The Cranmer Group , Hawksworth, , , , Whatton

‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures’ Hawksworth Pastures New

Welcome to the Cranmer Group… The Group is served by an enthusiastic team Formed in 1967 (originally 4 parishes, 2 of three Readers covering a range of gifts more joining later) it embraces the villages and ministries, as well as a hard-working of Aslockton, Hawksworth, Orston, Scarrington, and committed part-time administrator. Thoroton and Whatton. We are proud of our There are two successful primary schools, connection to Archbishop Cranmer, who Aslockton C of E (of which the Incumbent was born in Aslockton. is an ex-officio governor) and Orston. There are also good relationships with the Methodist Essentially a rural community, farming is chapels at Scarrington and Orston. no longer the main industry, with several local businesses, and many people commuting All the church buildings are in a good state or working from home. of repair and financially healthy.

In the following pages we hope that you will learn something about the sort of community we are, and some of our hopes and aspirations for the future. Welcome to the Cranmer Group… Formed in 1967 (originally 4 parishes, 2 more joining later) it embraces the villages of Aslockton, Hawksworth, Orston, Scarrington, Thoroton and Whatton. We are proud of our connection to Archbishop Cranmer, who was born in Aslockton. Essentially a rural community, farming is no longer the main industry, with several local businesses, and many people commuting or working from home.

Around the villages Group Activities

Each village has its own character, and ● ‘special’ services include Healing (recently we celebrate this diversity and view the variety re-introduced and popular), 5th Sunday across the Group as important. Whilst special Group service with a wide range celebrating the integrity of each worshipping of guest speakers, Remembrance Sunday community, we also strive to develop as a and ATC (Air Training Corps) parade services. Group. ● our Seder supper and Group socials are attractive to non-churchgoing friends Currently ● regular Groups have been meeting on a Most households subscribe to the Group weekly or monthly basis to discuss and reflect on a range of Christian books magazine Contact, giving details about during the year forthcoming events throughout the 6 villages, and lots of useful information for residents. ● each year we select a Lent course of study which is supported across the Group The Group Council meets 4 times a year to ● a contemplative prayer group meets discuss policy and strategy. every 3 weeks in the home of a member of the church Aslockton Church and the Thomas Cranmer Centre Aslockton

Aslockton is the largest village in the Group Previous village activities continue in the (population 1200). As well as a good number new award winning venue with the addition of families, there is, almost inevitably, an of new uses – everything from Rainbows, increasing retired population. Aslockton has Brownies and Guides to professional touring many community organisations. The village theatre and concerts, Parish Council meetings, has a shop incorporating a Post Office, a social events and parties for all ages, karate, pub, hair-dresser and several small businesses yoga, table tennis, art club and local history plus a C of E School. and a successful fair-trade shop.

The 2003 Parish Plan identified a need for St. Thomas’ church, built in 1891, is listed improved facilities to help engender a better grade II. It has a warm red brick interior, community spirit. In December 2009 the giving it a welcoming feel with some very Thomas Cranmer Centre opened. Attached modern stained glass windows, one depicts to the church, the centre is a modern our connection to Thursday Island, North community hall which replaced a 90 year Queensland. old church hall that was desperately out of date and unsuitable for improvement. St Thomas’ have a service every Sunday morning. On a monthly cycle, using Common Worship the first Sunday is the least formal, the second week being Holy Communion and the others Morning Prayer. Members of the congregation take part in reading the lessons and all services are followed by refreshments and fellowship time.

During December 2013 local families, interest groups and local businesses were invited to place an illuminated Christmas tree in the church, with the theme of “light up your church for Christmas”. This resulted in 32 trees – demonstrating a wide range of style and innovation, and the open church was visited by many people, some had never been in our church before, to admire the display. We are sure this event will be repeated and grow in the future. Around Aslockton Hawksworth

Hawksworth is one of the smaller villages Services are held once a month alternating in the Cranmer Group set in beautiful between Holy Communion and Morning countryside with 50 households and a current Prayer. The small easy going congregation is population of 109. There is a healthy mix forward looking and willing to try new ideas. of commuters, children and retired villagers. Festival services are attended by over 50% of the village. St Mary and All Saints Church is a Grade 2 listed building much loved by the villagers. Since 1987 the church has been a dual Recently a comprehensive history of the purpose building as it would have been church was completed by the Clerk to the centuries ago. The nave was deconsecrated Parish Council. During the past two years the and is now central to the social functions tower has been restored at a cost of £90,000. and the life of the village. It has been used as Funding for the church is provided by the PCC a theatre, concert hall, for sales of pictures and Hawksworth Community Association by local artists and a polling station. It is a which is a registered charity. popular venue for charitable events and parties for adults and children - we can even fit a bouncy castle inside the church! Hawksworth Church Challenges for the future include increasing the participation of younger people in worship, turning the general good-will and support of our villagers into more focused and active involvement and encouraging more interaction within the Cranmer Group. Around Hawksworth Orston Church Orston

