Newcastle Diocese are asking for our help .....

Does your parish have a crafting group? Perhaps a knit and natter or a sewing circle? Or do you have some crafty people in your congregation? If so, then we need your help.

We will be taking part in LOUDfence during the first week of March. LOUDfence began as a protest movement in Australia in 2015 and has spread far and wide since then. The idea is to tie brightly-coloured ribbons to a fence as a sign of support for and solidarity with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. These "loud" ribbons also represent a determination to break the silence around abuse. Our LOUDfence will be displayed in Newcastle Cathedral from the 3 March alongside a display of creative work by survivors. The survivors leading on this project have told us that what would mean more to them than ribbons, is to see a fence full of loud strawberries, inspired by the artwork from If I Told You, What Would You Do?

We need as many crafted strawberries as possible. If you are able to knit or crochet, we have included some example patterns you can follow, but feel free to use your own. If you have another craft, feel free to create strawberries in any format. These can be 3D or flat, they can be any size you wish. Ideally in red and green. 

Strawberries can be posted to: Safeguarding, Diocese of Newcastle, Church House, St. John's Terrace, North Shields, NE29 6HS. 

Or you can leave them in St John's church and we will make sure they get to the Diocese.

Please make sure your strawberries are in church by February 25th.