After encouragement from Katie, a Charlton resident who works for the conservation charity Plantlife, we have supported #NoMowMay in our churchyard. We continued to mow the paths and the space around the popular picnic table, but have not mowed or strimmed elsewhere in the churchyard.For those who like to see things looking neat, this is quite a challenge. However, this does feel like the right thing to do. Allowing the grasses and plants to grow unhindered provides additional habitat for insects, particularly pollinators, and also for small mammals, snakes and amphibians.Over the next few weeks, we shall be restarting the mowing programme and clearing between the most recent graves, as in our published maintenance plan. Our aim is to provide areas of short grass, medium grass and long grass, along with a scrubby area under the yew tree. This year, we will be leaving a margin inside the front churchyard hedges, as areas of long grass - to Give the Flowers the Edge.Should you wish to give any feedback on our new approaches to churchyard maintenance, please speak to any member of the PCC or clergy team.#ecochurch #chalkevalleychurch #charltonallsaints #nomowmay #givetheflowerstheedge
We recently had a visit from Ben Maton and wanted to share this charming film on YouTube about All Saints' Church and the organ.Ben is a local man, who went to school at Bishop's, then became at Organ Scholar at St Peter's College, Oxford. He is now a full-time musician based in Salisbury, who makes short films to document his visits to local churches which feature him playing the organ.If you want to learn more about Pachelbel, our Church and the organ, click the link below to view the film, which by May 2025 has had 51,000 viewshttps://youtu.be/J54OmPGR4Rs?si=BTwkoHuRoeMyNurTTo learn more about Ben, please visit his websiteBEN MATONor follow him on his YouTube channelBen Maton - The Salisbury Organist - YouTubeImages and links supplied with kind permission from Ben Maton#CharltonAllSaints #chalkevalleychurch #BenMaton #organmusic
A fascinating report has recently been published by the Bible Society. It is long (and attached with this article) but these are the key findings:1. 12% of adults stated they attended a Christian Church at least monthly in 2024. This compares with 8% in 2018.2. The 18-24 year old age group has seen the greatest increase, going from 4% in 2018 to 16% in 2024.3. 63% of 18–34-year-old churchgoers say they feel close to people in their local area, compared to 25% of non-churchgoers their age. "With much of the population, in particular young people, struggling with mental health, loneliness and a loss of meaning in life, Church appears to be offering an answer. We found that churchgoers are more likely than non-churchgoers to report higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of connection to their community than non-churchgoers. They are also less likely to report frequently feeling anxious or depressed – particularly young women."
