Latest news with #UnitedReformedChurch
BBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Uneven pavements causing injury and isolation in Tavistock
A church in Tavistock has said members of its congregation are being left "black and blue" after tripping over uneven pavements in the town. Elders from the United Reformed Church said some pensioners are now so scared of falling over that they are staying at home, leaving them lonely and isolated. The church called for repairs to be made to the heritage paving, providing a more even County Council said recent inspections had found a defect which has since been repaired. Christine Reid suffered cuts and bruising to her face when she tripped on a Reid said she has difficulty getting over the gullies with her walker because the wheels get caught. At a recent meeting at the church to discuss the pavement issue, Mrs Reid said: "These blooming pavements shake you up."She said she was lucky there was someone around to pick her up when she fell. Bob Stride, 66, said getting around Tavistock was "very hard work" and "bloody painful".He uses a wheelchair and said he has been "tipped" out of it twice because of the he added: "I wouldn't like to see all the heritage paving go, that would be awful."But perhaps we could do some grouting and fill in the gaps a little bit just so that my wheels can run over them a bit more smoothly."He said this would be a "dramatic help". Suzy Weston said a few people had been injured in falls."There's my dad, Brian Mico, there's our friend David, who was black and blue after he fell, there's Bob who's fallen out of his wheelchair - there's just so many people and it's not acceptable," she Weston said her father's mobility scooter fell on top of him in one said that as a result her father had ventured out less, becoming more called for the authorities to "do something about it.".A spokesperson for the council said: "We are sorry to hear that some users may have experienced trips and falls in this area of footway."We inspected the pavement and repaired the defect."
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
The Rev Michael Jackson obituary
My father, the Rev Michael Jackson, who has died aged 88, was a minister with the United Reformed Church in Winsford, Cheshire, and later in Reading, Berkshire, where he also served as padre to the Arborfield Garrison of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps. He worked hard to deliver worship plus pastoral care not only to church members but also to the thousands of users of the church buildings. Born in Greasbrough, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Michael was the elder son of Cecil Jackson, who worked in telecommunications, and his wife, Frances (nee Robinson). From Rotherham grammar school, he went into ministerial training at Northern Congregational College, Manchester, in 1961. He also studied for a BA degree in theology at the University of Manchester, where he met Elizabeth Smith, then a trainee teacher, who was later ordained as one of the first female Anglican priests. They married in 1967, and went on to have three children, Simon, Ruth and me. In 1966, Michael was appointed minister at Over Congregational Church, Winsford, which became Over URC Church in 1972 when the United Reformed Church was founded from a union of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches. He moved to Park URC Church in Reading in 1978. My father would always find it funny to deliver the assembly at the school Simon and I attended in Reading without telling us in advance. As he was walking up to the stage in the hall, he would look at us and smile, followed by hundreds of our schoolmates turning around to say: 'That's your dad.' Even worse, he did not even give us a lift – we had to walk to school as usual. Often we tried to pretend we weren't with him. Once, when distracted on a holiday in France, he walked into a gumball machine outside a cafe, tipping it over and spilling a river of multicoloured sweets down the cobbled street. Although the locals, and even the cafe owner, laughed, as teenagers, my brother and I were mortified. My father loved helping with the training of student ministers from Mansfield College, Oxford, who came on placements to work alongside him in order to gain practical experience of ministry. Outside the church setting, he was an advocate for social justice and religious equality, working with the Berkshire branch of the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education, and with the Council of Christians and Jews and the Family Planning Association. He was also an enthusiastic Rotarian and had the gift of listening and caring, which, when coupled with his charisma, made everyone he spoke to feel special. Five years ago he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia, and Ruth became his primary carer. He is survived by Elizabeth, Simon, Ruth and me, and eight grandchildren.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Former Doncaster church to become restaurant and bar
