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 and Gail, as I shared reflections on the readings. This was followed by our Christian Musicals sing‑along — a joyful way to begin our anniversary events. I’ve since created a video celebrating the day and gathered feedback, which has been wonderfully positive and has even inspired other churches to explore similar inclusive services. Planning continues with Wave for Change as we look ahead to more inclusive worship and mixed‑ability activities.

I’ve also been supporting conversations around dementia‑friendly groups. We’re exploring the possibility of a carers café, working with Caraway and local Memory Café leaders, with the hope of launching a group called Care and Connect to support unpaid carers in our community.

Work has continued on the Children and Youth Friendly Church Award. Our team has begun shaping our responses and reflecting on how we can grow our youth and children’s work here in Bitterne.

Community connections have been growing too. I’ve been coordinating with Churches Together in Bitterne as we prepare for the Great Bitterne Bake Off — an event we hope will raise funds for more community activities. I’ve also been engaging with local conversations about revitalising Bitterne and arranging meetings with the Edge Hub team to explore collaboration.

On the digital side, the website has had further updates, and social media has been active with Lent, Mothering Sunday, and event posts. Chloe has joined me for work experience which has been a joy, and we’ve been working together on video editing, communications, and odd jobs around the church.

I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead and so grateful for the support and encouragement that make this work possible.

With appreciation,
Nikki