On Saturday 15 March twelve people met to find out how they can support the future of Westbury Parish Hall. The congregation of All Saints' Church are asking for the people of Westbury to get behind their vision to create a community hub. Around 5 of these were non-church members including Andrew Murrison MP who expressed his hope that the Hall remains open for community use.The congregation of All Saints' are faced with the double responsibility of the Grade I Listed church which requires tens of thousands of work on the roof, stonework and windows and the expense of upgrading the tired Parish Hall. They are unable to support both projects alone and are asking for a community based charity to take on the management and development of the Hall. Individuals are asked to show their support and become members of the new Charitable Incorporated Organisation that they hope to set up. Trustees and volunteers would be drawn from these members. The new charity will need project managers, fundraisers, and people who can help to manage the hall on a day to day basis.The congregation have reached crunch point. The deteriorating condition of the Hall means that it is getting harder to get bookings and it's no longer covering its running costs. As the church only just breaks even each year this is not sustainable. If nothing changes there is a real possibility of having to close and sell the Hall. Everyone who attended the meeting agreed that it would be a tragedy as the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, St John Ambulance Cadets, Youth Club and the other community users will have to find an alternate venue. It has so much potential if we could just get Westbury behind the project.If you would like to support the Hall project please complete the membership application form below and send to Beth on beth@whtministry.org.uk or 07790 870 247 by the 31 March. Please contact Beth if you need further information. The steering group will then meet to see if there is enough support to make the new charity viable and if so call a meeting of potential members after Easter and agree next steps together.
NEW ELECTORAL ROLL 2025 – WESTBURY PARISHUnder the provisions of rule 2(4) of the Church Representative Rule NOTICE is hereby given of the preparation of a new Electoral Roll. All persons who wish to have their names entered on the new roll, whether their names are entered on the present roll or not, are required to apply for enrolment not later than the 19th April 2025. In order to be entitled to attend and vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (18th May 2025) the form of application for enrolment must be completed, signed and returned to Debbie McEntee by 19th April 2025. Forms are available in All Saints/Holy Saviour and from Debbie McEntee.Information from the Diocese of Salisbury on what the joining the electoral roll means:-What is the electoral roll? The electoral roll is a register of people who are able to elect other people in the church, a bit like being on the civic electoral roll allows you to vote in local and Parliamentary elections. Being on the church electoral roll means that you can vote on any relevant issues at the annual parochial church meeting and stand for election to the PCC (the church council). The Church is not a membership club! Although the electoral roll is the closest thing the Church of England has to ‘membership’, joining the electoral roll doesn’t commit you to anything. It does give you a voice in the future of the church in your community though. You don’t need to attend services or meetings, but if you care about your community and what the church offers it, it ensures your voice is heard. For example, you might be a member of a Friends group that supports and cares for the Church building, or part of a group looking after the churchyard, or maybe one of your family attends the church school. Signing up to the church’s electoral roll is simply a sign you care about the Church’s future in your community.Am I eligible to join? Yes, you are eligible if you are:- resident in the parish;- baptised;- over 16 years old,- and consider yourself part of the Church of England or a church in communion with it. - If you are not resident in the parish, you can still be on the electoral roll if you’ve attended worship (at least monthly) for over six months and also meet the other conditions.Count me in! How do I sign up? By completing the form – see link belowPlease send to our Electoral Roll Officer Debbie McEntee - WestburyPCCSecretary@Whtministry.org.ukWatch the video to find out more - https://youtu.be/FQrPvj3JWcc
At an event on the 15 February, members of the White Horse Team Ministry churches, along with others from churches in the community and surrounding areas, gathered to explore the topic of disability justice and church inclusion.We explored key themes in disability theology, looked at research data outcomes, shared practical suggestions for increasing accessibility and inclusion, received a fantastic time of sharing from Revd Neil Robinson (Chaplain to the Deaf and hard of hearing community in Salisbury Diocese) and joined in a time of inclusive worship.It was a wonderful day of sharing and learning together.Thank you so much to all of those who came along on a cold day to explore this important topic together. And a big thank you to those who helped with setting up, with the tech on the day, with welcoming, serving refreshments and with the running of the day. The support and hard work of the team involved is very much appreciated.If anyone would like to access the resources pack from the day this can be found at the link below:https://media.acny.uk/media/events/attachment/2025/01/5768d2a8-b63a-44ae-95c5-dfa1dfd84446.pdfIf you would like to view a recording of the whole day, or any part of the day, this can be found at this below link:https://www.youtube.com/live/uSDDiwlX8Do?si=X1LNqNZGVoMuMkAsFor a copy of the slides from the day please get in touch with me by email at:teamcurate@whtministry.org.ukWe are now in the process of getting together a Disability and Church Inclusion Committee group who can meet to discuss key issues, create reports and updates for the PCC, and ensure that key next steps are being actioned. If you would be interested in joining this group I would love to chat to you about this. Please do get in touch with me by phone or email if you would like to discuss getting involved.With many thanks,Rev Holly Newton
I am pleased to announce that following the interviews recently, we have appointed Sally L’Anson to be the new PA who will be working closely with me as administrative support. Sally comes with a wealth of experience, mostly in the public sector. She is currently clerk to two governing bodies of Church of England schools. Sally will be joining us on 10 March and will be working mainly from home for five hours a week. You may not see her very much, but please pray for a good start to this new role and that she will settle in well. Thank you.Rebecca
