The PCC met on 11th February to review activities over the Christmas period and to prepare for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) on 10th March in Shutford Village Hall at 7.30pm.

The Church Electoral and Family Rolls are being revised so now is the time to apply for membership and help shape the future of the church in our communities. A new PCC, church wardens and Deanery Synod representative will be elected at the APCM.

Attendance at church services has remained stable over the last year. Looking at results from the recent village survey, it is reassuring that most people in Shutford value St Martin's Church as a place of worship and as a village asset for village events and as a building of historic interest. The challenge for regular worshippers is to encourage those villagers who may attend services to do so.

Messy Church Events, an informal introduction to church, will take place from March to November at various locations across the benefice, including Shutford in June and November: if you wish to be involved and join in the fun please make contact with churchwardens or via the website.

The Celebrate and Illuminate initiative is up and running with 50 villagers' names in the diary to sponsor the lighting of the church tower to remember various anniversaries etc during the year. 80% of the sponsors are not regular churchgoers and it is excellent that so many are willing to support the church financially, confirming the results of the village survey.

The Lent Lunch in Shutford will be on Monday, 14th April starting at 12.30pm in Shutford Village Hall with donations being given to Maggie’s in Oxford. This charity supports cancer patients and their families and will shortly move to a new building opposite its temporary base at the Churchill Hospital and will be the 18th support centre in the UK.

Shutford Festival, with the usual fête style stalls and more, takes place on the Manor Field from 2pm on 21st June with entertainment in the evening. There will be a tug of war competition so please select your teams now and join in the fun on the day.