Events Calendar January 7th – Living Plastic Free Talk, Old Crown Pub, 7pm 8th – WI Meeting, Beginner’s Photography, Uley Village Hall, 7.30pm 16th – U3A Monthly Meeting, Methodist Church 18th- Uley Bury Working Party, 10am-12pm 19th- Music & Cake at St. Bartholomew’s, 3pm

February 20th – U3A Monthly Meeting, Dursley Methodist Church

The Revd Canon Michael Cozens Mrs P Jones 860696 Mr J Wood 860236 Parish day off - Fri Messages listened to daily and St Giles Room to Churchwardens Marion Kee 860364 or Mrs P Thomas 860047 Mrs A Hardy 860876

www.ewelmebenefice.co.uk

A DECEMBER LETTER FROM

Dear Friends

Some of the oft quoted words and phrases of the December election, that as I write still has 48hours to go, have been... uncertainty, stability, getting it done.... As you read this, I wonder if we are any closer to realising those heady aspirations as we head into a new year.

So, may I begin by wishing you all a very happy New Year. As we embark upon a new decade are the issues of the world any different than they were back in 2010, or even back at the start of this century in 2000? Issues is one of those slippery words that is hard to pin down. There are so many global and national stories that focus on issues...poverty, climate, equality, conflict, terrorism, refugees...all of these and more, are with us all of the time. They remain the staple diet of most news broadcasts. Whilst we may feel unable to change the world, we can it seems to me at least keep these issues in our thoughts and our prayers. They are an ever-present reminder of the fragility of life and the stark reality of life for so many across our world.

Our world, or at least a small part of it here in the Ewelme Benefice, continues to flourish and evolve. I wrote in January of 2019....we can also at our best, be people of welcome and warmth to all comers. A kind word, a smile and a listening ear can work wonders.... and....New friendships can blossom and a feeling of involvement and belonging will be an encouragement to all. My experience has been that these aspirational hopes expressed a year ago are very much in evidence across our church communities in Uley, Nympsfield, and Dursley. I see there the very best of people's lives expressed in the care of others and the desire to make our places of worship worthy of praising God through prayer, sacrament and music across all the seasons of our year. We have met in friendship and creativity to celebrate children’s activities with Holiday club and Messy Church. We have offered community time with the Big Breakfast and Christmas Carvery. Food continuing to unite all – a theme surely for all seasons. We have done so much together...

All of these times being together present opportunities. All of them cannot happen without the time and effort of people. When we met recently at a public meeting along with the Archdeacon of Gloucester to talk about the future of St Marks in Dursley it was reaffirmed for me how much volunteering has played in the life of that much loved church. We are no longer just a clergy led church, we are becoming a church of people offering their gifts, talents and time to make the Gospel love of Jesus Christ accessible and known.

In 2018 my January letter then spoke about what we each might do as people of God to make Christ known....thinking about the story of the Epiphany journey and the giving of those treasures – gold, frankincense and myrrh, a question we might ponder is - what are the gifts or treasures that you possess?...... How can we make a difference? I asked another question...Finally let me pose the question slightly differently and think not just of the treasures that you possess; rather think of the treasure that you are. Setting aside all modesty, think about how you are a gift to others?

Across the churches and indeed across our communities’ people give and we all are the richer for it. In our churches every part of the life of the church is enhanced by people offering their services. So, the question and challenge for us all is this.... what can I do? However small and in whatever way...might I be... a server, a bell ringer, a member of the choir, cleaning, flowers, Children's church, Messy Church... is there something that I might offer to do?

