Sunday Worship podcast link and other news from Seal Church: Feb 26

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast    Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061

In the church building today 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong Next Sunday   10 am  Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong This week: Mon      2-3.30 Talking Village at Deniz Cafe in the High Street              8pm Zoom Lent Group - email Wed      No Good Book Club in March              4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall              7.15 Choir in the hall           Thurs   10-11.30am Lent Group in the hall  Fri         9.30 am Morning Prayer in church              10.30-12.30 Friday Group in church hall

Lent 1 At the beginning of Lent we hear the story of Jesus going out into the wilderness for 40 days and nights, deliberately putting himself in a place of danger and isolation. Today's sermon explores why this might be, and what our preparations for difficult times might (or might not) look like. The picture accompanying the podcast is by Ivan Kramskoy, a 19th century Russian painter. I have always been impressed by the picture's stillness, which is not the stillness of peace and relaxation, but the stillness which conceals the inner struggle Christ is going through. This is a man who is immersed in his own thoughts, knowing at some level what is to come and choosing to stay with it rather than running away.  Are there times when you have felt unable to move, when you have been rooted to the spot for some reason. Why was that, and how did it feel?

All Age Ideas Look at the picture above. It is a picture of Jesus out in the desert, where he went for 40 days and nights to prepare to begin his ministry. He knew it would be hard, and that some people would not like the things he said, and would want to hurt him.  What do you think Jesus is feeling like in this picture? Imagine talking to him. What would you say to each other? Try sitting as Jesus is - how does it make you feel? Have you ever had something really hard you knew you would have to do? What helped you to do it? You could make a model of a desert using things around your house  and put a figure representing Jesus in it. You could leave it out until Holy Week and then turn it into an Easter Garden. Looking for something to do during Lent? Muddy Church have some great ideas.  https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-40-moments-and-40-bags  https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-challenge-sheets