Orston is important historically with a Saint Mary's Church is grade 1 listed and population approaching 500, surrounded by has a prominent position in the centre of farming land but now largely an attractive the village. It is now in good condition after commuter village. It contains a riding school substantial repair work during 2013. It has with livery stable, some small businesses, a a recently installed tea point, WC and vestry. pub and a deli shop with cafe. Regular services are evening prayer on the first One of the oldest villages in the Sunday of the month (average attendance 22), with an entry in the Domesday Book, it is in holy communion services on second and a rural conservation area with several listed fourth Sundays (16) and morning prayer on buildings. There is a thriving village hall third Sundays (14). which organises regular activities, a very successful primary school and the Parish There is a unique Christmas eve pageant Council works hard for the benefit of the which attracts 400/500 people. The loyal bell village. A typical country village, quiet on ringers call the residents to prayer, and the surface but active underneath. announce to all that the church is open for business! 50 families contribute to our pledged giving funding. There is a strong PCC whose aspiration is to work with the Vicar and Readers for a growth in the congregation, particularly of younger members. Around Orston Scarrington

Scarrington, with a population of less than Festival, Carol and Christmas Day services; 200, has a fairly even mix of retired, working the Carol service is especially popular with and young people. There are sixty five houses, generally more than 70 in the congregation three working farms and two livery yards. and a friendly social event afterwards.

Although Scarrington does not have a pub, The Church is in good condition and benefits shop or village school, the local WI hall from a new organ, and sound system, provides an important focus for lively village providing facilities for music when an organist events, local clubs, and meetings. The village is not available. It has a steeple tower with three also boasts a unique heritage landmark, a original bells dated 1450. In 2002, after a pile of horse shoes that stands over 17 feet high! fund raising campaign, the medieval bell frame was replaced and a new 1650 bell was St. John of Beverley is a 13th century, grade added, then a smaller treble bell, and finally one listed, Church in a conservation area a specifically cast bell generously gifted by the that holds a single service on the 3rd Sunday Southwell Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers. of each month at 9:00am. There are also well attended Easter, Harvest Scarrington Village Scarrington is a wonderful, rural, village with a welcoming community who would undoubtedly respond to enthusiastic new leadership.

More information is available at: www.scarringtonchurch.org.uk Around Scarrington Thoroton Church Thoroton

Thoroton has a population of 120, with 50 We have also donated money to local and houses and 2 working farms, and with a overseas charities, an activity we see as an good social mix including a number of young important part of our church responsibility. families. Whilst a number of people work locally, many commute to Newark, The annual Garden party in 2013 raised over and . £1500. The event is extremely popular and is well supported by Aslockton School, to St Helena's Church has late Norman and which most of the village children attend, and Early English architecture and underwent by the other villages in the group. There are extensive restoration in 1868. plenty of games to play, stalls selling a wide range of items, and wonderful cream teas! There are no shops or pubs in the village and consequently the church tends to be the focus Church congregations tend to be between for community events. The village has restored 4 and 10 on most Sundays. The Harvest two seventeenth century bells that had been out Festival and Carol services are major events of action for 40 years and augmented them to with congregations of 40 to 70. Successful a peel of six. An overhead halogen heating fund-raising campaigns have been run in system has also been recently installed. recent years. A Sunday Service is held once a month. With the local connection to Archbishop Cranmer, the Book of Common Prayer is usually used for Holy Communion and Morning Prayer. The congregation are appreciative and flexible; the tradition tends to be 'middle of the road' but new ideas are not unwelcome!

