Benefice Profile The Acle and Bure to Yare Benefice The Parishes of Acle Beighton with Moulton, Halvergate with Tunstall, Wickhampton, Freethorpe, Limpenhoe, Southwood & Cantley and Reedham. (February 2019) 1 Contents SECTION 1 The benefice and its seven parishes: where it is and what it’s like p.3 The Benefice / Benefice Life p.4 Facilities and Villages p.6 The Ministry Team / Occasional Offices and other statistics SECTION 2 The Parish Churches: Buildings and Communities. p.7 Acle / p.8 Beighton / p.9 Freethorpe / p.10 Halvergate with Tunstall p.11 Limpenhoe, Southwood & Cantley / p.12 Reedham / p.13 Wickhampton SECTION 3 Deanery and Diocese p.14 SECTION 4 The qualities we are looking for in a priest p.14 Annex I Contact details p.16 Annex II Reedham Rectory p.16 Summary We are seeking applicants for a House for Duty Assistant Priest, resident in Reedham, Norfolk, to join the Ministry Team led by the Revd Martin Greenland, resident in Acle and Rector of the benefice. The focus of the post is to be developed in consultation with the successful applicant (see p.15) – we look forward to hearing what you might bring to enhance what we are already doing, together and in the individual parishes. In the meantime this profile gives a picture of the whole benefice, which comprises seven parishes in rural Norfolk. Styles of worship vary, but common themes of an ecumenical approach, community engagement, links with schools and great potential for use of church buildings emerge from our profile. We are seeking a priest who has a gift for outreach and the energy and personality to attract younger generations to the Church. 2 SECTION 1: The benefice and its seven parishes: where it is and what it’s like The Benefice The benefice formally came into being in 2015, when an existing benefice of 6 parishes, served from Reedham in the south, was joined by the market village of Acle and the adjoining parish of Beighton with Moulton. Approximate Parish Boundaries of the Benefice Lying between the Broadland Rivers Bure and Yare, the villages are set amongst farmland; to the east are low-lying grazing marshes that are of European importance for wildlife. The moorings at Reedham, Cantley and Acle Bridge are part of the wider network of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, attracting both visitors to the area and those that want to make it their home. The small number of river crossing points (Acle Bridge and the Reedham Ferry) act to define the area. This is a wonderful area for wildlife, as well as being a beautiful holiday destination and having much productive farming. Benefice Life While all our parishes are justly proud of their own church buildings and identities, increasingly many activities cross boundaries and are supported across the whole benefice. A good example was the Passion Play on Good Friday 2017. This was an open-air event which moved round locations in Reedham, followed by an audience of c.500. Cast and crew were drawn from all the parishes and beyond, with and without close links to the churches. Passion Play – the crowd gathers to witness Peter’s denial of Christ. 3 Similarly there are two teams who put on Open the Book in three Primary schools in the Benefice: Reedham, Freethorpe and Acle. These were set up in conjunction with the two local Methodist Churches. The Benefice Council dates from 2013 and has proved highly valuable in developing the benefice and for coordinating ministry in the individual parishes. Each is represented by two and sometimes three members of their PCC, not necessarily the Church Wardens; the Council meets every 2-3 months. When there is a fifth Sunday in the month, a joint service is held and tends to be attended by 40-50 people from across the benefice. Special services may also be benefice-wide. There is also a Benefice Choir, directed by a former Master of the Music at Norwich Cathedral, no less! As well as a Carol Service, there is a choral event around Easter (Stainer’s Crucifixion last year). Evensong has been sung twice at the Cathedral and is planned for Halvergate’s Prayer Book Sunday in March. ‘Outlook’ magazine is produced monthly at Reedham. It is both a community newsletter, distributed free to Reedham parish, and also a ‘Parish Magazine’ for the rest of the Benefice. Current and past editions are posted on the Benefice website – www.abychurches.co.uk – which not only lists Church services and events, but many Community events as well. There are strong links with the other churches in the area – through ACT (Acle Churches Together) and joint services with Freethorpe Methodist Chapel. Facilities and Villages There are 4 primary schools – Acle, Cantley, Freethorpe and Reedham, and a Secondary School, Acle Academy. Health Care is provided by a Medical Centre at Acle with a surgery at