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS  Gladys Aldridge R.I.P. Hilary Curtis has asked me to pass on the news that her aunt Gladys, whom some of you will remember, died on Friday afternoon.  She was 102 and had been in Gloucester House care home for several years, having moved there from Johnson's Court. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. LENT GROUPS There is still space for anyone who would like to join the Monday evening Zoom Lent course ( the Thursday morning group is full). If you would like to join the Zoom group, please email me for the link.  sealpandp@gmail.com.  Printed copies of the booklet accompanying the series for those attending are available at the back of church from today, and there will be some spares for those who want to follow it at home, but you can also download a copy here.  MOTHERING SUNDAY PLANT SALE (March 19)  Are you starting to get your garden ready for the spring? If you are dividing perennials, or might have other plants going spare, we would be grateful for them for our plant sale on Mothering Sunday. Plants can be brought to church on the day or left at the vicarage beforehand. Please label them, so we know what they are! We will also be selling cakes and small gifts, so if you can bake, or have things tucked away that could be sold, please let us know.  CONFIRMATION SERVICE Saturday May 27th 4pm in Westerham. Would you like to be confirmed? Confirmation is the chance to affirm your faith, and receive prayer from a Bishop as the next step on your Christian journey. There will be a Confirmation service in Westerham in May, which I would be very happy to prepare you for and take you to. For adults Confirmation is normally the gateway to receiving Holy Communion, (though children can be admitted to communion before confirmation), so if you normally come up for a blessing in church, rather than receiving the bread and wine, this could be your chance to change that! Anyone who wants to be confirmed will normally have some meetings with the vicar before hand, and the Lent Course this year will be an excellent preparation course for confirmation, so do join in with the Zoom course (the Thursday morning "in person" course is now full) ,or, if you can't do that, let me know so that we can arrange alternative preparation. Please talk to the vicar if you would like to be confirmed! YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE ECO GROUP AT THE FOLLOWING:- 2pm Saturday 4th March ’23: St P&P’s Churchyard bird & bat boxes installation & flora & fauna survey/Churchyard tidy start. Cathy Hughes is kindly providing her expertise with optimal positioning of our bird boxes, kindly donated by Heather Alwyn. We need able-bodied volunteers to help with ladder climbing, please!! 10.30am Saturday 18th March ’23: Lent Eco Walk 1: a gentle stroll from St P & P's, Seal, Churchyard, down to The Well, Kemsing, finishing with coffee & cake etc at the Italian Deli (we’ll buy our own, please!), with some guided meditation on the beauty of God’s creation, & some short prayers, with Babs.  Two further Lent/Easter Walks, to take in the Daffodil Cross on the North Downs, Kemsing, near Oak Hall, and then the Bluebell Woods and Oak Hall’s Passion Trail, are also being planned for late March and April; details to follow. SEAL CHURCH CLOCK Are you missing the chiming of Seal Church clock? So are we! The mechanism, which is over 150 years old, is badly in need of repair. It will cost around £6000 to do the job, which will involve dismantling the clock, getting it down the tower stairs and taking it to the clock repairers workshop, then doing the whole operation in reverse when it is complete. If you can help with raising the money for this you can donate here https://givealittle.co/campaigns/08d6ce0f-43b4-4d7a-aee7-b94c269b0555, or by cheque payable to Friends of St Peter and St Paul Church" or in cash delivered to The Vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR We're hoping the repairs can be started as soon as possible! SAVE THE DATE - SAT MARCH 11TH 11.30-1.00 SEAL VILLAGE HALL  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS MEET AND GREET PLUS SEAL VILLAGE FUND AGM. Come along, have a coffee, cake and a chat with members of local village organisations and find out what happens in our village. Also, let's have your ideas for what you would like to see in the future. CORONATION CELEBRATIONS We have been discussing the logistics of having one large village celebration, and in light of the lack of people keen to organise such an event, we were thinking, maybe some of you might prefer to organise a more localised celebration just for your immediate neighbours - a proper old fashioned street party - just for your street or direct neighbourhood. Of course, this will be more difficult for some roads than others, but there is always a solution to be found when getting together with others ! We will all have memories, however young or old, of royal celebrations, and it would be great to pass this legacy on to the very youngest of us. If you feel you want to do this, and may need some support, please let us know and we will help you to facilitate this in any way we can. For instance, if you would like to get together with others who are also planning something similar, we could have a get together to discuss how we can all move the plans forward and support each other. Again, we will have some funds to share, thanks to our 100 Club revenue, but, undoubtedly, more will be needed. If you are planning, or already running some activity in Seal you would like to share with us, please contact marionjgilchrist@gmail.com, and we will do our best to spread the word. Also, please remember to tell any new neighbours about Know Your Neighbours, so that we can add them to our circulation list, or they can use the FaceBook page - search for Know Your Neighbours in Seal.

