On Thursday 9th October, St Anne’s Church and Community Hub hosted local business and community leaders to celebrate its 160th anniversary and to launch a new ‘Friends of St Anne’s’ group.
Guests enjoyed drinks and canapes before a welcome from Team Vicar Reverend Richard Westwood and the premiere of a specially commissioned short film by K Squared Films. The film detailed some of the extensive work undertaken by St. Anne’s with the wider community.
The short film featured interviews with service providers and testimonials from beneficiaries, giving an enlightening insight into the many and varied activities available to local residents. These activities include the Stollers baby group, Ladybirds toddler group, FunClub Hub youth club, wellbeing walks, art group, community garden, counselling, and the Place of Welcome café.
The film also highlighted how St Anne’s has supplied a much needed home for local charity Burntwood Be A Friend, a second home for family support charity Spark, and a venue for FunClub Hub youth club and the community art group when both had lost their original locations.
The remainder of the evening provided opportunities for networking and getting to know more about community partners who work with St Anne’s in facilitating programmes that serve Chasetown and Burntwood.
Attendees at the event included Dave Robertson, Local MP for Lichfield and Burntwood, Cllr Laura Ennis, Chair of Burntwood Town Council, and Cllr Richard Cox, Lichfield District Council Cabinet Member for Community and Public Protection, alongside representatives of SCVYS, Lichfield Garrick, Creative Burntwood, and Burntwood Lions, plus local business leaders.
Richard Stevens, Regional Development Manager of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, sent a tribute to St Anne’s, stating:
St Anne’s has been a pillar of support for Chasetown residents for 160 years and continues to do so not only through religion, but through the many community activities taking place at the church every day which focus on bringing people of all ages together and improving lives. The social and economic challenges facing former mining communities such as Chasetown continue to mount, requiring new responses and new ways of working and St Anne’s has never been afraid to confront these challenges as a church community. The ‘Friends of’ concept brings new meaning to community investment and a real opportunity for stakeholders to collectively improve the lives of vulnerable people.
The innovative, new ‘Friends of St Anne’s’ group has been launched to foster closer ties with business and community leaders in the local area and to gain support for St Anne’s ongoing work. It is hoped that this will be the beginning of a thriving and interactive network of community partnerships.
There are many ways to support St Annes as a ‘Friend’. As well as the obvious route of financial support, the church is keen to listen to, welcome and work in partnership with all who have good will for the people of Chasetown and Burntwood.
Support options include:
- Donating to facilitate St Anne’s work and the development of the church building.
- Advertising in St Anne’s ‘Monthly News’ or sponsoring a fundraising event or concert.
- Volunteering to help with a session or project, sharing skills, or raising awareness of the activities offered.
‘Friends’ will be kept up to date about St Anne’s work, invited to special events, and recognised on its website and its Monthly News, knowing that they are playing an indispensable role in helping the local community.
To find out more about supporting St Anne’s, you can visit their website: https://stanneschasetown.com.
