Janet’s
Letter to the Community
On Friday 13th September, at 1.30pm, the Bishop of Barking will re-dedicate our War Memorial in the presence of the Mayor of Redbridge, members of the Royal British Legion and other distinguished guests. Why, you might ask, is this happening, and why now?
Firstly, it is happening because, thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and donations from members of the church, the Memorial has been cleaned and a new, more fitting, fence erected behind it, giving it more protection and mirroring the fence that borders the road. This work took place during the first half of this year, having been some time in the planning. We are very pleased with the result. We hope that the Memorial will continue to be a reminder of the sacrifice made by those who died, and a spur to those of us who remain to continue to work for peace.
Secondly, September 2019 marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of World War Two. The grant that we received from the Heritage Lottery Fund also enabled us to facilitate discussion between a group of year 5 children from Barley Lane School and some of the older members of our community who shared their memories of childhood during the Second World War. Following that discussion, the children engaged in creative writing and other work, which forms the basis for an exhibition that will be on display in the Church from Monday 9th September to Saturday 14th September.
All are welcome to attend the Re-dedication of the Memorial. May I also encourage you to drop in to the church during the week of the exhibition, to view the work that the children have produced – and to take some time to pray for peace, in our own country in these troubled times, and around the world? Those of you who remember times of war will doubtless want to give thanks for your own survival. Those – like me – who have been spared that dreadful experience, may want to give thanks that we have been spared. And all of us will want to give thanks for those whose sacrifice made our security possible. We have a lot to be thankful for!
With every blessing,
Janet