Dave King
Revd Karen Bradley, vicar of Holy Trinity, Shirebrook, has praised a group of Year 11 students’ handiwork after they built and installed a brand-new noticeboard outside the church door to keep her parishioners in the know.
She said that the noticeboard, which was made and installed by students at Shirebrook Academy, is a “thing of beauty”.
The students took on the task as part of their practical foundation studies, assisted by design technology teachers Simon Dosanjh and Simon Langrick, who guided them through the process from building the noticeboard out of wood and then sanding and staining it to give it the finished look.
They then visited the church to fix it into position.
Karen Bradley said: “We had a noticeboard installed previously, but it had certainly passed its sell-by date and a bit of an eyesore, but the new noticeboard is a thing of beauty and hopefully it will be used more than the previous one was.
“I want to thank the students for all their hard work, it was such a wonderful thing for them to do for us, a real blessing, and it’s brilliant to see the students discovering how the things they learn at school apply to the community.”
Student Thomas, 15, said: “I really enjoyed doing something different for the community and helping people out, but it was also cold installing the noticeboard and getting it level was a challenge.”
Claire Armstrong, head of design technology at Shirebrook Academy, said: “It was really nice as a department to do something practical and contribute to the community.
"We’re in the midst of really uncertain times, because social distancing rules means we can’t do as much practical work as usual, but this project was able to go ahead and allowed us to give something back to the parish after they generously donated some bibles to the school’s Philosophy and Ethics department.”
Please find a link below to a short film produced by the Derbyshire Safeguarding Adults Board which provides some helpful information on how to identify the indicators of adult abuse.
It is very short so please take the time to watch it if you can.
Here also is a link to their newsletter which contains some additional information about various topics.
Please note the contact details in the video relate to Derbyshire.
The contact details for Derby City are:
During office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) - 01332 642855
Outside office hours - 01332 956606
If something needs to be done straight away to protect someone from abuse or harm, call 999 (24 hours).
Finally:
- If you have a concern about a child, young person or adult who may be at risk of harm please speak to one of the parish safeguarding coordinators or the priest within the parish.
- If you have concerns about a member of the clergy or an employee of the diocese please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser on 01332 388678 or one of the archdeacons.
If a child or adult is in immediate danger or requires immediate medical attention, you must dial 999.
Please note that we aim to address all concerns raised with respect, trust, empathy, appropriate skills and advice and within the boundaries of confidentiality.
Our office hours are Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm.
To report or request advice regarding a safeguarding concern, there are many ways of contacting the diocesan safeguarding team.
- You can complete the form below and this will be responded to as a priority at the first opportunity. If the form is submitted after 5pm it will be responded to the next working day. If your concern escalates and someone is in danger, call 999.
- You can email the safeguarding team safeguarding@derby.anglican.org with your concerns and someone from the team will get back to you.
- You can call 01332 388678 and ask to speak to the safeguarding co-ordinator or a safeguarding advisor.
Out of hours cover is in place during evenings, weekends and over bank holiday periods for urgent advice from thirtyone:eight, on 0303 003 1111.
Please tell them you are calling from Diocese of Derby.
You can also report any concerns to the Police or Social Care.
Derby City Derbyshire (Adults and Children)
Children 01332 641172 Call Derbyshire 01629 533190
Adults 01332 642855 or out of hours 01629532600
or out of hours call Careline 01332 956606
The important thing is that your concerns are shared with someone in a position to help.
Derby Cathedral will revert to online-only worship from Sunday, 10th January.
The Very Revd Peter Robinson, Dean of Derby, made the announcement in a letter to the cathedral community.
He wrote:
Services will be led by a small group of clergy and laity and streamed through our social media channels.
It is heartening to know that the safety measures we already have in place mean that this group can involve the Lay Clerks of Derby Cathedral Choir, so that our services will include music.
The cathedral will remain open for private individual prayer during the week, and we will be adding to our programme of activities and worship available online, making more resources of all kinds available to the cathedral community and the diocese.
>> Visit the Derby Cathedral website
These arrangements will be kept under review. We hope that in coming weeks or months we will see success in the measures everyone is taking against this pandemic and improvement in the public health situation locally.
For some of you this will be somewhat of a relief. For others it will be a cause of disappointment.
As I write, this is not the message that earlier in the week I had anticipated sending.
The new lockdown has not made it compulsory for places of worship to close their doors. Church leaders have been clear that this means decisions can be made locally about what the right response is to the situation we are in.
You will be aware that the public health situation in Derby is very serious. Following government and Church of England guidance, and after consulting with public health authorities in Derby, we have decided that at present the right response is to limit as much as possible any physical gathering of people.
Although I regret the need to take this decision, it is I believe the right one in current circumstances. To serve the common good we need to make this temporary and timely sacrifice, so that before too long we can all gather for worship again.
