Sheringham’s harvest flowers and Fairtrade boost

‘Giving thanks for Harvest’ was the theme of the Harvest Flower Festival held at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Sheringham at the beginning of October, which included a Traidcraft stall.

Floral arrangements included `The Fruits of Creation`, `Daily Bread`, `From Greenhouse and Garden`, `Harvest of the Sea`, `The Diary of a church mouse`(the John Betjeman poem), `All good gifts around us` and verses from other well known harvest hymns.
 
One arrangement, on the theme of `Sharing Harvest`, included an empty supermarket trolley and visitors were invited to bring their harvest gifts of fresh or tinned/packet goods and place them in it. By the end of the festival, the trolley was filled along with some further baskets. These were then given to the Food Bank and the fresh produce distributed and used at St Andrews weekly Do Drop In Community Cafe.
 
As well as enjoying the floral arrangements visitors to the festival enjoyed browsing around stalls of plants, gifts and cards, books and Traidcraft stall, and then enjoying light refreshments in the cafeteria.
 
The festival finished on the Sunday afternoon with a Harvest Songs of Praise service attended by members and friends of the Methodist North Norfolk Circuit.  This was led by Ministers of the Circuit as well as Rev Julian Pursehouse, the Chair of the Methodist East Anglia District, who all shared harvest and seasonal poems interspersed with harvest hymns.
 
Jean Parton, one of the leaders at St Andrew’s, said “we want to express our very grateful thanks to everyone who helped with the event, and to all the visitors who came. The total raised was £1,369.74 for church funds, from which a donation will be given to `All We Can` - the Methodist Church`s charity for relief and development overseas.”
 
The Traidcraft stall run by the ‘Fairtrade for Sheringham’ group was well supported, with takings of £304.  As a result of profits from the sale of Traidcraft items over the past few months, a donation of £300 has been sent to Transforming Trade, a sister organisation to Traidcraft.
 
‘Fairtrade for Sheringham’ is a small ecumenical group who ensure Sheringham remains a Fairtrade town.   A meeting will take place at 11.15amon Tuesday 18 October  at St Andrew’s Methodist Church to organise a survey of the commercial premises in town in readiness for the review necessary to keep Sheringham as a Fairtrade town.  If you are interested in this venture, then please do come along.  More details from Jean Parton 01263 821600 , or e-mail : jeanparton24@gmail.com 

The picture above is courtesy of St Andrews.

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