First meeting
Hello from ‘Village and Vestry’
A group of village residents, both newly arrived and long established, has come together as a result of a meeting which formed part of the New Buckenham Neighbourhood Plan. Although many of us have no religious attachment, we all want to ensure the future of St Martin’s Church as an open, vibrant, and accessible place at the centre of New Buckenham village life.
The name of this newly founded group combines ”Village” to suggest the wider groups of people, homes and interests. ”Vestry” conveys life within the church. We hope that this symbolises community and partnership to benefit all. Specific aims are:
• To generate greater interest in this historic building and what it has to offer for our community.
• To ensure that the church remains open and is used to the widest benefit of both residents and visitors.
• To raise funds to help keep the structure of St Martin’s secure and the building safe for now and for future generations.
One of our big aspirations is to have the church used as a performance space and, with your help, to develop a programme of music and ‘the spoken word’ — a programme for performers and audiences of all ages. We want to encourage greater use of the grounds and the internal space of the church for the benefit and enjoyment of all. We have a number of plans in progress and ideas for the future. You will see them unfold over the coming months.
We hope that you will like our ideas and support these events and activities. If you would like to know more, become involved, or have any thoughts or ideas about how the church could be used, we would love to hear from you. We do hope that you will buy tickets to support the launch event on: Saturday 29th September at 7:30pm with an evening of singing and jazz with wine and canapes included.
More details will be in the August edition of Parish News and posted around the village.
Maria Lloyd and Gordon Chase
