Inside L Leon’s life - 3 Prison tears - 5 City saints - 7 GOOD NEWS Celia’s courage - 8 FOR NORWICH & NORFOLK Christmas 2015: FREE Supplement produced by Celebrate Norwich & Norfolk Now it’s singing not dancing for Daniel Despite recent successful appearances on the hit BBC1 TV show Strictly Come Dancing , Norwich faith world-famous Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell will be sticking to his social action country, folk and Gospel music when he visits Norwich next year. has huge impact Keith Morris reports. I The social action work of churches and faith groups across Norwich is having a huge positive local impact according to the n October, popular entertainer Daniel (53), results of a recently published survey. turned his hand to dancing, accepting an The Cinnamon Faith Action Audit, I invitation to appear on the BBC cult show conducted earlier this year, received Strictly where he was teamed up with Russian responses from 43 Norwich-based faith dancer Kristina Rihanoff. groups. Despite being the third celebrity voted off the Between them these groups reported show, Daniel said he enjoyed the experience: “I running 388 social action projects for the love Strictly, but it's very traumatic waiting to benefit of 85,320 people outside of their own know your fate. Standing at the top of the stairs membership group, during 2014. waiting for the Strictly results to come through This work was done by 215 paid staff and is the worst feeling in the world. Even if it's not 3,921 volunteers, putting in a staggering you that's leaving it's going to be one of your 810,000 hours of work and, using the Living friends, and that's just as difficult.” Wage rate of £7.85 an hour plus some Kristina, his dancing partner, said: “You were additional resources, the financial value of such a joy to work with; you are the most this project work is around £6.7 million. wonderful guy, always there with a smile, One of the respondents was Norwich always ready to learn. It was an absolutely Foodbank, which last year provided 9,198 wonderful experience for me.” three-day emergency food parcels to people After 30 years in the music business, Daniel in genuine need, along with refreshments, still sells out arenas around the world and has listening ears and referrals to other agencies. an army of fans whose fierce loyalty rivals that Phil Thorne, local co-ordinator of the of any of the top boy bands out there. survey and pastor at Alive Church in The Irish crooner has sold over ten million Norwich, said: “The results celebrate the records and in 2012 became the only recording immense variety of work impacting groups artist to have had a different album in the UK of all ages and situations from all faiths charts each year for 25 consecutive years. and none and will increase the working But Daniel is philosophical when it comes to relationships with our local authorities.” his fame, and credits his Christian faith with Danny Doran-Smith, Chair of Norwich keeping his feet firmly on the ground. churches group Transforming Norwich, which “It’s easy to do what we do, especially if Daniel O’Donnell, with Kristina has backed the survey, said: “Local churches you’re in the public eye and think you’re so Rihanoff on Strictly and other faith groups in Norwich work with powerful that you don’t need anything,” he Come Dancing families, provide debt advice, coach people says. “But my faith has kept me grounded – the which runs until back into work, offer emergency food parcels realisation that I’m blessed to be given all this. December 19. and provide a safe place to belong and build “For me, being a Christian is about how we Picture courtesy friendships. relate to other people around us. A lot of people of BBC. “These groups are uniquely positioned to believe in the Christian way – even those who support those in most need on multiple don’t believe – but it’s about realising that after levels and we believe that they should be this life there’s so much more. We have to “I always feel a real closeness to people in that I get from an audience when I perform on celebrated and encouraged. believe that. We don’t have any concept of what church and Christmas Eve in the chapel was stage,” he says. “It is heaven on earth to me. “The results of the survey show that that is but when we realise that what we have something special,” he explains. “Religious Without the people who follow me I would not local churches and other faith groups in here is nothing in comparison to what comes occasions like First Communion and have this life. They say that when you’re doing Norwich work with a vast cross-section of next – that’s powerful.” Confirmation were among the highlights of my a job that you love, you never work a day in beneficiaries and gives an insight into the “I’ve never sung to make money. I sing childhood years.” your life. Well, that is certainly the case with true breadth, value and impact they have on because I love it and the money is just a by- But it wasn’t until his late teenage years me. I have never worked since I became an all sections of the community." product of what I do. My biggest payment is when it became clear that singing was Daniel’s entertainer. Matt Bird Cinnamon Network founder, said: being on the stage and that is a big part of the passion. Then, at the age of 21, he joined his Daniel was forced to cancel two previous “The purpose of the audit was to provide secret of my success. If it all ended tomorrow, I sister, Margaret, who had made a name for concerts at the Norwich’s Theatre Royal at the evidence for both the social impact and the couldn’t say there is anything the world could herself in Ireland as a singer. last-minute after his father-in-law had been economic value of all that faith groups do in have offered me that is better than what I have. A year later Daniel had produced his debut involved in a serious accident at his Tenerife communities across the UK. We hope that Born in Kinclassagh, a small rural town in record, which was quickly followed by his first home and he flew out to be with him and wife the evidence provided will inspire a greater Donegal, Ireland, Daniel’s first taste of music show and his career went from strength to Majella. He will now be appearing in Norwich confidence that faith and faith-based social was in his local church where he sang in the strength and his fan base grew with it. in September 2016. action is a force for good in our society.” choir. “There are no words to describe the feelings Article extracts from www.newlife.co.uk 2 Good News for Norwich & Norfolk Christmas 2015 www.networknorfolk.co.uk NEWS GOOD NEWS FOR NORWICH & NORFOLK When winter meets its death - in Narnia I from the curse. I Good News for Norwich & Norfolk is When we first encounter it, C.S. Lewis’ Pastor published by Celebrate Norwich & Norfolk. magical land of Narnia is in the grip of the Dominic And this really is the true message of Registered charity no 1141245. White Witch. She opposes Aslan and all that is Christmas, for just as Aslan broke the curse of the White Witch, so Jesus came as a human I Website: www.networknorfolk.co.uk good and has cast a spell on Narnia so that it De Souza, child the very first Christmas to free us from I Editorial (01508) 488318. e-mail stories to is always winter but never Christmas. tlcNorwich [email protected] or For me, winters can be long and cold but at slavery and the grip of Satan. This is why the send copy to Pear Tree Farmhouse, least the anticipation of the joy and warmth of Bible calls Jesus the Saviour. Wymondham Road, Wreningham, Norwich Christmas makes it easier to endure. But Sometimes we can feel as if we are stuck in NR16 1AT. imagine a land where there is no Christmas! a perpetual winter with no Christmas – our I Advertising: Helen Baldry (01603) 926120 Narnia was that land - a world that was in And when he shakes his mane, we shall lives become cold, dark, gloomy and depress - I Distribution: Les Champion (01603) slavery to the curse of the White Witch, a world have spring again. ing. We feel as if there is no hope, that there is 402310 that was not as it should be and a world that And thankfully the old prophecy does come no way out, that nothing will ever change. I Editor and designer: Keith Morris was awaiting restoration. true: Aslan takes his role as rightful king and But the great news is that Christmas did I Regular writers: Kevin Gotts, Mike Of course, as the plot in The Lion, the Witch Christmas finally comes to Narnia. come and God’s light and warmth broke into Wiltshire, Sandie Shirley, Helen Baldry, Les and the Wardrobe unfolds, we discover that For Christians such as C.S. Lewis, the our dark cold. What is broken can therefore be Champion. only Aslan, the true king of Narnia, can defeat fictional story of Narnia mirrors the actual story fixed.