A long-standing link between a Wilmslow church and a church in an estate in the South Wales valleys has received a funding boost thanks to a popular local choir.
The Laurence Singers held a concert at Wilmslow United Reformed Church on Saturday 17th October and raised almost £1500 to support the work of Llanfair (St Mary's) Church which serves a hard-pressed community in the Rhondda Valley. Penrhys estate, which was built in the 1960s on top of a mountain and the people who live there face plenty of problems, with very limited resources, and in the past had felt forgotten.
The church, which is supported by eight different Christian denominations, is now at the heart of the community. It has been part of a community building since 1992 and church volunteers help to run the café, homework club, football club and nearly new boutique in the centre as well as offering support and friendship for anyone who needs it.
A link with Cheshire dates back to 1990 when the Revd Fred Noden, at that time minister of Wilmslow URC, offered help to his ministerial friend the Revd Dr John Morgans, who was serving the congregation in Penrhys. The two churches formed a partnership to support the struggling Welsh community. Many visits between Penrhys and Wilmslow have followed in the intervening 25 years with support of all kinds as the needs have changed.
There is no longer a resident minister serving the church on Penrhys, hence the urgent need to support the pastoral work done by lay church leader Sharon Rees, who has lived and worked on the estate since the early 1990s. Wilmslow URC made her work in Penrhys one of their three church charities a year ago and will be supporting it for two more years.
As well as putting on a concert the Laurence Singers gave a generous donation towards the evening's total. Their programme of choral works included spiritual pieces, extracts from opera, some Simon and Garfunkel favourites, sea songs and folk songs from the British Isles, all greatly enjoyed by a large audience.
On hearing of the amount raised Sharon Rees commented: "It's impossible to express fully how much our friendship with Wilmslow URC means to us. We are very touched by the support we receive from them and it gives us new energy to continue serving the people here."
