A reminder that the barbecue is being held at the Vicarage on Saturday. Do come and enjoy burgers and hot dogs. There will be salads to go with them and lovely mouth-watering puds to follow. Wine and soft drinks will also be available. We hope to see many of you there and that the weather will be kind to us. No tickets needed but donations to the church on the day will be welcome.
 
Help needed! If anyone is available on Friday at 4pm or Saturday morning at 10am and would be willing to spend an hour to help put up the gazebo/tent and move tables and chairs, please let Pat ([email protected] or 241632 or Sylvia ([email protected] or 241179) know.

The village barbecue is again going to be held in the Vicarage garden on Saturday, 22nd July from 5-8 pm.  Look out for the posters around the village. We hope as many as possible will be able to join us. If you are new to the village, do come along and meet everyone.
 
Please let Pat (241632 or [email protected]) or Sylvia (241179 or [email protected]) know if you intend to come so that we can make sure we have plenty of everything! There will be cover but we hope the weather will be kind to us again, so that we can enjoy the garden.

David’s funeral  will take place at St Giles church on Friday, 14th July at 2 pm.  Gilly’s will be the following day, Saturday, 15th, at 11.30 am.
 
To help with seating arrangements it would be helpful  if anyone intending to attend either or both services could let Pat (241632 or [email protected]) know in advance.

The latest issue of Badbury Parish news has been published and is available on the Badbury Group of Churches page.

It has been evident for many years that the fabric of St Giles Church is in need of substantial investment to keep it watertight and structurally sound, and which the diocese is unable to provide. It has been proposed and generally agreed that the best way of raising funds for St Giles, and keeping them ring-fenced, is establishing a separate charity, the Friends of St Giles, which has been researched over the last year and more.

Many churches in the diocese have already gone down this route; Buckland for example has raised considerable sums for its roof, and Aldbourne Friends in addition to maintaining the fabric of St Michaels, have provided improved storage, lighting and heating in an even older church than St Giles.

Once established, this will likely be a long-term feature of the village as we need to fund-raise both for the immediate call on replacing the Nave roof, some £40,000, and for future repairs to porch and chancel roofs – and other issues which seem far in the future.

Setting up a modern charity (a CIO) is a relatively straightforward process, and needs in addition to the two or 3 main officers (Chair, treasurer and secretary) a group of enthusiastic volunteers who have skills in administration, fundraising and communication. Colin Hamling (Toban) has had past experience at chairing charities, including establishment of CIO’s, and has offered to chair, and to steer the proposal through at least set-up. If you feel that you can contribute, and have any of these skills, please put your name forward to Rev. Maureen Turner or to Pat Cook. The trustees will form a sub-committee of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and comply with all Charity Commission regulations.

Contacts are:
Rev Maureen Turner  - [email protected] – 01367 249875
Pat Cook – [email protected] – 01367 241632
Colin Hamling- [email protected]

The Annual Meeting of Parishioners (MoP), at which the Churchwarden will be elected, and The Annual Parish Council Meeting (APCM) will take place next Tuesday in the Reading Room at 7.30 pm.  The audited annual accounts for 2022 will be presented along with the Financial Report and the Annual Report of the church’s activities last year, and will include the election of the members of the PCC.

Coffee will be served before the meeting.  All are welcome.
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We're still rather short of our target of 100 members - and the draw for January, February and March will be taking place soon.
If we can encourage you to be a member this year, all the details are on the letter recently delivered to you and you still have time to get your Membership details and subscription in to Biddy at Glebe House - cheque £20 per member (payable to Great Coxwell PCC) or cash - or you can pay on line:
Direct payment of £20 per member to Great Coxwell Parochial Church Council, Barclays Bank Sort Code 20-90-91,
Account No 30425265 (with your surname and initials as reference).


We do hope you'll have time to sign up for this year or please contact Sylvia on 07923 563662 for further information.

I am told that some of you will remember Bob Miles who used to farm pigs at the top of Puddleduck Lane.  Bob passed away on 7th March and is to be buried with his late wife in our churchyard on Maundy Thursday, 6th April at 12 noon.
 
His daughter, who grew up in the village, and her family would welcome anyone from the village who remembers Bob to join them at his funeral. 
 
Pat
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Here is the latest news of events in the Badbury Group of Churches. Paper copies of the newsletter are available in the church.  If you would like to receive a paper copy regularly, please contact Pat Cook to arrange it.  ([email protected] or 241632.
 
Related information can be found on this page.