St Mary in Window 3 St Mary's, Fairford

St Mary's Church
Fairford

St Mary's, Fairford Angel in Window 1

Fairford Fireworks

5 November in Fairford Park
FireworksGates open at 6pm
Children £2; Adults £4;
Family Ticket £10 (2 adults, 3 children)
Tickets available from PTA, 7A and The Deli

Proceeds to Fairford Primary School and St Mary’s Church. Supported by Flying Start Nursery.


Babs & Beck’s Bangers and Mash and Bingo Bonanza!!

Friday 25 November
6.30pm - 9.30pm
Fairford Community Centre

Tickets £10 - includes the meal and 5 games of Bingo - Cash Prizes!

Available from Barb and Becky (Mitchell & Sarjent, High Street). In aid of Church Funds. Numbers limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Wine and Soft Drinks for sale on the night. Please advise if vegetarian option preferred.

Transport to and from the Community Centre is available; please talk to Wendy Graham, 01285 711765, who can book you a place.

Come along, have a laugh and a good night out with friends!!

Deanery Youth Activity Day

Sat 1st Oct 2011. As temperatures soared to an all-time October high, 32 young people from all across the deanery took to the waters of the South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre lake for a day of fun and adventure! Youth gathered from various deanery clubs (including 2 school lunchtime clubs) run by Deanery Youth Worker, Chris Saunders. Although many didn’t know each other well in advance, there was a great bonding as we undertook the various challenges with the trained instructors. Whether it was trying to hit the bull’s eye at archery, attempting to stay in a canoe without capsizing or hurtling down the fearsome slide in a kayak, fun was had by all! Tired at the end of an action-packed day, many were excitedly discussing the highlights of an enjoyable day and looking forward to the next deanery residential in April 2012.

For further details of this event and any of our other deanery youth activities, please contact Chris Saunders by email or on (01452) 301042.

Charity of the Month: November
Helen and Douglas House

Helen and Douglas House

The charity for November is Helen and Douglas House, our local registered charity based in Oxford that provides respite and end of life care for Children and young adults who have life shortening conditions, together with support and friendship for the whole family.  The two houses are bright, vibrant and positive places, where the emphasis is on living life to the full, even when life may be short.

Tim Hill, Chief Executive recently wrote “…Whilst in 1980 Sister Frances Dominica envisaged how life could be greatly improved for families coping with the knowledge that their child has a life shortening condition, her vision could never have become a reality without the Community’s prayer, practical support and financial gifts.  From the acorn that was Helen House there are now over forty children’s hospices around the UK, as well as countries around the world.  All of this is, I believe, an example of what’s possible when individuals commit to bringing forth all that God placed within her or him.  St Matthew reminds us that Jesus frequently presents himself in the form of another person’s pain or unmet need.  As a congregation of God’s people I thank you for recognising HIM in the lives of the Children and young people who use Helen and Douglas House”.

There is literature and a booklet of fund raising events on the shelf of the south wall and Gift Aid envelopes on the small table to use if you can.

Please support this worthy charity and very local cause.  For more information write to Helen & Douglas House, 14a Magdalen Road, OXFORD OX4 1RW. Tel: 01865 794749. E-mail fundraising@helenandouglas.org.uk. Website

Previous Charity Fundraising

Monies collected from the box for the September charity RABI amounted to £23.47 to which the PCC will add £146.24 (the Harvest Festival collection) and other amounts.

Christmas Coffee Morning
Bring & Buy Sale

Christmas Draw (1st Prize £100, 2nd £50, 3rd £25 plus others)
on Saturday, 10 December, 10am-12 noon

This will be the last event to raise money for St Mary’s Church funds in 2011. Please write the date in your diary – come and meet your friends for a pre-Christmas coffee and chat. The Draw will take place at 12 o’clock; tickets will be on sale from early October – please try to sell some tickets for us.

Please also help by providing items for the Bring & Buy stall – including cakes and produce but no jumble please – and for the Bottle Stall. Items can be left with Eric Graham in the Community Centre from Monday, 5 December.

Messy Space, Sat 20th November

Messy Space

2.00 – 4.00 p.m. Fairford Community Centre

This month’s theme : Preparations.

Adults and Children (recommended 4 years upwards)— £2 per child (max. £5 per family)
Season Tickets available – speak to Joanne Roberts or Maureen Partington
A project of Churches Together Around Fairford.

Fairford Mens Society Annual General Meeting

Monday 28th November at 3.15pm in Fairford Community Centre.

New Members welcome!

Present Members please bring your thoughts for the 2012 Mens Society Programme. For further details contact Gary Cook, Secretary Fairford Mens Society.

Flowers for Christmas

A flower demonstration by Alison Godsall will take place on Wednesday 23rd November at 2.00 p.m.  in Fairford Community Centre.

This has been arranged by Fairford Mothers Union and will take place. Everyone welcome.

Café Church

Sunday 6th November & Sunday 4th December 4.00 to 5.30 pm in the United Church, Milton Street.

Café ChurchPlease join us and meet friends, play games, talk about issues, hear stories, do crafts, have informal worship & food.

We welcome anyone –any age!

For more information contact Joanne Roberts on 01285 711386. Organised by Churches Together Around Fairford.

Christian Meditation Group

Every Tuesday at 4pm in the Parish room of St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church, Fairford. This is an ecumenical group and all are welcome: beginners to meditation, ‘old-timers’, the merely curious! We’d love you to join us - why not taste and see if this form of prayer might be for you?

Christian meditation is an ancient form of prayer; rooted in the Gospel and St Paul, it was taught by St John Cassian and the 4th century Desert Fathers. Meditation, also known as contemplative prayer, seeks God in the silence and stillness beyond word and thought. Rediscovered by the Benedictine monk, John Main, this prayer tradition is very relevant for contemporary men and women today in our busy and noisy world. The one hour meeting includes quiet music, a short taped talk on meditation or a reading, a period of silent meditation and time for shared reflection and/or questions.

For further information contact 01285 713696/ email.


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