All Saints: a new local group with high hopes and higher spirits
All Saints is a new local group committed to building community spirit across Sutton Mandeville and Chicksgrove through organising a couple of big fun village events every year, and creating a programme of activities and events at All Saints’ Church that will offer something for everyone.
The idea comes from neighbours Lara Colenso and Felicity Berry who were concerned to hear that All Saints’ Church - which is almost 900 years old and older than Salisbury Cathedral - is facing closure due to dwindling congregations and rising maintenance costs.
Lara says, “The county parish of Sutton Mandeville & Chicksgrove has two small villages, both spread thinly over a wide area. That’s why residents like it! But, after noticing how neighbourly everyone was during the pandemic, and seeing how well attended were the events organised for the Queen’s 60th Jubilee last summer, I sense there is a desire for a bit more community interaction. That’s what we’d like to kickstart.”
The first All Saints event will be Christmas Carolling on Tuesday 20th December.
Everyone is welcome to come and sing the jolliest of carols door-to-door, lit by victorian lanterns and emboldened by nips of sloe gin.
There will be two 45 minute rehearsals at the church hosted by Nicky Ogborne - a trained opera singer who promises to get everyone singing like nightingales!
All donations will go towards keeping the church open for everyone.
Next year, All Saints are planning to put on a themed Coronation Picnic on the weekend of 6/7 May. They also want to organise a good ol’ village Barn Dance in mid-October, which will have live music and a communal apple press for turning the annual apple glut into delicious juice and a further programme of events at All Saints Church, including talks, musical performances and family activities.
All Saints welcomes everyone in Sutton Mandeville and Chicksgrove to get involved and come along to the next meeting at The Compasses at 6.30pm on Tuesday 10 January. They will be discussing which entertaining events everyone would like to go to at the church.
All Saints Christmas Carolling 2022
Rehearsal 1: 7-7.45pm, Wednesday 14 December, All Saints Church
Rehearsal 2: 11-11.45am, Saturday 17 December, All Saints Church
A’Carolling: 6-8pm, Tuesday 20 December, route TBC
For more information please email laracolenso@icloud.com