160 years of christenings, weddings and funerals celebrated at Staffordshire church
Business owners and community leaders joined worshippers at a special event to mark the 160th anniversary of a church near Lichfield.
Grade II listed St Anne's Church and Community Hub in Chasetown in Burntwood was built in1865 and is due to undergo a major £1 million refurbishment project to bring the site into the 21st century after 160 years of hosting baptisms, weddings and funerals.
On October 9 Team Vicar of the Burntwood Chase Benefice the Rev Richard Westwood and residents put on a reception to mark the launch of the new ‘Friends of St Anne’s’ group to foster closer ties with business and community leaders.
The event also featured the unveiling of a specially commissioned film showing some of the extensive work undertaken by church staff and volunteers in the wider community as part of its ministry support. The film by by K -Squared Films included interviews by groups using the Church Street building.
These include Strollers baby group, Ladybirds toddler group, wellbeing walks, art group, community garden, counselling and Place of Welcome. It also illustrated 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 homes.
Praising the church Richard Stevens, regional development manager of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust said: “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, but now increasingly through meaningful partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organisations.
"The `Friends of` concept brings new meaning to community investment and a real opportunity for stakeholders to collectively improve the lives of vulnerable people facing complex barriers on a daily basis. Coalfields Regeneration Trust is proud to support St Anne’s and wishes everyone involved a very happy 160th anniversary.”
In 2015 the church attracted a £160,000 English Heritage towards the cost of roof repairs.
More details about supporting St Anne's is available by emailing stanneschurch@hotmail.co.uk or by phoning 01543 686111.
