A Book of Condolence for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been placed in St Michaels Church, Bassingham. All are welcome to come and sign the book and to leave their personal messages to remember our Queen. The Book will remain in St Michael's Church until the day of the Queen's funeral.

WITHAMSIDE UNITED PARISH CHRISTMAS SERVICES

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

We are having to make some changes to our Christmas programme of events mainly caused by an increase in Covid 19 cases in our local primary schools but also because of the unknown impact of the new Covid variant. Bassingham Primary School have cancelled their Christmas concert in St Michael's Church and are now holding it in school.

The two events that cause the most concerns are Christingle and the Pop Up Nativity. Both of these services involve mixing children, who do not wear masks, with parents and grandparents in the confined space of St Michaels Church with often up to 150/200 attending. This is a lethal mix for spreading the virus.

Jon and Ingrid have organised for a shortened version of the Christingle service to be held outside which will be much safer.

We will have to cancel the Pop Up Nativity as there is no way this could be held outside.

As it stands, all other services and Carol singing events will continue as planned. The Carol singing is all outside and the Christmas services are no different to our normal Sunday services. We are continuing to ask people to wear masks or face visors in church as we have done now for the past few weeks. The Bassingham Choir concerts will also continue as planned.

Unless there is further advice and guidance from the Government we hope that the above arrangements will stand.

Would you please do your best to make these changes and arrangements known to your local communities.

Thank you

Best wises

John Rowland