Author: leah

REACHING THE UNREACHED (RTU)

RTU is one of the charities the Priory is supporting. It is working in southern India helping the poorest and most marginalised people, particularly women and children, by providing healthcare, clean water, housing, education and support. It cares for orphaned or abandoned children, many affected by HIV/AIDS, in children’s villages, and provides education until they are able to live independently.

The Priory’s donations have already provided Priory House and Lancaster House for two families whose lives they have transformed.

In Lancaster House live Kannan (aged 55), his wife Jeyalakshmi (42), their son Danapal (17), and their daughter Logeswari (14). Kannan had major health problems which resulted in his having to give up his job in a mill, and his wife has a major hearing loss. They were struggling living in a very inadequate leaking hut, and trying to earn enough money to feed their children. Fortunately they approached RTU who have provided them with this safe house with electricity. They are now much happier and their children are able to be educated with the little income from his petty shop.

In Priory House live Nagarajan (32), his wife Kaliswari (29), their son Masanakathirvel (10), and their daughter Vinothini (8). Their son tragically was born with an ano-rectal malformation which has resulted in his having to have ongoing major operations, costing the family a great deal of money. The situation was exacerbated by their hut being filled with rain, making it difficult for them to care for their son properly. Fortunately Nagarajan heard about RTU who, due to the family’s hand-to-mouth existence,  built them Priory House where the family now lives peacefully. Their children are both at school and they are able to look after their son in a safe environment.

It is good to have first hand information of the two families who are very grateful for this life-changing support. Our next donation will hopefully provide “St. Mary’s House” to another needy family.

Christine Dickinson

Good news!

In December, four representatives of the Marsh Community Centre, Lancaster,  (manager Councillor Rebecca Joy Novell, trustee Sally Pidd – of St. Tees -, Debz Hargreaves and Revd Jill Novell – of Lancaster Priory) met Gandalf in person, in London!

The Marsh Community Centre has been selected as one of the final five equal Winners of The Guardian Charity Awards 2016, selected from 700 charities across the UK; and  Sir Ian McKellen  presented the awards at a celebratory lunch in London!

The Guardian Charity Awards ‘offer a unique platform to celebrate the success of small and medium-sized charities working to improve social well-being. For 24 years, they have showcased their work and given winners the backing and profile they need to move forward.’

Marsh Community Centre is based in one of the most deprived wards in Lancaster and Morecambe. It provides, amongst many things, welfare  support and advice to those most in need in the district and, in an attempt to boost social cohesion and integration, it unusually caters to both a poor estate and asylum seekers seeking refuge.

The Guardan has filmed work at the Centre, and the short films, showing the work of the five Winners can be accessed by googling ‘The Guardian Charity Awards 2016 – the winners’.

On 18th December, 2016, the Well Recovery church will be making its debut at the Centre (led by Revd Carolyn Woodcock and Kerrie Hudson – supported by prayer from the local churches, especially the weekly prayer cell at St. Thomas More church).

It is wonderful news; but Marsh Community Centre has always operated on a shoestring budget and is still in need of some upgrading and repairs! (Its website shows its main donors: marshcommunitycentre.org.uk). For example, kind individuals from Lancaster Priory have paid for the regular cuts of grass at the Centre; and volunteers have maintained the grounds and painted the Centre. Donations, of any size, are always needed and welcome – and the winning of a national award indicates a confidence that such monies are being put to good use.

With thanks!

Revd Jill Novell

We are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership between The FIG Tree Fair Trade Centre and The Priory. For two weeks from 7^th – 15^th December The Priory shop will be selling FIG Tree Fair Trade gifts and their fabulous bean to bar chocolate alongside the usual Priory gifts. Initial opening hours will be 11am – 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the possibility of extended opening hours in the New Year which will be listed on both The Priory and The FIG Tree websites.

It is a year ago this month since the floods in Lancaster forced The FIG Tree to leave its home at St. John’s Church. The FIG Tree has continued its work however; delivering its chocolate workshops for schools and community groups, producing its unique bean to bar chocolate and continuing its Heritage Lottery Funded Project promoting Fair Trade through Lancaster’s heritage as a slave trade port.

FIG Tree Bean to Bar chocolate is available in five delicious flavours; Milk, Milk & Orange, Dark, Dark & Mint and Soya and sold as 40g bars, 100g Milk with Banana and Dark with Raspberry along with a variety of Speciality chocolates. To celebrate the new partnership limited edition cinnamon and orange FIG Tree chocolate has been produced for sale exclusively at The Priory (see photo). FIG Tree chocolate is hand made from bean to bar in Garstang the world’s first Fair Trade Town using fair trade ingredients where possible and beans purchased directly from the farmer in New Koforidua, Ghana – the first Fair Trade Town in Africa. It will be sold at the following events and will be available to buy all year round at The Priory and Single Step Wholefoods, Penny Street.