Out of the 80 million Easter eggs sold in the UK, The Real Easter Egg is the only one which has a copy of the Easter story in the box, is made of Fairtrade chocolate and which supports charitable projects.The stories range from simple guides to 24 page activity book versions. So, buy a 2025 edition Real Easter Egg this spring and encourage others to give one to their loved ones, a school or sponsor a food bank donation. They make a lovely gift for Easter and are a great way of sharing the true meaning of Easter with the children in your family, or you can donate them to the Food Bank. The 2025 Real Easter Egg will not be available in any supermarkets. I am taking orders again this year, so please contact me directly or place your order in church when you see me. The original milk chocolate Fairtrade egg is £5.50. A dark chocolate egg is £6.50 and there are also Easter Blessing bars at £3 each. There is also the Real Easter Egg Fun pack at £6 which contains six small milk chocolate eggs.Please place your order with me by Sunday 9 March so that we can get free delivery.Thanks v much.Rebecca
There will be a chance to receive face to face Safeguarding training at Christ Church, Warminster on Saturday 8th March, 9.30-12.30. This training will cover Basic and Foundation Levels.Anyone wishing to attend this training must please RSVP to Linda Smith on either 01985 212138 or admin@christchurchwarminster.co.uk by Monday 3rd March.If you are not sure what training you require please speak to your Parish Safeguarding OfficerWestbury - Jenny Wray-Bliss - WestburyPSO@whtministry.org.ukDilton Marsh - Yvette Cooper - DiltonPSO@whtministry.org.uk
We have now heard from Archdeacon Alan about the time-table for the appointment of the new Team Vicar. As we explained at the Team Focus day in January, the role will be made up of two parts: one will be the traditional Team Vicar role based in Dilton Marsh and with a licence to cover the whole of the White Horse Team. The other half will be a Pioneer role, reaching out to people and communities across our two parishes of Westbury and Dilton Marsh. We shall therefore be looking for someone who has had training in both traditional ministry and pioneer ministry. The Diocese is applying for funding from the Church Commissioners for the pioneer part of the role, as this is being made available for parishes where they are not able to support a full-time priest financially.The profile for the role should be ready in July. The post is planned to be advertised in the church press at the end of August and beginning of September.The shortlisting date is in October. The interview days are planned for 17 and 18 November. These dates have been agreed by the Bishop.If the person is in another role, they will have to give three months’ notice to their Bishop or employer before they will be able to take up the role.Please pray for the profile team as we meet to prepare the profile in the coming weeks.We have also been offered the opportunity to apply for additional funding for another part-time lay missional/pioneer role in the White Horse Team. We are being asked to discern what kind of role this may be: whether in reaching out to children, families, our schools, young people, the elderly, local community or something else. We are inviting people to think and pray about this and let us know if you have any suggestions about what kind of role this could be, and how we may support it. Please be in touch with myself or a member of the Ministry Team, your churchwarden or PCC member.We look forward to hearing from you.Thank you .Rebecca
Westbury Parish Hall has been serving the community of Westbury since 1873. The congregation of All Saints’ Church want to see the Parish Hall play a bigger role in community life in Westbury. It already plays an important role in nurturing young people in Westbury. It hosts Brownies, Guides, St John’s Ambulance Cadets and the weekly Friday Fun Youth Club. However its current poor condition means that it is not used as much as it should be. There is a scheme with planning permission to modernise the Hall and make it into a modern multi-purpose community space, but the congregation of All Saints’ Church don’t have the capacity to see the vision to its conclusion. Without the help of the community of Westbury, we risk losing this valuable community asset. The steering committee working on the transformation of the Parish Hall need your help. The Parish Hall could do so much more to support activity within our community with fresh leadership and a new vision. The steering committee working on this project are currently developing a new Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) to enable management of Westbury Parish Hall by the community, taking over from All Saints’ Church (Westbury Parochial Church Council). The new CIO will take over the day to day management of the Hall and spearhead its transformation into a thriving community space that the people of Westbury deserve. This form of constitution involves a membership from whom the trustees of the new charity are drawn. Members can be individuals and both incorporated and non-incorporated organisations. As a community space managed for the community, by the community, more funding opportunities are available to support the development and ongoing management of the Hall from sources such as government funds and the National Lottery Community Fund which would not be available to the Church. The steering committee working on the project are inviting organisations and individuals who might like to take part in this project and seeking new members to join the CIO at this exciting time. There is no membership fee – we are simply seeking your support to ensure the continued use of the Parish Hall as an important community space. Members will be invited to attend the Annual General Meeting and take an active role in the future direction of the Parish Hall, which is currently provisionally calling the ‘White Horse Community Hub’. Members will elect trustees from the membership at the AGM. By taking its trustees from community groups it is hoped that the Hall meets the needs of a wider range of people. Those who are interested in becoming members are invited to attend a meeting on Saturday 15 March at 10:30am in the Parish Hall. This will give potential members an opportunity to find out more about our plans and how they can get involved. If you would like to know more about the proposals for the Hall or how you or your organisation can help, please contact Beth Thomas by email beth@whtministry.org.uk.
