Summer Round Up

Summer at St Mary's

The summer months brought plenty of life to St Mary’s, with people of all ages coming through the doors to meet, explore, learn and enjoy time together.  We've had a variety of events, activities, café visits and, of course, our regular Sunday services.

Games for all ages

Our regular Games Events have continued to provide a relaxed opportunity for people to meet, chat and enjoy a little friendly competition. Traditional board and card games have been joined by table games – and even table tennis!

During the school holidays we also held a Summer Games Afternoon. The rather damp weather meant activities moved inside St Mary’s, but that certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. Giant Jenga, Giant Draughts, Hoop-La and Ping Pong were among the games on offer, while younger visitors also enjoyed bug collecting with nets and special containers provided by Richard, our ecologist.

Chess comes to St Mary’s

August saw our first Chess Morning, following an approach from Sam Porter, founder of Notley Chess Community.

Players of all ages and abilities joined us, from experienced chess enthusiasts to those simply keen to have a go. With Cornerstone Café open too, there was a lovely buzz around the church as children and adults played alongside one another.

We are sure it won’t be the last!

Young History Detectives

There was plenty for younger visitors to discover over the summer too.

Our History Detectives morning saw budding archaeologists uncovering hidden treasures in our makeshift archaeological dig and learning how to record their finds just as a real archaeologist would.  

Families have also been following our Bat Trail, searching for cheeky bats hidden around the church while discovering more about St Mary’s fascinating heritage along the way.

Celebrating our volunteers

Our second Volunteer Recognition evening gave us the opportunity to say a very big thank you to the many people who give their time and enthusiasm to St Mary’s.

Held in the beautiful surroundings of Priors Hall, the BAFTA/Oscars-themed evening included picnics, complimentary drinks, popcorn, a surprise visit from an ice cream van and, of course, our very own awards ceremony.

It was a fun evening, but also an important opportunity to recognise just how much our volunteers contribute. St Mary’s simply wouldn’t be the vibrant and welcoming community space it is becoming without them.

Cornerstone continues to grow

It’s also been a season of growth, connection and plenty of good coffee at Cornerstone Café.

New faces have been coming through the doors, regulars have been bringing friends – including a few of the four-legged variety – and new volunteers have joined our team of budding baristas and friendly servers.

Takeaway cups and loyalty cards are now available too, and it’s lovely to see Cornerstone becoming a regular stop for more and more local people.