

Liz Broomhead, Hartington

Christine Brown, Blackwell, St Werburgh

Bryan Clarke, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby

Margaret Clarke, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby

Emson Maneya, Cathedral Church of All Saints Derby

Ann Cooper, Youlgreave

Averill Crisp, Swadlincote, Emmanuel

Lynne Dawson, Old Brampton, St Peter & St Paul

Christopher Dullage, Hartington

John Entwistle, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity

Jane Entwistle, Matlock Bath, Holy Trinity

Rob Groome, Risley, All Saints

Brenda Harrop, Youlgreave

Hannah Hawkins, Brimington, St Michael and All Angels

Sylvia Homer, Stanton by Dale, St Michael and All Angels

Zoe Leleux, Stanton by Dale, St Michael and All Angels

Sue Marsh, Bakewell, All Saints

Sally Renshaw, Tibshelf, St John the Baptist

Patricia Rhodes, Tibshelf, St John the Baptist

Cyril Roberts, Old Brampton, St Peter & St Paul

Melanie Rose, Belper, St Peter

Phil Sparrow, Chesterfield, SS Augustine

John Sterland, Swanwick, St Andrew and Pentrich, St Matthew

Mary Thompson, Smalley, St John the Baptist

Mo Tolson, Risley, All Saints

Alan Tolson, Risley, All Saints

Canon Carolyn Lewis, Diocesan Director of Education, writes:

It was a great joy to be able to welcome new headteachers from across the Diocese of Derby and to be hosted by the Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby.

We shared together in a commissioning service where Bishop Libby shared words of encouragement and affirmation to the new school leaders and they were each given a holding cross as a small gift to remind them of their belonging to the diocesan family.

The Rt Revd Malcolm Macnaughton, Bishop of Repton and Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE), prayed for the new headteachers and also encouraged them with words from the DBE’s vision:

"In the Diocese of Derby, we are committed to support our schools to be places of transformation, growth and where community is built, as we live out the values of generous faith, courageous hope and life-giving love.

"We do this through offering:

• life-giving, life-changing learning through excellent education, shaped by a distinctively Christ-like vision and ethos 
• inclusive and inspirational collective worship, inviting all to grow in faith 
• excellent religious education, enabling children and young people to reflect critically and explore faith, belief, and Christian responses to life’s big questions 
• hospitality, hope and love to children, young people and households  
• a sense of belonging to those of all faiths and none, building community near and far, local and global.

"As the headteacher of one of our church schools, you have a special responsibility to ensure everyone in your school is valued and recognised as a child of God, uniquely gifted by God.

"You are also responsible for ensuring the school is rooted in Christian values, principles and beliefs, and that worship and religious education are at the centre of the life and work of the school."

Finishing the afternoon with ‘afternoon tea’ new headteachers, the bishops and the DBE staff team were able to make connections and share a little of the joys and challenges of life in school.

>> Visit the Derby Diocesan Board of Education website

Pictured with Bishops Libby and Malcolm are (l-r): Helen Britten, Duffield, William Gilbert Endowed CE Primary; Louise Nicholson, Stretton Handley CE Primary; Katie Forster, Breadsall CE Primary; Emma-Jane Harry, Bakewell CE Infant; Mark Hibbert, Weston-on-Trent CE Primary;  Francesca Mellor, co-head, Hartshorne CE Primary.

The DBE also welcomes: Liz Wooliscroft, Carsington & Hopton; Jayne Jackson, Castleton; Sarah Bellicoso, Dove Holes CE Primary; Suzanne Gardner, Langley Mill CofE (VC) Infant & Nursery; Jodie Daniels, Rosliston; Jakki Rogers, Whitfield, St Luke's.

‘And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations’ - Revelation 22.2

The Bishop of Derby's Harvest Appeal 2023 will help the people in the Diocese of Bujumbra, Burundi, fight the catastrophic effects of seasonal rains that wash away their farms, homes, land and livelihoods.

Trees for Life Burundi will assist communities there plant thousands of saplings to help stabilise and strengthen the land, whilst at the same time helping wildlife and the environment in the area and beyond.

On launching the appeal, Bishop Libby said: "Burundi is ranked as the world's poorest nation and people there desperately need help to stop their crops, livestock and buildings disappearing down a hillside as the land gets eroded by the rains.

"It is a complex situation but, fortunately, the remedy is relatively straightforward, and I am delighted that this year's appeal will offer hope to those people and communities in danger of losing everything they have."

The Bishop of Repton has recently visited Bujumbura and seen for himself the need to help the people of the East African state.

Bishop Malcolm said: "On the edge of Bujumbura in the Commune de Kanyosha there are two ‘Collines’ greatly at risk, Colline Gisovu and Colline Nyamaboko. There is currently no agro-forestry there.

According to the administrator of this commune, Kanyosha, following torrential rain and strong winds, recently more than ten dwellings, a church and a school were destroyed, and many fields were damaged; domestic animals were swept away by lightning and others by landslides.