I would like to thank everyone who supported our Team Focus day on 18 January. It was very encouraging to see so many people from our churches come along and engage with the different activities around the tables, enjoy lunch together and think about our vision for our Team as we go forward. We collected a lot of ideas and material which will be very helpful for putting together the profile for the new Team Vicar role. Please pray for the profile group from our two parishes as we meet, discuss and work together. We shall let you know how we get on. Our first meeting is taking place on 18 February, so please pray for us then. Please also continue to use our vacancy prayer in your personal prayers as well as in our church services.Thank you very much.Rebecca
A small dedicated, but aging team of volunteers give their time and energy to provide three Experiences for the local primary Schools. The three Experiences take place one in each term and for different year groups. In the Autumn term (November) Year 5 children come to Experience Holy Communion. In the Spring term (March) Year 3 children Experience Easter and in the Summer term (May- avoiding SATS week) Year 4 comes to Experience Pentecost. The Experiences take place in two churches to which the children walk. Westbury Leigh School and Dilton Marsh come to Holy Trinity Church in Dilton Marsh. Westbury Junior School and Bitham Brook attend the Experience at All Saints Church. As yet, Bitham Brook School has not come to Experience Holy Communion, but the other three Church schools have. Each class spends an hour rotating through six interactive stations concentrating on different aspects of the same theme. The volunteer leaders introduce themselves explain about the station theme and help the children with an activity or craft. Not every station has a craft or activity, to the relief of some! We try to provide two leaders per station so each can share in the delivery of the short talk. At present, an Experience last three days. We set up the stations on Tuesday morning with the first class from Westbury Leigh walking to Holy Trinity Church for a session in the afternoon. On Wednesday two classes attend from Westbury Leigh in the morning with the class from Dilton Marsh School coming for an hour in the afternoon. The volunteers pack up the stations and transfer the equipment to All Saints church. On Thursday we welcome two classes from Westbury Junior School in the morning and two classes from Bitham Brook for the afternoon session. The church is cleared and everyone goes home for a well-earned rest! Some of the volunteers are finding three days rather exhausting, hence our recruitment drive for new volunteers to join the Team. If all four schools attend the Experience a station leader can have delivered a short talk 35 times. If people can only offer one day or one session for the Experience we try to accommodate all requests, hence again we need more volunteers to spread the load. There is always a preparation meeting beforehand. There the material is provided for each station to help with talk and craft and the decision about who will lead each station is made. Basic Safeguarding Training needs to take place in accordance with WACT policy. Observers are welcome at the preparation meeting and at one session where school children are present. Preparation Meeting is booked for Tuesday 4 March at 3.30pm at Holy Trinity Church, Dilton Marsh. If you need further information or would like to know more, please talk to those Experience Volunteers here this evening or contact Rev Helen Durant-Stevensen on 824743 or email hdurantstevensen@btinternet.com Helen Durant-Stevensen (Retired Priest WHTM)
I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who supported our Christmas Tree Festival this year: especially to the organising committee headed up by David Bullock, and to all those who served on stalls, on the door, serving refreshments, helping to set up trees and take them down etc. So much goes on behind the scenes to make this event a success and it was a great success this year. It was wonderful to see so many people (several hundred) come through our doors, despite the cold weather and the cancellation of the Christmas light switch-on in the town centre. We presented a prize to the the Friends of Victoria Gardens, the winner of the tree competition. We raised approximately £2,500 for church funds this year, which is a fantastic result! Thank you all for your support.Revd Rebecca
Christian BasicsWe have had many visitors to our churches during December and the Christmas period. If anyone would like to explore matters of faith and what Christians believe, please be in touch with me. There is some interest in doing a short course online in the New Year. So if you have questions about Christianity and would like to explore your faith, or you have any questions, please be in touch with me very soon. This could lead to baptism and/or Confirmation at a later date for any who are interested. We look forward to hearing from you.Revd Rebecca Harris, Rector
News and prayer requests from our brothers and sisters of the Maridi Diocese in South Sudan
Lent starts with Ash Wednesday on 5 March 2025.Look out for details about Lent courses
We are looking to appoint a new Assistant to support the Team Rector in administrative tasks for five hours a week. This will be in addition to the valuable support given by our Team Administrator, Lynne Vercoe. Westbury PCC has approved of this role which will be for three years initially, but may be extended. Full details will be available from the Revd Rebecca Harris from Thursday 2 January.
