For last month’s edition, I submitted a short piece written shortly before I’d officially started as Rector of the churches here in the Glaven Valley.  As I write this, I’ve still been in post less than a month, but during that time I’ve been constantly amazed by the wonderful things I’ve discovered in these villages!

Today, for example, I visited the Glaven Centre, and saw the care, activities and facilities offered there – not just to people living in the Glaven Valley but in villages further afield as well.  Tonight I’m going to a Double Octave concert at Cley Church.  Yesterday we had Messy Church at St Nicholas’, which is huge fun for children (and parents and carers, we hope!), and run by a fantastic team of people from the churches in Glaven Valley.  I’ve just arranged to visit the Primary School here, which I visited briefly earlier on, so know a little already about what a wonderful school it is.

I’ve had an insight already into the excellent Neighbourhood Housing Association, having visited one of the families benefitting from the organisation, and I’ve talked to members of the Blakeney 12, and was amazed to hear about the work they do.  And there’s much more I could mention, and of course so much I haven’t yet discovered in these early days.

I have to keep reminding myself that these are small villages with only a few hundred people in each!  What a fantastic sense of community and commitment there is here.  Having spent the last 10 years on the suburban fringe of a large city, I’m conscious of how precious this sense of community is.  Of course churches and other organisations do marvellous work all over the country (including where I’ve just come from), in all sorts of different social situations.  But there is a wonderful sense of close-knit community here, and a determination to look after each other, and provide for each other and for every type of need, which I find really inspiring.  So may I say thank you all for all you do!  I’m really looking forward to finding out more and joining in!

Very best wishes to all,

Richard