"These hills’ inhabitants have not yet been able to take action to  secure resilience to the effects of climate change."

The Diocese of Bujumbura, based in and around Burundi’s largest city, is marked by rolling hills and valleys and in that respect alone, not unlike Derbyshire.

The impact of climate change is felt by those who try to make a living by cultivating the hillsides.

Recent years have seen particularly dry dry seasons and torrential rains in the wet season, often causing flooding and devastating mudslides.

Bujumbura is working in various areas to mitigate the effects of climate change by helping local residents plant trees.

Trees hold hillsides in place, prevent erosion, and protect lives and livelihoods.

They make all the difference locally,  and contribute globally to carbon capture.

Saplings ready to be planted in Burundi to help stabilise the soil

Landslides can have a far-reaching impact on communities, not only through the loss of houses and fields, but also through the destruction of critical facilities.

The loss of a school means that opportunities for education and qualifications in that community can be lost. In turn that greatly reduces the chances of getting a job, and that reduces the chances of being able to support yourself and a family adequately.

And that can lead to a loss of hope.

But the people of Bujumbura have a lot of determination and know that by planting trees - thousands of trees - the roots will grow and help stabilise the land.

They turn out in numbers to dig trenches and get planting - but they can only do that when viable saplings are available.

►Donate now◄

Locals dig trenches to start the tree-planting process

How will the Bishop of Derby's Harvest Appeal help?

The focus of the Diocese of Bujumbura’s work, with our support, will be:

1. to reduce soil erosion by 20% on Gisovu and Nyamaboko hills by marking out the contours of the hillsides and planting trees strategically to offer the best protection to the land, and
2. to initiate 20 climate resilience local economic groupings amongst women and young people, with a savings and credit approach to enable beneficiaries to set up a fund to help them purchase tree nursery equipment to sustain a tree planting project for the long term.

£5,000 will make possible all this possible.

If any more is raised, it will enable this immensely valuable work to be expanded to benefit residents of other collines in the neighbourhood.

Bishop Libbs said: "It is a privilege to work together with the Diocese of Bujumbura in this way. Climate change is, of course, a global phenomenon and trees planted in Bujumbura also address, to some degree, climate change in Derbyshire!

"We are one world, and one human family.

"The people of Bujumbura need our help, so let us gift them generous faith, corageous hope and life-giving love."

 ►Donate now◄

Land is washed away by seasonal rains, leaving a large chasm where crops used to be

How to donate

Maybe you and your church or community could work together to organise an event for the appeal.

Or you can make a personal donation using your debit or credit card at our JustGiving page.

Thank you for your support!

We love all the creative and different ways churches are engaging with their parishes and beyond.

Our vision is The Kingdom of God, Good News for All and it's great to see how so many churches in the Diocese of Derby are sharing stories of their success in achieving transformed lives through growing church and building community.

Here are a few that have caught our eye recently:

Bishop Malcolm and his wife, Pam, visited Burundi in East Africa during July and spent time with the Diocese of Bujumbura, learning about ministry and mission in a very different context to the Diocese of Derby.

Bishop Malcolm writes:

Burundi is the poorest country in the world – the one thing it has in common with Derbyshire is a beautiful landscape of hills and valleys.

Life is very hard indeed for those who live in rural areas – the city is seen as a place of opportunity, which works for some, but even there the need for investment is always apparent.

The shadow of violent episodes in recent history remains, but people are hopeful about the future, and determined to work for peace and greater prosperity.

We found folks extremely hospitable, and rightly proud of their heritage and of their culture.

Travelling around the diocese you see just how precarious peoples’ livelihoods are.

This is especially so where steep slopes are vulnerable to flash floods in the rainy season, often causing devastating mudslides which destroying fields, homes, livelihoods, and endangering lives also.

One of the inspiring programmes the diocese is engaged with is helping local people get together in cooperatives to grow seedlings and plant trees, so that their roots will protect their fields and gardens from soil erosion.

>> The Bishop of Derby's Harvest Appeal - Trees for life Burundi

Eroded land is washed away by heavy rains

Empowering women and young people

As well as attending a glorious ordination service in the cathedral, and a wedding blessing in a village church, we had the opportunity to visit a range of innovative community projects.

The diocese is very involved in community development, the church working locally on initiatives that empower people living in poverty, especially women and young people.

Churches are full of young people – tiny, inquisitive, eager children everywhere, and older youths enjoying church as a forum for securing friendships and building community.

Whilst music and singing are lively and active, there is real depth and quality to the worship, and a sense that being Christian there is about the whole of life – home, family, livelihood – and the liturgy reflected this.

We just did two tourist things. We visited Lake Tanganyika one afternoon with Bishop Eraste - and given the immense size of the lake, it was like being at the seaside!

And we met the Royal Drummers of Burundi – which you can check out on YouTube – they were fantastic.

I look forward to opportunities to share more about the work of the Diocese of Bujumbura in the autumn, when this year’s harvest appeal will support tree planting projects there.

 +Malcolm

Bishop Eraste Bigirimana at a Bujumbura tree planting event