The Leprosy Mission Back in April we had a church service led by Philippa Matthews who is our representative for the Christian charity, The Leprosy Mission. In 2026, leprosy is still widespread across the world in low-income countries, with someone being diagnosed every 2 minutes. It is curable if caught early, and in Bangladesh, they […]
Learning About Hearing Dogs for the Deaf: Women’s Group Hosts an Inspiring Talk
Women’s Group – Hearing Dogs for the Deaf At our last Women’s Group meeting we had a rather beautiful, cute and very bouncy visitor, Richie. He’s a 15 month old cocker spaniel being trained by our guest speaker, Malcolm Board, who has been a volunteer with Hearing Dogs for the Deaf for 12 years. It […]
Celebrating 40 years in Bitterne Precinct: Solent Fellowship Band Concert & Christian Aid Quiz
As part of our 40th anniversary year in the precinct, we’ve been delighted to host events that bring our whole community together. Both these events have been joyful markers of our 40th year – moments of community, generosity and celebration. And with more anniversary activities running throughout the year, we look forward to welcoming many […]
Spring Outreach at Bitterne URC: Bake Off Success, Concerts and Community Growth
Outreach Update – April to May 2026 Hello everyone, It’s been a great couple of months across our church and community, with lots of creativity, collaboration, and celebration. Here’s a little glimpse into what’s been happening recently. April began with the wonderful success of the Great Bitterne Bake Off. It was such a joyful event, […]
Building Links with Uganda: School Support Plans and Invitation to a 2027 Church Trip
A small update from Anthony. I would like to report back after a productive meeting regarding my Uganda work. I am keen to start a scheme to sponsor a school in Uganda. What this would entail is helping to fund the necessary materials for the schoolchildren, such as books, pens, desks, chalks, uniforms, shoes for walking to school, and […]
United in Worship: Southern Fellowship’s Second Anniversary Gathering at Braishfield URC
Southern Fellowship Anniversary Service This is a photo which Revd Mike Perrott took at the conclusion of the Second Anniversary Service of the Southern Fellowship which was led by Mike at Braishfield URC on 9 May 2026. The photo shows Revd Stephen Thornton who gave the sermon and representatives of the Southern Fellowship churches all […]
A Day of Fellowship and Fun: Bitterne URC’s Away Day to Petersfield URC
2nd May – Bitterne URC Away Day What a lovely day we had at our Bitterne URC Away Day. From the moment we arrived at Petersfield URC, there was a real sense of warmth, laughter and togetherness – helped along by the sunshine too. We began with a mix of thoughtful and delightfully silly questions […]
Seedbeds Training Update: Learning, Community and Interfaith Encounters
A quick update from Anthony about how the Seedbeds course is going. In the first weekend of March, I went up to Birmingham for another instalment of my course. I find it very useful, since each module covers a different topic, and is presented in a very different way due to a different person presenting […]
From Inclusive Services to Community Care: Outreach Summary – March 2026
Hello everyone,It’s been a full and encouraging start to the year, with lots happening across our church, our community partnerships, and our celebrations for the 40th Anniversary of our church building in Bitterne Precinct. A real highlight was our inclusive service on 1st March. I helped lead the service alongside Rev. Sarah Hall, Penny, Chloe […]
Outreach & Community Update: Building Connections and Growing Inclusion (Jan–Feb 2026)
It’s been a full and encouraging start to the year across our church and wider community. As we’ve moved from Epiphany into Lent, there’s been a real sense of energy, creativity, and collaboration. Here’s a look at what’s been happening recently. Strengthening Community Connections Over the past few weeks, I’ve continued meeting with local churches, […]