Please join us for a Bluebell Wood Walk on

Sunday 5th May, 12.30-3.00pm

at Holtsmere End Farm, Redbourn AL3 7AW

• Bring your own picnic to eat in the woods (or inside if you prefer or in case of bad weather)
• Buy Pimms or hot drinks from 1 – 3pm
• In aid of Youth Talk St Albans – no tickets required but donations welcome

Either join us at St Mary’s at 12.30pm to walk from the church to Holtsmere End Farm (about an hour’s walk through the fields). Bring your own picnic lunch, and buy a glass of Pimms or a hot drink, then stroll through the Bluebell Woods.  If you prefer a shorter route home (or buggy-friendly route), the return journey via roads takes about 30 minutes.

Click here to download the map and further information

Or just park at Holtsmere End and meet us at 1.30pm with your picnic lunch, buy a hot or cold drink, then an optional wander through the Bluebell Woods.

Indoor seating available in case of bad weather

A map for walkers, and a sign up sheet are available in church, or e-mail with any queries or to let us know if you are planning to come.

Click here to download the map and further information

All proceeds to our Charity of the Year for 2019, Youth Talk.  Donations welcome.

The church founded Christian Aid Week to fight for equality, dignity and freedom for all. By holding a church collection this year, we are supporting some of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers – like the communities in Sierra Leone that we’re focussing on this Christian Aid Week.

A lack of healthcare means Sierra Leone is the world’s most dangerous place to become a mum. One such mum is Jebbeh. As her baby grows, it’s not joy that fills her heart but fear. When her sister Fatmata went into labour, she set out on foot to hospital. The road was long and she struggled to keep walking under the baking sun. She never made it. Jebbeh told us: ‘My sister was crying out with hunger. She died on the side of the road. She never gave birth.’ Tragically, 10 women will die today from giving birth there.

As her due date looms closer, Jebbeh fears she could be next. ‘I pray, when that day comes, God will help me to deliver safely, so that I can have a bouncing baby and I’ll be healthy,’ she says. Together we can fight for a just, equal world for people like Jebbeh. This Christian Aid Week, you can help to change the lives of women in Sierra Leone enjoy the ability to give birth without risking their lives, something we take for granted here with the NHS.

There are a number of ways you can get involved.

As usual, we will be organising house to house collecting with our friends from ‘Churches Together in Redbourn’. Last year we collected from 38 streets and raised a total of just under £2700. We would love to be able to increase this total, by offering more people the chance to contribute if they wish. So if you could volunteer to help out, please speak to Tim.

However, I appreciate that not everyone likes collecting. So for this reason we are encouraging everyone to think of ways to raise money in other ways. Last year we hosted a coffee morning at the Curate’s house and raised over £100. Perhaps you could host a fundraising dinner? A coffee morning? A plant sale? We can provide resources for these events and if you want some help and support please get in touch. We are also looking for teams to help with counting after the money has been collected, so if you are able to help with this, please let me know.

Tim

For more details e-mail  Revd Tim Vickers

We are delighted to announce that our St Mary’s Charity of the Year for 2019 will be YouthTalk.

YouthTalk is a charity based in St Albans which offers professional counselling to 13-25 year olds in the District of St Albans. Such support has been shown to be effective in tackling a wide range of issues from family and school problems to depression, eating disorders and other mental health problems.

We are constantly reminded of the pressures placed on young people’s mental wellbeing by the modern world, particularly social media which exerts levels of peer pressure unlike any faced by previous generations. Research shows that one in four of today’s young people are likely to suffer with a mental health issue in their lives, and many suffer in silence.

YouthTalk provides a safe, confidential space for them and also provides information services to parents, carers and schools.

We have a full programme of fundraising activities planned throughout the year, including:

• Carols & Beer in December 2018 which began our fundraising for YouthTalk by raising £1113 – many thanks to the Cricketers and all those who donated on the night.
• Photography Workshops at St Mary’s from which 100% of proceeds will be donated to YouthTalk – click here for further details or to book a place on one of the workshops
• A Bluebell Afternoon Tea in late April – further information will be available nearer the time
• A Variety Concert
• plus more events and fundraising initiatives throughout the year

Can you help?  Perhaps you could:

• Undertake a sponsored challenge in aid of YouthTalk?
• Volunteer to help at some of the events above?
• Make a donation via our online fundraising page?

Please get in touch for further information or to volunteer to help in some way.