Children’s Lent Project – Arts4Dementia Music Workshops – Passion Play – Solar Panels
The PCC’s latest meeting took place on 11 February.
We received reports from Maureen Smith, our new Children and Youth Worker, and Helen Evans, new Chair of the Children’s & Young People’s Working Party, about our young people’s activities and future plans. The Junior Church Lent Project this year will raise funds for sponsorship of enrichment activities for families living in hostel accommodation run by Caris Camden Families. Ayla also reported on the involvement of HPC youth group members with the Camden and Islington Citizens UK Commission on Youth Violence, including the meeting organised by the young people themselves last November, when 43 members of our congregation shared their experiences and concerns which will form part of the Commission’s report on this important issue.
Rosemary Loyd reported on plans for this year’s ‘Holiday in Hampstead’, taking place in the week of 5-9 August, and drew attention to the need for extra volunteers to help with setting up and clearing tables, washing up etc.
New activities approved by the PCC include a series of music workshops presented by Songhaven and Arts4 Dementia, for people living with dementia and their carers, and a Passion Play performed by the Riding Lights Theatre Company, on Tuesday 9 April.
More mundane, but equally important, matters on our Agenda included a report on the upgrade of the church’s IT systems (including improved WiFi access throughout the building); an initial discussion of proposed improvements to the lighting of the exterior of the church; and the approval of the Annual Report and Accounts for 2018 and Budget for 2019, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting on 29 April. Our Treasurer Inigo reminded us that we are fortunate to have received generous legacies which allow us to fund the lighting improvements and other capital projects, but we still need to encourage more of our members to give what they can to cover the day to day costs of running the church and fulfilling our Mission Action Plan over the next 5 years.
Finally, we received an update on the plan to install solar panels on a section of the church roof as soon as necessary repairs to the roof have been completed, and following the meeting we received the good news that Camden Council had given planning permission for this to proceed.
All are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting on Monday 29 April, when we discuss the year’s activities and elect churchwardens and PCC members. The next full meeting of the PCC will be on Thursday 23 May 2019.