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20. 26-27

Yours in Christ - Ian

ULEY PARISH COUNCIL TEL. 07944 066882 E-MAIL: [email protected]

PARISH COUNCILLORS

JONATHAN DEMBREY CHAIRMAN 07801217230

MELANIE PARASKEVA VICE-CHAIRMAN 07929360221

JO DEE 01453 861566

JANET WOOD 01453 860236

MIKE GRIFFITHS 01453 860463

JULIET BROWNE 01453 860710

TIM MARTIN 07772268473

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR

JIM DEWEY cllr.jim.dewey@.gov.uk 01453 860795

COUNTY COUNCILLOR

LORAINE PATRICK loraine.patrick@.gov.uk 01453 546995

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING AGENT

AMBER WALTERS [email protected] 07817866354 Other Information The Parish Council meets in the Village Hall on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm. You are very welcome to attend. Details of the meetings can be found on the notice boards at either end of the village or on the Uley village website at: www.uleyparishcouncil.gov.uk

The January edition of the

download from:

Next Market: March 2020

serving you with: bread; cakes; preserves; handmade crafts and much more!

Do you want to use less plastic? What steps might we take in Uley towards living plastic free?

Chloe Turner from Action on Plastic will be giving a talk in the Old Crown Pub Uley on Tuesday 7th January at 7pm Introduced by Uley's Plastic Free Ambassador Kathy Williams. All welcome!

Why not make it your New Year’s Resolution?

Church News

Sabbatical Time I will be away from all my duties in the Benefice from 6th January until 15th April, the week after Easter. I am very fortunate to have clergy colleagues who can cover for me and the Revd Ian Gardner and the Revd Jane Wood will be supported by lots of other people, especially our Churchwardens. If you want to be in touch with them or have any enquiries relating to the parishes in the Ewelme Benefice whilst I’m away, please contact the Benefice Office on 01453 549280 or [email protected] The office is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 12.30pm. Outside those hours, please contact the Churchwardens. Their details are in this magazine.

Canon Michael

Churches Together The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on 18th January. This year the united service for members of all our local Christian denominations will be held on Sunday 19th January at 6pm in St Dominic’s RC Church in Dursley. Please do make an extra effort to join with our sister and brother Christians for this annual service.

Taize Services After the last Taize service of 2019, Marion Mills stepped back from her organising role after being one of the driving forces behind our Taize services since they started in the parish. We are very grateful to Marion for all that she has contributed and for her enthusiasm for this style of worship which has ensured that it has continued.

Thankfully a small team who have been working with Marion are willing to continue to organise and run the Taize services during 2020. All the services will now take place on Sunday afternoons and the pattern for the year will be:

January 26th St Giles, Uley at 5pm March 22nd Holy Cross, Owlpen at 4pm May 24th St Bartholomews, Nympsfield at 5 pm July 26th Holy Cross, Owlpen at 5 pm September 27th St Giles, Uley at 5 pm November 22nd St Bartholomews, Nympsfield at 5 pm

President: Sally Lamerton Secretary: Belinda Williams

Beginner Photography: tips and techniques, Janine Kilroe. January 8th 7.30 pm, Uley Village Hall

Our Uley Bury working party will meet on Saturday 18th January from 10am to 12noon at the west end of the Bury. Coffee provided. Hope for better weather as we had to cancel in December. Wonderful exercise!

More info from Janet Wood Tel 860236 or David Sykes 860038.’

FROM THE PARISH REGISTER Those whose Year's Mind falls at this time, Dennis Ashton, Ivy Evelyn Bailey, Kenneth Frederick Bartlett, Ray Burne, Norman Butcher, Derek Claridge, Trevor Clayton, Nicholas “Nick” Edwards, Don Downton, Val Easton, John Endacott, Basil Holloway, Mary Hunn, John Jones, Phyllis King, Diana Lewis, Lynette Owen, Vivien Parsons, James Pegler, Francis Penley, Sophia Schutts, Bryan Davies, Doreen Busta, Pat Stopford, Paul Mack

CHILDREN’S SOCIETY BOX COLLECTION

Earlier this year our boxholders generously gave £523 to help support vulnerable children and young people including young carers and runaways.

This is a reminder that I will be collecting in the boxes as usual at the beginning of January in the New Year.