Please continue to join with the whole cathedral community in prayer for our nation’s key decision makers at this deeply challenging time.
Especially, let's pray for those who are struggling with a Covid-19 infection and remember those who have lost loved ones as a result.
We pray for all those in the NHS who are serving so valiantly against all the odds in the midst of so many challenges.
This comes with every blessing to you all, the prayers of the cathedral team and my very good wishes.
The end of 2020 saw the Venerable Dr Christopher Cunliffe bid farewell to the diocese after 14 years as the Archdeacon of Derby.
At a special Evensong at Derby Cathedral, he was joined by members of his family, colleagues and friends. The service was also streamed online.
In his sermon, Archdeacon Christopher said: "Fourteen years ago, standing in the pulpit here to preach the sermon at my installation service, I looked out over a sea of unfamiliar faces, broken by the occasional welcome outcrop of recognition.
"Now, in rather different circumstances, I feel surrounded and upheld by friends and colleagues, even if the encouraging smiles are more difficult to determine [because of the need to wear face masks].
"Thank you for being here, whether in person or online and for the companionship and patience you, and the people you represent, have afforded me over the years."
He was presented with gifts from the diocese and the cathedral.
Peter Robinson, the Dean of Derby, thanks Archdeacon Christopher for his service and enlists the help of Christopher's grandchildren to present gifts from the cathedral
Bishop Libby thanked him for his "extraordinary and dedicated service" to the Diocese of Derby.
She also recorded one of a series of videos, made by colleagues past and present, in tribute to Christopher.
Recollecting his collation as Archdeacon of Derby in 2006, Christopher said: "It's the longest time I have been in a job. Most (within the Church) are fixed-term contracts - but it has given me the time to develop relationships which has been extremely important."
And using the words of Jonathan Bailey, a former Bishop of Derby, he described the diocese as a "diocese at ease with itself".
He said: "Being an archdeacon is very much a behind-the-scenes job. It is hard work but you are working with people who, if you take time with them, are incredibly amenable - they are intensely loyal to the parish church.
"The main part of our role is to help clergy be equipped for mission. In that respect, archdeacons aren't fathers or mothers like some senior clergy - instead we are the elder siblings."
Christopher began his ordained ministry in the Diocese of Derby. He was Assistant Curate at St Mary and All Saints Church in Chesterfield (the Crooked Spire) from 1983 to 1985.
Christopher at his installation as Archdeacon of Derby and with Helen outside Derby Cathedral
He worked alongside his wife, Helen, who was also a curate at the church in one of the first job-share arrangements in the Church of England.
In 1985 he became Chaplain and Research Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, until 1989, when he became Chaplain of the City University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In 1991 he took a post in the Church of England’s Advisory Board of Ministry, which involved co-ordinating vocation and selection conferences for people seeking ordination.
From 1997-2003 he was Director of Ministry in the Diocese of London, and from 2004-2006 Chaplain to the Bishop of Bradwell in the Diocese of Chelmsford.
Christopher and Helen, a former archdeacon, have two grown-up sons, Edward and Jacob.
The African Bug
Christopher is a keen historian, with a doctorate in the subject and a continuing interest in research and writing.
He also has an interest in African history and culture, and until recently was Chair of MANNA (Mozambique and Angola Anglican Association).
His association with Africa came about in the 1990s when Helen, then as chair of USPG, took a sabatical in Zambia - and they were both bitten by the African bug.
They also visited Uganda and, in 1991, Christopher went to Mozambique through the Diocese of London.
In 1998 he was invited to becom the Chair of MANNA.
Drawing a comparison between the way the Church works there and here, Christopher said: "Angola is a country of 24 million people, though only around 150,000 Anglicans. But in some repects they are way ahead of us.
"There, they try not to emulate the English model of a diocese - they try to do things differently.
"For example, I remember one parish wanting to rebuild its church and the presentation on behalf of the PCC was given by a 15-year-old - many church officers there are in their teens or their 20s or 30s.
"It certainly helps give a different perspective on things."
A young Christopher Cunliffe with and equally young Rowan Williams, later to become Archbishop of Canterbury
Christopher and Helen will live in Carmarthenshire, Wales, in the Diocese of St David's. Christopher said: "I don't speak Welsh even though we have had a house there for ten years.
"We were also there when the first lockdown was announced earlier this year, so that is where we had to spend it."
In his retirement, Christopher aims to finish a book he started to write a while ago and plans to take up fly fishing, something he has "dabbled with" in the past.
He said: "There is much about Derbyshire and the Diocese of Derby I will miss - I have always felt at home at the churches I have visited.
"Whilst it is important to pay attention to the organisational and financial aspects, at a parish level life goes on and that is where the important work relating to communities and pastoral care etc, is done.
"This could actually be a time of significant change for the Diocese of Derby.