Reedham, and an optician, pharmacy and dentist, also at Acle. Acle has a Library and the other villages are served by a Mobile Library Van. There are Railway Stations at Acle, Cantley and Reedham, and a limited bus service to many of the villages. Acle has excellent road links to Norwich and Yarmouth, with an express bus service. Reedham has its famous chain ferry across the Yare. 4 The Villages vary greatly in size and character (for populations, see the chart on page 6). Acle is the largest, with a post office, bank, public houses, restaurant, legal firms, and a range of shops including a supermarket. For leisure there is a recreation and sports centre and Social Club and play areas. It has the character of a small market town. The area round Acle Bridge has boatyards and moorings. Reedham is the next in size, having three public houses, a part-time post office, general store, chip shop and hairdressers. As well as riverside moorings and boatyards, it caters for tourists with an Animal Adventure Park, prize winning micro-brewery and cafés. It has a busy Village Hall. Freethorpe also has a well patronised Village Hall, a general store and a public house. The multi-use games area has a community pavilion, and there is an active Methodist Chapel. Cantley is the most obviously industrial village: British Sugar’s beet processing factory runs day and night over the processing season from September to February/March. British Sugar owns the local sports facilities and has an active social club and both are shared by the village. Other village events are held in the village hall. Cantley also has a small riverfront quay and two public houses. In the same civil parish as Cantley, Limpenhoe and Southwood are formed of a scatter of small settlements with arable or mixed farms. Adjacent to the church and sharing its car park, the Village Hall is run by a very active committee and events there are supported well by local residents. A recent craft fair utilised both buildings: similar joint functions are planned. Halvergate with Tunstall is the next in size, and are on the edge of the Halvergate Marshes, the UK’s first Environmentally Sensitive Area. Halvergate has an attractive thatched public house, a bowling green and playing field and a Village Hall social club. Tunstall is a small hamlet that was amalgamated with Halvergate in the 1930s. With easy access to the A47, the majority of the working population of Beighton travel to either Norwich or Great Yarmouth. There is a no shop but a village hall. Moulton St Mary hosts two small businesses; a car sales firm and a widely popular garden centre with coffee shop. Wickhampton is the smallest village, also on the edge of the Halvergate Marshes. No housing development will be allowed in the foreseeable future. Many tourists come to look at the Church’s famous wall paintings, to walk on the marshes, and to visit the RSPB reserve at Berney Arms. 5 The Ministry Team The Revd Martin Greenland is 53 and in his tenth year as an incumbent in Acle and is currently joint Rural Dean of the Blofield Deanery. “I feel I have particular gifts in leading worship (I’d describe myself as Catholic-side of Central, with a preference for more formal styles) and singing; I value the fact that the Kingdom of God and Anglican ministry are about more than the Church; I am committed to developing ecumenical co-operation, passionate about the natural world and also organised!” Nicholas Cowen is a retired civil servant who was licenced as a Reader in 2007; his licence includes funeral ministry. Nicholas is based in Reedham but his ministry spans the benefice and he is comfortable with both the Prayer Book and Common Worship services. Vic Tasker-Walsham is a Reader with PtO, based at Acle, and also licenced for funeral ministry. There are 6 Authorised Worship Assistants and other lay members of the congregations also lead services. Occasional Offices and other statistics The fairly recent development of Southwood Hall as an idyllic wedding venue generates a few church ceremonies. Most of the churchyards remain open for burials; there are also some civil cemeteries. Cremations entail travel outside the Deanery to Horsham St Faith, Gorleston or to Norwich. The following table gathers together some vital statistics. Sunday Church Other Electoral services Normal Baptisms Weddings Population funerals funerals Roll per 4- Sunday (average (average (approx.) (average (average 2018 week Attendance 2016-18) 2016-18) 2016-18) 2016-18) month Acle 2800 41 7 26 4 3 7 8 Beighton + 400 7 2 7 0 0 2 0 Moulton Freethorpe 1000 14 4 15 5 2 1 1 Halvergate + 600 13 3 12 1 0 3 0 Tunstall Limpenhoe, Southwood + 750 12 2 7 1 1 2 2 Cantley Reedham 1200 30 6 17 1 1 5 4 Wickhampton 50 5 1 8 1 1 0 0 6 SECTION 2: The Parish Churches: Buildings and Communities.