We are a committed and loyal church family, keen to find ways to move forward and reach out to our community, as well as keeping anoutward focus on the needs of the wider world. Around Thoroton Whatton

Whatton is the southern most village in the maintained with 90% of the quinquennial Group, with a population of 900. The village projects completed. There is an excellent consists of three small areas by the A52 and peal of eight bells also well maintained and the original Nottingham to Grantham road, in good condition. with the old village on one side and a mix of older properties and new developments on The chapel is dedicated to the memory of the other. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who worshipped here as a boy. Most people commute to work in the Nottingham area with some travelling to Our village hall hosts a range of activities London and other parts of the country; many for residents of all ages, including the Cranmer residents are retired. Youth Club, W.I. indoor bowls, Zumba, Quiz Nights, Karate, the Cranmer Company of St John of Beverley is an 11th century church Singers, regular coffee mornings and a located at the heart of the old village. It is a Sunday morning Breakfast Club held once Grade II* listed building in excellent condition. a month. For the more energetic there is The building was extensively redeveloped Whatton United Football Club which has during the 14th and 19th Centuries and is well several youth teams, and a Cricket Club. Whatton Church In recent years the PCC has organised a mix of events to cater for all age groups – a Fashion Show, Concerts, BBQs and Harvest Lunches.

The finances are sound and have been further underpinned by a successful covenanting campaign in May 2012. Around Whatton What we hope to see – our ideal vision for the future

We recognise that we live in times of considerable ● church becoming recognised as caring for its change and uncertainty, and we need someone to help communities (pastoral care - but with the vicar us journey into the future with confidence and hope. not necessarily being the only person to deliver it!) Someone who will help us adapt where we need to ● our vicar helping us find creative ways to engage whilst listening sensitively to our needs and concerns with villagers who are not church members as we move forward. ● our vicar encouraging and developing lay leaders and working with them to work out how a These are things we hope to see in 2 or 3 years time shared vision for the area can be delivered – ● our congregations are growing encouraging them to help him or her identify ● more younger people (i.e. people under 50!) are what God is calling us to, and to work out how becoming involved in church life to progress ● creative services ● our vicar visible and involved in our communities ● engaging younger adults whilst also supporting and in our churches but not always the first point and encouraging older and more traditional of contact for people – people understanding that members the vicar now has a different role in the church and that we all share responsibility for bringing ● older people feeling embraced and valued Christ to our communities. Personal Qualities and Gifts we hope to see in our Vicar

● a clear and manifest commitment to the Gospel ● a strong communicator able to communicate and a passion to live this out in everything they do their faith confidently in ways others easily ❍ desiring to further God’s mission for and understand within our villages ❍ listening carefully and paying attention to ● an enabler who will lead us confidently and the ideas, needs and concerns of others sensitively towards new ways of being and and fostering a spirit of cooperation experiencing church ● humility – a woman or man ‘of the people’ as ❍ focusing on inspiring people to a shared well as being a ‘man of God’, approachable, vision of the future compassionate but also clear and committed ❍ providing direction and guidance and delegating responsibility ❍ discerning and encouraging people’s varying gifts ❍ making people feel valued and appreciated ❍ sensitive to the diverse needs and concerns of the wider community

Flowers in Whatton What our Vicar may see in us!

● mostly welcoming, hospitable and caring ● a range of worship styles and preferences across ● strong social aspect to our church services the group but finding it hard to offer diversity (refreshments and fellowship) and church lives within small worshipping communities (Passover Seder and especially bring and share ● semi-rural villages with 2 local primary schools, events!) lots of community groups and local businesses ● committed but ageing church communities which provide opportunities which have not whose numbers have shrunk in recent years been adequately addressed ● ● pockets of thirst for greater experience of prayer there is a skilled part-time administrator who and bible study provides support for the vicar ● ● people struggling to know how to hold onto three able and enthusiastic, if heavily committed, the best from the past and grasp the best for Readers with a willingness for exploring the future in an increasingly secular world opportunities for different ministries ● churches with anxieties about how to maintain and grow their local church communities

Sunset over Orston A few last words… We created this by setting aside our personal Our special thanks go to Fiona Grant, whose priorities, working together and allowing the Holy expertise has turned our words into a visual story Spirit to guide our decisions. that we hope will add colour and texture to your For us it’s been a challenge to produce a booklet to insights into our setting/ locale and our people. convey to you what the Group is like.

Local footpath The Vicarage at Aslockton The Vicarage

The Vicarage is an attractive four- bedroom family home situated beside Aslockton church. Large, manageable gardens provide a feeling of tranquillity, with ample space for outdoor living.

How to find us

Situated on the edge of the Vale of Belvoir, 13 miles from Nottingham and Grantham, there is good access to the A1 at Grantham and M1 at . Aslockton station provides easy access to Nottingham, offering every sort of amenity, and Grantham, where the railway makes London just over an hour away. Contact Details

For more information please contact us:

Nick Finlay (Group Council Lay Chairman) e: [email protected] t: 01949 850912

Sue Rowe (Reader) e: [email protected] t: 01949 850600

Annie Dickinson (Reader) e: [email protected] t: 01949 851375