Stibbard students spruce up local church

Pupils from All Saints CEVA Primary School in Stibbard have been cleaning their local parish church ahead of its landmark anniversary celebrations.

All Saints Church in Stibbard, near Fakenham, is celebrating its 700th anniversary this year, and a class of year six students from the local primary school have been to the nearby church armed with dusters and brooms to help get the space looking its best for the commemorative celebrations.
 
The clean-up was organised by class teacher Clare Budgett, who has been at the school since 2008.  She took them back a few weeks later for another cleaning session as well as to learn more about the history of the church.
 
The enthusiasm on show from the children taking part was very evident. Poppy, a member of the year 6 class at All Saints Primary, said: “It’s really enjoyable when the whole community comes together. This church has been open for over 700 years, so it feels like an honour to tidy up a place that is so special.”
 
Jacob, another member of the class who really enjoys this new volunteering opportunity, added:  “I would definitely recommend this to all other year 6 classes. This is God’s palace and we need to keep it clean!”
 
While it is great news for the church to have new young volunteers happy to help with day-to-day maintenance of this kind, visits to the church can also provide a broad range of educational opportunities.
 
Assessing the benefits for the pupils involved, Mrs Budgett said: “It’s a brilliant chance for the children to learn more about the church and the village’s history, while also giving back to the community. We all really value coming along to church and, with some pupils being from Stibbard and others travelling from further afield, everyone has a slightly different connection to this place.”

All Saints, Stibbard relies heavily on the dedication of volunteers, with PCC Member Susan Moore spearheading a forward-thinking approach to attracting fresh support. In addition to the primary school link-up, Susan enlists new helpers through sharing Facebook community adverts, and also helps to raise funds through activities such as a  “Bring-and-Buy” sale which is also running inside the church.

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