More…

• Midwinter Market at Market Square – Friday 16^th December
• Xmas Spectacular at The Priory – 7.30pm Wednesday 21st December
• Xmas Spectacular at The Priory – 7.30pm Thursday 22^nd December
• St. Nics Arcade – Monday 19^th – Friday 23^rd December

The FIG Tree are grateful to LESS (Lancaster District) CIC and St. Nics Arcade for enabling them to sell their Bean to Bar chocolate over the Christmas period. The FIG Tree always welcome volunteers to help on the stalls as well as other activities such as chocolate making and running bean to bar workshops. If interested in volunteering contact the Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected]

The FIG Tree Heritage Project focuses on St. John’s church and the Quaker slave trader Dodshon Foster. Despite no longer being at St. John’s the project will continue and end on 25^th March 2017 –  200 years after the slave trade abolition – with a weekend of heritage events entitled ‘210 Abolition: Lancaster slave trade port to Fairtrade City’.

Bruce Crowther, Executive Director of the FIG Tree said, “We are delighted to share resources with The Priory for the benefit of all, but especially residents and visitors to Lancaster. It is fitting that The FIG Tree should be based at The Priory which is an historical building of great significance while having so much to offer to contemporary society today.” 

On Sunday 16th October Jeremy Truslove retires from his post as Director of Music after two spells of service spanning 30 years. His contribution to the church is immeasurable and we have all benefited from his ceaseless energy, good humour and charming personality.

A tribute to him has been placed on the Choir Association’s webpage Please click here to read more. A presentation will be made to Jeremy on behalf of the Parish after evensong.

The 25th September saw the last service at which Rodney Webb sang in the choir after more than 65 years of service – a remarkable record.

Rodney joined as a boy, eventually rising to be Head Boy, and then going on to sing on the alto line until now. He was a most talented person playing both football and cricket for the town, a regular performer in amateur dramatics and singing with his friends in the barber’s shop quartet which often entertained at Priory functions.

Rodney’s skills as a joiner were often put to good use around the church as well, but it was his commitment to the choir for which we are most grateful.

A presentation organised by the Choir Association was made to Rodney on behalf of the whole choir after morning service on his last day attended by friends and family along with members of the congregation.

(Photo courtesy of Vicki Collinge)

Once again Priory Organisations are hard at work planning their Harvest displays. These will be put together in church during the morning of Saturday 1^st October. In the afternoon, 2 – 5pm, we’re holding an Open Day and in the next few days we’ll be putting an invitation through every letterbox on the Marsh, including the new Luneside Estate, inviting residents from this important part of our parish to join us and see what we’re about. Members of Priory Organisations will be on hand to welcome and explain what they do. Whilst all this is going on, a team of volunteers will be collecting groceries at Sainsbury’s as part of our harvest offering. Then, in the evening, there will be our Harvest Barn Dance. It will be a great evening and a wonderful gathering-together of the Priory Family. Tickets are on sale after the service from members of the Social Committee.

If you are able, we would be grateful if you could bring a suitable gift to church anytime on Friday 30^th September or during the morning on Saturday 1st October, to be included in the displays. We are also inviting all members of the congregation to bring a harvest offering to church (fruit, vegetables, tinned goods), preferably attractively presented, to be offered at the altar during the Eucharist on October 2nd. During the afternoon there will be the opportunity to view all the displays and enjoy a cup of tea and some music from the choir.

On Monday morning (2^nd October) from 10.30am we shall be taking down the displays and making up harvests boxes to be delivered later to the housebound, local care homes, Mustard Seed and Olive Branch. We would be most grateful for volunteers to join us and help us with this.

It promises to be a busy weekend, but great fun. Thanks for your support.

Priory People

A big thank you to the 19 volunteers who undertook the house to  house collection in the parish during Christian Aid week 16-21 May, and a big thank you to those who responded to their call, raising a total of £1,698.24, and an especial thank you to those who gift aided their donations.

The total amount collected in Lancaster and district was £17,421, sadly down on last year’s total of over £19k.

Just when you think a PAAWS walk cannot be bettered, along comes a gem, ably led by our guide Mr Andrew Nicholson whom we thank and for arranging the weather to be kind to us.

Some of the PYG attended Cancer Care at Lancaster to hand over the cheque for the monies raised by their sponsored bike ride.

Well done to all involved with this, we are very proud of you all!

A total of £467 was raised.