Church Weekend 2010

It’s time for us all to start thinking about this year’s Church Weekend, which in 2010 takes on a completely new look.

 

This year we are planning to run this event from 18^th to 20^th June at the beautiful premises of Vauxhall Farm, Great Wenham (a mere 9 miles from Ipswich).

This complex of purpose-made buildings, sited next to the picturesque and immaculately kept Period Farmhouse owned by Ivan Fenning and his sister Mary Harpur, has been developed together with the Vauxhall Christian Trust.

 

It provides excellent facilities for church groups and young people’s camps and we will have exclusive use of the complete site for our entire weekend.

 

Vauxhall boasts a magnificent Function Barn - in regular use for wedding receptions - massive kitchens - a new dining hall - a large permanently erected marquee - games room & swimming pool.

 

It has a lake on the camp field and separate ladies/gents toilets and showers.

  

The full programme will be arranged to ensure day visitors will be able to participate in all the events each day.

The on-site accommodation is all on the campsite and comprises five wooden chalets, each of which can sleep 8 people and a selection of tents providing for another couple of dozen or so.

 

If you have your own caravan or tent you will be able to bring that as your means of accommodation.

 

However, the charge to you will need to be calculated in line with the basic rate for people staying in Vauxhall Farm’s provided chalets or tents.

 

One main point in deciding on Vauxhall Farm for this years’ Church Weekend is the church’s resolve to keep the cost of this event significantly lower than of recent years (e.g. compared with Letton Hall). We are hoping this will encourage more people to come.

 

Another consideration is to encourage more ‘Day Visitors.’ Due to the close proximity of this beautiful venue to Ipswich, Vauxhall provides a good option for visitors to attend on a day-to-day basis.

 

In principle everybody will pay the same - other than day visitors who will pay a daily visitor rate. The cost for daily visitors will be less than for those staying on site, but will include the cost of meals.

We have booked an independent caterer for the entire weekend and we anticipate Burlington only being required to give minimal help for setting out/clearing up etc in the dining area.

 

We are aiming at a target cost of £40 per adult, £25 per child and £10 per day for day visitors. In order to finalise the actual cost we need to know who is interested in coming. Therefore, it would help us greatly if you were able to let me know ASAP if you are interested in coming.

I shall not be asking for final commitment until costings have been resolved, but an early indication of interest will be appreciated.

 

In addition, we will be operating a new ‘pay what you can afford’ policy for the Church Weekend. This, we hope, will allow everyone the opportunity to come. We, as a church, would value your being there and so you are invited to come and to pay only whatever you can afford. Equally, if you are able to pay more, then we would invite you to give a gift in addition to your full costs for the weekend. By paying more you will be supporting someone else who pays less.

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me for further information, and, as soon as possible, let me know your interest in coming.

 

With Every Blessing

 

David Willson (Co-ordinator the Church Weekend)