St Marys, Pickersleigh is the eighth most deprived parishin the Diocese. Those living on the estate on which the church sits aregenerally under 45 with low educational attainment. There is a significantamount of child poverty.
The Revd Lynne Sparkes is Vicar of the parish. She said:Pickersleigh has the highest concentration of social housing in Worcestershireand there is a lot of overcrowding with lots of children in small flats. Theresa real sense of loyalty and community though and its important to us that StMarys is right at the centre of that. We want to help to ensure there are goodthings happening in Pickersleigh.
The parish was able to gain some funding from the LowestIncome Communities Fund and the PCC has employed Sarah McCarten-Williams as aChildren and Families Worker, working 11 hours a week over the next threeyears. Sarah trained as a nursery nurse and also has a degree in Theology aswell as previous experience of helping out at youth projects and runningholiday clubs.
Lynne continues: We already run Pickersleigh Bears afresh expression of church aimed at toddlers, but we need some help in keepingthe young people connected with church as they get older. Were keen to engagethe whole family in a range of activities and ensure that the church is a placewhere people who need help in the community know they can come.
Sarah said: The Pickersleigh estate is full of young peopleand weve got lots of ideas of things wed like to try to engage differentages, building on what the church has already been doing. We trialled a MakeLunch in the October half term; a morning of craft activities after whicheveryone made their own lunch of soup and bread. We hope to do this everyschool holiday as a way of helping to ensure families have a hot meal. Werealso planning a film club, a monthly Messy Church style craft session and anafter school club, which seems to be a particular need in our area.
Throughout all of the different activities, members of StMarys explain what their faith means to them and why they do what they do. Arelaxed atmosphere enables all kinds of amazing conversations, said Lynne.Its all about building relationships and as a result of the work wevealready done, we have seen more people come to the church for weddings andbaptisms and a few are even starting to come to church on a Sunday!