It would be great if we could recruit some new boxholders as our numbers are reducing with people moving from the village. If anyone would like to have a collection box for their spare coins or notes, please contact me on 01453 860730 and I can also arrange gift aid if a boxholder is a taxpayer.

Mary Shearer

ULEY COMMUNITY STORES and POST OFFICE DIARY JANUARY 2019 Tel Shop 861592, PO 860203 (Eileen, Ailsa, Carolyn and Angela) A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL The lovely Christmas hamper donated by Debora and Paul Lawrence our Chairman , will have been drawn and won. Is it you? Or hopefully me! Details in next month’s Village News. Thank you; to the Post Office ladies, Eileen, Ailsa, Carolyn and Angela for keeping open all hours over the Christmas period. A lot of extra hard work for them but a great help to us all. Remember that the Post Office has now reverted back to normal hours closing for lunch 1-2pm Monday to Friday. For the fifth year in a row, we will be running the Uley Community Spirit Scheme, offering grants for local village charities. Further details will be in next month’s Village News and posted on our website. Application forms will be available in the shop during January. Application forms to be submitted by the end of February. Applicants will be notified by the end of March. As we all know, and as was discussed at the October AGM the lease will expire in mid-2022. It was agreed that views on the future of the shop should be considered well in advance of the lease expiry date. The committee has started this process and intends to convene a meeting of members and other interested parties in spring 2020 to discuss possible options. The provisional date for the meeting is the evening of Thursday 2nd April 2020 at the Village Hall. The shop continues to thrive thanks to the efforts of many people in Uley and all the Volunteers. It will require continued time, commitment and dedication from many more people to embark successfully on out next chapter. Have you thought what you could do or would be prepared to do to be part of our future success? Further details will be announced in the Village News in due course. Just to say the Volunteers are looking forward to their New Year’s Party provided by the Committee and leading figures. Lots of benefits of being a volunteer!! If you would like to join our happy band of volunteers, either in front of house or behind the scenes. Please enquire at the shop. If you have any suggestions for any new items, you’d like stocked in the New Year please let us know. Pami Davis www.uleycommunitystores.co.uk Run by Volunteers

Flexicare Home Services UK Ltd started from humble beginnings twenty years ago with a loving family at the heart of the company. This Recruiting staff to join our friendly team still, with the founder Jeanette Phillips and her two daughters, Anna Macey-Michael and Jenna Macey-Brown, who are still involved in the day to day running of the business. Flexicare have expanded into the Stroud area, based at Westend Farm in Stonehouse. The company is currently providing personalised community services in Stroud and the neighbouring villages. The Company have gained an enviable reputation by building from word of mouth reputation. Some of the services provided include Personal Care, 24 Hour Live In Care, Palliative Care and Support, Respite Care and Dementia Care. The Company has been regulated by the CQC since 2009, and in recent CQC report (Sept 2015) the Company were deemed to be overall good with an “Outstanding” in Care delivered. Our Palliative Lead, Sue Matthews, recently won the South West Care awards for Putting People First. Our Team offer a free, no obligation visit to answer any questions you have with regards to home care and the services Flexicare can offer.

Rural OutFIT The outdoor fitness class for all abilities. Burn Fat, improve strength and sculpt your body! Classes run every week at the Uley Playing Fields: Wednesday: 7-8pm Friday: 6:30-7:30pm Sunday: 9-10am Come and have a go. First class is FREE! £6 per class or pay £30 a month for unlimited classes For further information, please contact Becky on 07805 427653, or find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/RuraloutfitandPT

Monthly branch meeting Thursday 16th Jan Cam & Dursley & District U3A 5th birthday celebration. Dursley Methodist Church, doors open 10am, for 10.30am start.

Thursday 20th Feb Doors open 10.00 am Meeting starts 10.30 am

Presenter: Paul Barnett - The Severn Bridge Disaster

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