Contributions will be welcome. Can you share the experience of a trip to Walsingham, etc. Tell us about Fair Trade, or anything that is close to your heart. Please take items for inclusion (marked News Round-Up) to the Presbytery by 15^th of the month, or e-mail Anna Burrage on aburrage@onetel.com

April: Imogen Darby

Justine Darby

May: Ziemont Birmingham

Rory Tulley

June: Alice Salisbury

Clara Rodgers

July: Charlotte Kerr

Omana Stringer

July: Matthew Crowhurst &Louise Batchelor

July: Alex Noorbaccus and Laura Percival

August: Jeremy Barritt & Karen Lindsta in Sweden

May: Peggie Roberts (John Roberts’ mother)

June: Miguel Hernandez

July: Sandra Cronin

Sophie Hitchcock

Gladys Allen (Monica Henry’s mother)

August: Martha Brown

29-26^th Sept: Week of Accompanied Prayer

16^th October Harvest Supper

11^th December: Christmas Fair

2005

29^th April Confirmation at Caterham

This is always a lovely evening and, for a change this year, we shall be having Sausages, Beans & Baked Potatoes, but followed, as usual, by Apple Pies and our Annual Quiz.

We need people willing to set a round of questions - are there any helpers out there!! Please contact Anna Burrage on 723204 or Moyna Bridge on 716257

At 11am each Monday morning the doorbell rings at No. 25 Gresham Road, Oxted. There is a pause while the key is fetched and then the door is opened to admit two visitors from Churches Together in Oxted and District (CTOD). For No. 25 is Dalmuir House, a residential home for older people suffering with varying degrees of mental health problems and it is them that the visitors have come to meet.

Dalmuir is a private home with 16 places or beds. It is classed as a home for elderly mentally incapacitated (EMI) people. Most of the residents have relatives within the area although they themselves may originate from anywhere in the UK. They have a wealth of life experience between them and it is fascinating to talk with those who can about their past and to reminisce about places, schools, film stars, singers, songs, band leaders and sports of yesteryear and of course about children and grandchildren. Some display a lively sense of humour and Monday mornings are not without laughter.

But mainly the visitors have come to play BINGO. Many of the residents have more experience of Bingo than their visitors and have taught the callers to say 'doctor's orders number 9' and all the other calls. The results can be quite hilarious! With others, they just sit and hold hands for a moment and are sometimes rewarded with a neriprocal squeeze.

The home, and it is really homely, is owned by Mike and Myrna Noorbaccus. They are both trained nurses and have been running the home since 1985. Everyday there is something happening, a visit to the Red Cross Centre, manicure, hairdressing, group activities, Christmas parties, Summer barbecues quite apart from relatives calling in..

So who are these visitors? Just members of local churches who give up one hour a week or fortnight to visit Dalmuir on Monday mornings. And what is the attitude of the staff to the intrusion into the Monday morning routine. Mike Noorbaccus says their contribution is ‘invaluable’.

Speaking to the January Council Meeting of Churches Together in Oxted and District, John Roberts, Lay Advisor for Mission and Unity for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, urged the Churches to consider ‘whether any new initiative should be carried out ecumenically rather than denominationally’. It was in this spirit that 21 people from 9 member churches attended a Workshop on 21^st. April about disability and church organised by the Care Group. The Workshop was titled ‘Is Your Church User Friendly’ and was led by Jane Young of the aptly named ‘Through the Roof Organisation’.

Introducing the workshop, Michael Bridson, Care Group Chair, explained that although the timing of the workshop was influenced by the legislation which comes into effect in October 2004, it was also concerned with the much wider issues of inclusiveness in the whole life of our parish communities.

As a starting point, Jane asked to get us to get our thinking right. The language we use is key; we are speaking about ‘disabled people’ not ‘the disabled’. And it is not disabled people who are the issue but the need to adapt the environment to suit them. Our aim, Jane suggested, was to remove barriers so that we can all benefit from the gifts and talents, which everyone has to offer.