A Summer fete featuring entertainment and an auction to help raise funds for St. Issells Church in Saundersfoot will be taking place in August.
The event which will be held in the grounds of Saundersfoot School on Saturday, August 11, is being partly organised by Sian Werner whose family has a long standing association with the local church which has been situated on the outskirts of the village for hundreds of years.
“St Issells Church is in need of restoration work and crucial funds are needed to be raised, and like a lot of other churches, it has an ageing congregation and they are finding it hard to make ends meet. They are trying very hard to change things and encourage younger people to join the Church, but this is a slow process and takes a lot of time,” said Sian, who went onto explain her reasons for wanting to help the cause.
“Just over five years ago my mother Christine Blundell was diagnosed with cervical cancer, the moment she stood before me and those words came out of her mouth I will never forget, the worry, the wonder, the questions!
“No parent ever wants to be the one that has to tell their children they have cancer. As I know many of others that have been through it. The treatment was quick and thorough and for us as a family it was great news mum’s treatment was successful as the cancer was caught in the early stages. Mum retired from work a few year early as she now appreciated how precious life was.
“She was brought up around a church community and went to church school, but as life got busy with two children her visits to church became less.
“Once she was given the all clear she decided to go back to church as she said God had helped to save her and she wanted to give something back.
“Now retired and with her own children grown up she had the spare time to go to church more regularly. She joined the choir and loves to sing and share the happiness on people’s wedding days. Church has become a important part of her life,” continued Sian who got married herself at St Issells Church 15 years ago and has since been to many more wedding and christenings there.
“Most of us love to get dressed up and go to church to celebrate these monumental milestones in our and our friends and family’s lives.
“Also through times of illness and death people find peace and support by coming to church, but the scary part comes in thinking that if the church isn’t supported then these types of celebrations will no longer be able to take place there.
“The dedicated members of the congregation that cut the grass to keep the grave yards accessible for us to visit our beloved graves, and the general upkeep of the church is done by the congregation working as a team, these tasks we take for granted.
“My mum came home from church one day and was quite upset as some changes had been made and Rev Marianne Osborne was promoted to the Bishop’s Senior team and as the St David’s Diocese is in the middle of a huge reorganisation which will bring large groups of Churches together with a small amount of clergy overseeing them, St Issells didn’t get a replacement vicar.
“However St Issells church is in the fortunate position they have two retired clergy taking their services.
“So due to these factors I had to act on this and help my mum in some way to raise some vital funds for her beloved church, so I went along to the church meeting and offered to help organise a village summer fete to help raise much needed funds.
“Through the power of friendship and great community spirit a group of ladies and gents have said they would help me to organise this.
“Letters have been sent to local businesses and the response has been amazing, with donations of raffle prizes,” she continued.
There is still time to donate with a raffle prize or a cash donation, and anyone who would like to get involved in helping at the fete with helping man stalls, make teas, coffees etc - then please get in touch with Sian Werner or Chris Blundell.
The Summer fete will be taking place on the grounds of Saundersfoot school on August 11, between 1 and 5 pm.
It will be a fun family day out with live music and entertainment from Carmarthen Ukuele band, Dynamix dance school show, and local singer Butch. There will be old fashion fete stalls with - splat the rat, coconut shy and many more, a bouncy castle, tattoos and face painting, as well as local hand made craft stalls.
Some of the amazing raffles prizes are - 1st prize from Powell’s Cottage Holidays, a three night break in a beautiful sea front property in Saundersfoot that sleeps eight; 2nd Prize - 4 x 3 course Sunday lunch; 3rd prize - MOT from Rumbleway; with many more including - a family of four trip on the old life boat donated by Robert John; Dog grooming voucher from Shelly Webb; £30 voucher for the Mulberry donated by Pembrokeshire County Finance; Bluestone family of four Blue Lagoon passes, with more coming in daily.
“The wonderfully talented local artist Dorian Spencer Davies has also donated his original painting of St Issells Church and this will be up for auction,” continued Sian.
“I would like to thank everyone that has donated and taken the time to support this beautiful church to hopefully stand tall and proud for many more years to come,” she added.