Boughton News -February

All Saints' Church Christmas started for us with the decoration of the church in time for the traditional celebration of Nine Lessons and Carols. Several people had donated greenery and Geoff had very kindly given us a tree. It was smaller than usual at my request , as some of us are getting too old to put the star on a ten foot tree. It was beautifully decorated by Maryse and Tony and looked wonderful. Judith, Sandy, Jenny, Angela and I decorated the rest of the church with the greenery and baubles, with dozens of candles spread around. I've finally managed to use the old Advent candles! Our little church always dresses up beautifully and looked warm and welcoming for the carol service. There was a good congregation and choir, with Tom on the organ to lead very good singing. Thank you to all the readers who were complimented on their reading. Even in a small church like ours, being heard at the back of the church isn't as easy as you'd expect. After the service, another tradition was kept, with villagers bringing plates of food to eat along with the mulled wine prepared by Sandy. It was a most enjoyable evening. The Christmas Crib service was held in Geoff's barn ( where would we be without Geoff and the team of helpers who prepared the barn for the large congregation?) Pippa led the service, with helpers and a team of animals watching. Bubbles the donkey did sterling service again and Big Eric the boar was in the background, next to the cows. The collection of £236.04.from that service has gone to Embrace, which used to be BibleLands. On Christmas Day, we were fortunate enough to have a service in our church this year. It isn't always possible because there aren't enough clergy to go round, but it was our turn this year. It was a very well attended service , with nearly 40 people drawn from Boughton, Beachamwell, Barton Bendish visitors, Wretton and possibly still further afield. It's good to join with others. Many more had been to the midnight service at Wereham. Many thanks to Morton McConnell for playing the organ at Boughton. He's much better than me and it was much appreciated. Thanks to Robin and Pippa for taking our services so warmly. They have been worked hard this year because of Barbara's absence. I'd also like to thank Rev Brian Redgers and Anne Clarke for helping us to keep the eight parishes going during this time. Pam Wakeling

PLEASE HELP ME FUNDRAISE FOR FREE WITH YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING My name is Holly and I’m 16 years old. I have lived in Boughton for the past 7 years. Alongside studying for my A-levels, I have also signed up to complete a World Challenge in 2017 in Sri Lanka. On this month-long expedition I will do volunteer work by taking part in a local community project. I'll also complete conservation work at a turtle sanctuary and take part in various treks. Alongside all of these challenging activities, there will be the need for myself and my team to organise everything, from food to working out where we’re staying the night. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to take part in: it will enrich my life, give me important life skills such as teamwork and budgeting, and help the local community there. I will have to prepare mentally and physically but I'm more than up for the challenge. Part of my fitness improvement will entail completing a long-distance walking challenge by going coast to coast. To get there, however, I have to fundraise £4,137, and with your help I can do that. Easyfundraising is a completely free and safe site which you sign up to. After selecting your chosen retailer (there are over 2,700 to choose from), it will take you to the retailer’s website where you can complete any online shopping as normal. Once you have paid for your shopping, the retailer will donate to my cause, at no extra cost to you. It is extremely easy to use and I will be incredibly grateful for any help you can give me with raising funds – every little bit will help, especially as this is only part of my overall fundraising. As well as partaking in some fundraising events with my fellow challengers, I’m also looking for weekend and school-holiday work. If you can offer some work opportunities please contact my parents - scowen68@gmail.com My Cause Name: World Challenge Sri Lanka 2017 - Holly Owen Link: easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/hollyowen

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