"The diocese knows what it is doing and is doing it well.
"Keep up the good work!"
Christopher with fellow archdeacon, Carol Coslett, the Archdeacon of Chesterfield, following his retirement service
Be part of our Diocesan Christmas Carol video
There’s nothing quite like singing carols together at Christmas.
Sadly, this year, we can’t hold our usual carol services – so we’re going to try to make a special version of O Come, All Ye Faithful to get us all singing as a diocese, in the spirit of hope and togetherness … and we’d love you to take part, by videoing yourself(selves) singing this most well-known of carols!
How to take part [PDF] | Download the audio track [mp3] | Download the words [PDF]
Fri, 4 December 2020
The fire that gutted All Saints' Church in Mackworth last night fire has resulted in severe damage to the building's interior.
Speaking to the BBC, Clive Stanbrook, area manager for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue said: "The roof has now completely fallen in on itself and the internal damage is extensive."
He added that the spire and the external walls are intact and fire crews had continued to ensure there was no further damage to the building late into the evening.
The fire was discovered just after 4.30pm on Thursday.
Six fire engines were sent to the scene including two ladder platforms.
Firefighters were able to protect the tower to a large extent, but were unable to save the nave roof.
An investigation into the cause of the fire has begun.
Revd Jacqueline Stober, vicar of All Saints, said the fire had been deeply distressing for the churchwardens, congregation and the communities that had done so much for the church, but she was confident that worship would continue at the site in some form: "People have worshipped in this place for a thousand years and, somehow, worship will continue here for the next thousand years."
She also posted on Facebook: "As we stood on Lower Lane watching the roof burn, I was so struck by how much love there is out in the community for All Saints.
"I have had messages of condolence from across the country from people who have sent messages of prayer and support to us at this terrible time.
"The fire can’t touch our memories of Sunday school and youth group; the place we first heard that we were loved by God beyond measure; weddings; baptisms; funerals, summer fairs and Christmas tree festivals.
"All those life events brought to church to take place under the loving gaze of our Heavenly Father and in the company of those we love."
The Right Reverend Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, praised the fire crews for their efforts and asked for prayers for all those affected by the fire.
She is expected to visit Mackworth at the weekend and to participate in a special service being planned near the site for Sunday morning.
Fire crews have been fighting a serious fire at Mackworth All Saints church.
The alarm was raised just after 4.30pm on Thursday (3 December).
Six fire engines were sent to the scene including two ladder platforms.
Firefighters were able to protect the tower to a large extent, but were unable to save the nave roof.
Mackworth All Saints, dating from the 12th century, lies to the north of the A52 road at the bottom of Church Lane.
Speaking from the scene, the vicar, Revd Jacqueline Stober, said: "It's a terrible scene and we don't yet know the full extent of the damage.
"I got a call from a churchwarden to say there was a fire and as I drove to the church I could see smoke and a glow on the horizon so I knew is was bad.
"This is horrible for all the congregation and for those who have looked after this church for many years - some have put their heart and soul into it."
The Right Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, said: “With the congregations and community of Mackworth, I am shocked and deeply saddened by the fire at this beautiful building.
“This church has stood as a witness in this place to the Good News of Christ for centuries, and in the midst of our grief for this loss we remember that Jesus, who has been worshipped in that church for so long, is still with us even in the midst of this disaster.
“We are grateful for the courage of those who fought the fire and my thoughts and prayers are with them and all those affected.”
The present building was largely built in the 14th and 15th centuries, with additions in the 19th century and Derbyshire alabaster featuring prominently in the interior decoration.
The beauty of its setting has made it popular for weddings.
For Advent, the people of Killamarsh have been invited to decorate windows and light up the North East Derbyshire village.
And in conjunction with the Killamarsh Christmas Community Project 2020 themed on Light, Love and Hope, Revd Helen Guest contacted local nursing homes, nurseries and schools offering Christmas resources.
The response has been extremely positive and plans are being made to distribute the gifts in early December.
The idea of the gifts has offered Light, Love and Hope.
St Giles’s Church will be offering Bethlehem Carol Sheets and CDs to the residents and staff of the two nursing homes, copies of My Mini Bible Sticker Book Christmas to 123 children who attend nursery and the 603 school children will receive ‘Meet the Cast’ booklets.
The CofE Comfort and Joy booklets will be distributed to the local community on behalf of St Giles.
Killamarsh Methodists are also supporting by handcrafting beautiful Christmas stars with a gift tag of Matthew 2:2: "We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship Him. May you find Christ’s peace, joy and fellowship this Christmas."
The stars will be given to the staff and residents of the nursing homes, nurseries, schools, and the St Giles community.
As part of the project, candles will be distributed across the village with enough for every key worker, as a thank you for being ‘lights of Killamarsh’ and continuing to shine through this pandemic.
