St Mary's is one of eleven Parish Churches within the Bride Valley & Chesil Benefice. Other members are: St Mary The Virgin, Burton Bradstock St Michael and All Angels, Little Bredy St Peter, Long Bredy; Chilcombe (dedication unknown); St Mary The Blessed Virgin, Puncknowle; St Martin, Shipton Gorge; Holy Trinity, Swyre; St Nicholas, Abbotsbury; St Peter, Portesham; St Peter, Langton Herring. Rector: Reverend Andrew Rawding Parochial Church Council Chairman: The Rector Churchwarden: Vacant Secretary: Vacant (Contact Wendy Firrell 01308 482532) Treasurer: Kathryn Brooks The full Parochial Church Council meets four times a year including the Annual Church Meeting in April. The Council adopted a policy whereby the church would embrace community use. To that end the pews at the rear of the nave were removed and the floor there levelled to provide an open space for social occasions. As a result of the generosity of many villagers, 50 upholstered chairs were purchased to provide additional seating when required. A hearing loop and sound enhancement system are installed and a professional recording of our organist Paul Cheater made so that a library of hymns and other music can be played at St Mary’s, and other churches in the Bride Valley, in the absence of an organist. To complete the policy, the redundant church hall was demolished to provide some car parking space and to create a vehicular access to the churchyard,. The tower was reordered, to provide a WC and small kitchen facility on the ground floor, with a staircase to a new mezzanine floor above. The pattern of Worship currently in use on a monthly basis is: 1 st Sunday: 9.30 am: Holy Communion, with hymns and sung responses. 2 nd Sunday: 9.30 am: Morning Worship (lay led) 3 rd Sunday: Oct – April 9.30 am: Morning Prayer (lay led) 3 rd Sunday: May – September 6.00 pm Evensong (usually lay led) 4 th Sunday: 4.00 pm - Community Church at LATCH (informal) 5 th Sunday: usually a United Valley Service at one of the Valley Churches. Copies of Source to Sea (Sunday Pew Sheet) and Bride Valley News are available in the Church.

St. Mary’s Church takes its responsibilities surrounding the safeguarding of children, young people, and adults who may be at risk very seriously and works in partnership with the Diocese of Salisbury to ensure that we work in accordance with best practice at all times. Our Parish Safeguarding Policy was adopted by the PCC on 8th May 2018 and a copy of it is available on the shelf inside the Church. It can also be downloaded from the Salisbury Diocese website: www.salisbury.anglican.org If you have queries or concerns regarding any safeguarding issues you should contact the Diocese as Safeguarding Advisor direct at https://www.salisbury.anglican.org/safeguarding/ Email: safeguarding@salisbury.anglican.org Or telephone 01722 438651 and press option 2.

The Annual Meeting will take place after the morning service on Sunday April 12th. It is an open meeting, though only those on the church’s Electoral Roll may vote. We are fortunate that Kathryn Brooks has taken over as Church Treasurer now that Freddie Spicer has stepped down. St. Mary’s is still in need of a Church Warden, a secretary and additional PCC members so if you feel you could take on any of these roles, we should be delighted to hear from you. Our main fundraising event for the year will be a Village Café on 5th September at LATCH………more details to come in due course. If you would like the church to be floodlit any day for a special occasion for £5, please contact John Vercoe (07973 781019)