Forward Momentum Newsletter Issue 20

The past few months have continued to demonstrate just how much St Mary's is becoming a thriving community space. From Sunday services, to relaxed social evenings and fascinating wildlife discoveries, a growing café and exciting events, it has been wonderful to see so many people enjoying our newly restored church. We’ve hosted an iSingPop concert by Stebbing School and a special assembly after which the children enjoyed exploring the church. Plus our programme of community-focused activities has been varied and different, there’s been lots going on!

Our regular Games Events continue to provide a friendly and relaxed opportunity for people to meet, chat and enjoy a little healthy competition. With everything from traditional board games to cards and table games, there really has been something for everyone, regardless of age or experience. We even tried out table tennis, which was a lot of fun!

We hosted our very first Chess Morning on a Saturday in August, after Sam Porter, founder of the Notley Chess Community, approached us about bringing one of their events to St Mary’s. Following several successful chess mornings locally, it was our turn to welcome players through the doors! We were delighted to see a great mix of children and adults enjoying games together, whether experienced players or simply keen to have a go. With Cornerstone Café open and plenty of friendly competition across the chessboards, there was a lovely buzz throughout the morning. We look forward to another one in due course.

St Mary’s also hosted a Summer Games Afternoon. Since it was damp outside, all the games were set up inside, from Giant Jenga, Giant Draughts, to Hoop-La and Ping Pong! The younger players had a lot of fun, and as the afternoon wore on, variations began to emerge as the children found other ways to enjoy all that was on offer! Also a hit was the bug collecting using big nets and special containers, courtesy of Richard, our ecologist. It was lovely to see so many families (and our lovely volunteers) enjoying themselves and cafe treats.

Another summer holiday activity was History Detectives, held in the churchyard on a sunny Tuesday morning. Budding archaeologists got hands-on, uncovering hidden treasures and recording their finds just as a real archaeologist would.

Families have also enjoyed our Bat Trail, with cheeky bats hidden around the church encouraging younger visitors to explore and discover St Mary’s fascinating heritage in a fun and interactive way.

A special summer highlight was our second Volunteer Recognition evening, celebrating the wonderful people who give their time and enthusiasm to St Mary’s. Held in the beautiful surroundings of Priors Hall, our BAFTA/Oscars-themed evening featured picnics, complimentary drinks, popcorn, a surprise ice cream van and our very own awards ceremony! Most importantly, it was a chance to say a heartfelt thank you and celebrate all our volunteers have achieved. Their contribution has helped make St Mary’s the vibrant, welcoming community space it is today – we simply couldn’t do it without them.

It’s been a season of growth, connection and plenty of good coffee at Cornerstone Café! We’ve welcomed new faces, regulars bringing friends (including the four-legged variety) and new volunteers joining our team of budding baristas and friendly servers. With takeaway cups and loyalty cards now available, Cornerstone is fast becoming a regular stop for many locals. We’re delighted to see our café community growing and look forward to celebrating our wonderful ‘coffee crew’ and bakers with a well-deserved pizza evening in September!

We’re delighted to welcome two familiar faces to the Way Forward Project team. Both Matt Troup and Nigel Atkinson have been part of Cornerstone Café’s volunteer barista team since we opened, so many of our regulars will already know them. Matt is taking on the role of Café Manager, bringing a wealth of barista and café experience, while Nigel joins us as Technical Administrator, bringing invaluable expertise as we tackle the remaining challenges and work towards completing the renovation, inside and out. It’s great to have them on board.

Coming Up: a community screening of “Climate, Nature, Our Future”, an evening of live jazz from the Essex Jazz Collective, (make sure you book your ticket!) and a Heritage Open Week with different things happening every day.