The owner of a Grade II listed former church in Doncaster city centre has been granted permission to convert it into a restaurant and wine 220-year-old United Reformed Church on Hall Gate has been disused since 2018 and was sold by its previous owners, the Yorkshire Congregational Union, in applicant, Building Link Design Architects, said in its proposal the space "is no longer important or required as a community facility" and "needs to be sympathetically re-purposed".The redevelopment of the site, which has been approved by Doncaster council, would have a positive impact on the local economy by creating jobs and increasing tax revenue, they added. Key features of the structure would be preserved and alterations to its exterior would be kept to a minimum, it suggested the existing pews could be incorporated into the interior design.A representation by Doncaster Civic Trust during the consultation process welcomed the building being brought back into use, but raised concerns about the amount of historic material that could be removed from added it would approve of the removal of the more modern café building at the front of the site, which the former owner had planned to do.A representation by the Historic Buildings and Places charity said a restaurant would "work so well with the grain and the character of this handsome and evocative building". Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Charity workers 'heartbroken' after minibus theft
A charity that supports elderly people in Leeds has said the theft of its new minibus was "heartbreaking". The Trinity Network in Belle Isle celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and in January raised £24,000 to buy the vehicle, affectionately named "Norman". Just eight weeks later on 13 March, staff opening up the charity centre realised the minibus had gone. Sarah Crane, driver of the bus, said her "heart stopped" and she "nearly burst into tears" when she realised the vehicle had been taken. Ms Crane said: "We had one lady, she was our most stout supporter and she passed away at the weekend and I was supposed to pick her up on Thursday and Friday. "Knowing that I couldn't spend those last few days with her, that's devastating, because of somebody else's greed, you can't put into words how that makes you feel." Around 100 people a week use the centre, which is attached to the United Reformed Church in Belle Isle. However, Trevor Heylings, the centre manager, said that number had now reduced to about 65, because without the minibus some members with disabilities, or mobility issues, were unable to attend. "One particular gentleman came five days a week, he's now down to one because we managed to get him here on the Leeds Access Bus, so we are trying our damnedest to get members in," he said. Vera Skilbeck, who relies on the minibus to bring her to the sessions, said she was "really upset" when she heard the vehicle had been stolen. She said she was instead having to travel to the centre on her mobility scooter. "We need it, we need the bus, not them, they don't need it," she said. "We can't hardly walk, some of the people are in wheelchairs." West Yorkshire Police said: "On Thursday 13 March, it received a report of a theft of a minibus from a compound off Nestfield Road. "It was reported that the minibus was taken some time between 16:15 GMT on Wednesday 12 March and 09:00 on Thursday 13 March." The force urged anyone with information to get in touch. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Trinity Network
BBC News
25-03-2025
- BBC News
Belle Isle charity workers 'heartbroken' after minibus theft
A charity that supports elderly people in Leeds has said the theft of its new minibus was "heartbreaking".The Trinity Network in Belle Isle celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and in January raised £24,000 to buy the vehicle, affectionately named "Norman".Just eight weeks later on 13 March, staff opening up the charity centre realised the minibus had Crane, driver of the bus, said her "heart stopped" and she "nearly burst into tears" when she realised the vehicle had been taken. Ms Crane said: "We had one lady, she was our most stout supporter and she passed away at the weekend and I was supposed to pick her up on Thursday and Friday."Knowing that I couldn't spend those last few days with her, that's devastating, because of somebody else's greed, you can't put into words how that makes you feel."Around 100 people a week use the centre, which is attached to the United Reformed Church in Belle Trevor Heylings, the centre manager, said that number had now reduced to about 65, because without the minibus some members with disabilities, or mobility issues, were unable to attend."One particular gentleman came five days a week, he's now down to one because we managed to get him here on the Leeds Access Bus, so we are trying our damnedest to get members in," he said. Vera Skilbeck, who relies on the minibus to bring her to the sessions, said she was "really upset" when she heard the vehicle had been said she was instead having to travel to the centre on her mobility scooter. "We need it, we need the bus, not them, they don't need it," she said."We can't hardly walk, some of the people are in wheelchairs." West Yorkshire Police said: "On Thursday 13 March, it received a report of a theft of a minibus from a compound off Nestfield Road."It was reported that the minibus was taken some time between 16:15 GMT on Wednesday 12 March and 09:00 on Thursday 13 March."The force urged anyone with information to get in touch. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