Sunday worship podcast link and other news . Feb 19

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast    Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building today 10 am   Holy Communion 3-4.30pm Messy Church 6.30pm Evensong Next Sunday   10 am  Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong This week: Mon      2-3.30 Talking Village at Deniz Cafe in the High Street Wed     10 am Zoom Church              4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall              7.15-7.55 Choir practice in the church hall (note end time, because of Ash Wed service)              8pm Ash Wednesday Holy Communion with Ashing Thurs   10-11.30am Lent Group in the church hall  Fri         9.30 am Morning Prayer in church              10.30-12.30 Friday Group in church hall Sunday before Lent Kevin Bright preaches on today's podcast, which explores the Gospel story of the transfiguration. This story is always set, in one of the Gospel versions, for the Sunday before Lent begins. It is a vision of glory before the traditional time of fasting and abstinence of Lent. In the Gospels it comes just before Jesus begins his final journey to Jerusalem, where he will be crucified. It is as if he and his disciples need the reassurance and strength that come from hearing God's voice. It will be hard to believe that he really is God's Messiah as he hangs on a cross, looking as if his mission has ended in complete failure, so this reminder is very important. Many of the early Christians, the audience for the Gospels, also faced hardship, but this story reminds them that suffering and death aren't the end of the story.  What keeps you going through hard times? All Age Ideas Today's Gospel story is about Jesus' friends seeing him shining with glory. God tells them to listen to Jesus.  Spend a minute in silence. What can you hear when you really listen? Make a shiny picture out of things you can find around your house, and put it somewhere where it can cheer you up, or give it to someone who needs cheering up.  Looking for something to do during Lent? Muddy Church have some great ideas.  https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-40-moments-and-40-bags  https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-challenge-sheets   CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS  MESSY CHURCH takes place this afternoon (Sunday 19 Feb) from 3-4.30pm. Story, Crafts, Worship and tea, on our Lent theme of Holy Communion. All Welcome - you don't have to be a child or have a child to come along.  LENT GROUPS Our Lent groups, focussing on Holy Communion, begin this Thursday in the church hall (sorry this course is now full) or next Monday evening on Zoom at 8pm. If you would like to join the Zoom group, please email me for the link.  sealpandp@gmail.com.  Printed copies of the booklet accompanying the series for those attending will be available in church from today, and there will be some spares for those who want to follow it at home, but you can also download a copy here.  CONFIRMATION SERVICE Saturday May 27th 4pm in Westerham. Would you like to be confirmed? Confirmation is the chance to affirm your faith, and receive prayer from a Bishop as the next step on your Christian journey. There will be a Confirmation service in Westerham in May, which I would be very happy to prepare you for and take you to. For adults Confirmation is normally the gateway to receiving Holy Communion, (though children can be admitted to communion before confirmation), so if you normally come up for a blessing in church, rather than receiving the bread and wine, this could be your chance to change that! Anyone who wants to be confirmed will normally have some meetings with the vicar before hand, and the Lent Course this year will be an excellent preparation course for confirmation, so do join in with the Zoom course (the Thursday morning "in person" course is now full) ,or, if you can't do that, let me know so that we can arrange alternative preparation. Please talk to the vicar if you would like to be confirmed! ASH WEDNESDAY There will be a service of Holy Communion with Ashing at 8pm on Wednesday Feb 22. Everyone is welcome to this simple service to start Lent.  SAME SEX BLESSINGS You may have seen reports recently of the debates in the General Synod around the possible authorisation of services of blessing for same-sex couples following a civil marriage or partnership. General Synod voted to approve this, and, once the suggested services have been finalised and commended by General Synod at their next session in July, it is anticipated that blessing services for gay couples will be possible in churches where the PCC and clergy are happy to do them. Seal has been affiliated to Inclusive Church, which has been working towards this, for some time, and I am personally  delighted that this will soon be possible, and look forward to being able to celebrate the relationships of those who would like to seek this, whether they are gay or straight. You can read more about this on the Church of England website here.  SEAL CHURCH CLOCK Are you missing the chiming of Seal Church clock? So are we! The mechanism, which is over 150 years old, is badly in need of repair. It will cost around £6000 to do the job, which will involve dismantling the clock, getting it down the tower stairs and taking it to the clock repairers workshop, then doing the whole operation in reverse when it is complete. If you can help with raising the money for this you can donate here https://givealittle.co/campaigns/08d6ce0f-43b4-4d7a-aee7-b94c269b0555, or by cheque payable to Friends of St Peter and St Paul Church" or in cash delivered to The Vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR We're hoping the repairs can be started as soon as possible! SEAL VILLAGE FUND: CALLING ALL ORGANISATIONS/CLUBS AND SOCIETIES THAT OPERATE IN SEAL VILLAGE Do you need some extra funding for a specific project or need? Then the Seal Village Fund may be able to help you! Successful fund raising events have resulted in excess funds being available to distribute to the groups that provide such wonderful opportunities and support in our friendly village. The Seal Village Fund will consider bids from any village organisation/club/society that benefits those that live, work or play in the village. The Rules of Engagement:- 1 - Only bids up to £250 please 2 - Submit a written proposal providing details of the project/initiative, how it will benefit the village, and the amount of funding being requested. Proposals need to be received by Friday February 24th 2023. 3 - You must be prepared to come and present your case at the Seal Village Fund AGM which will take place at the Know Your Neighbours Meet and Greet session on Saturday March 11th 2023 in Seal Village Hall at 11,30. 4 - All successful bids will be notified shortly after the AGM. Any questions and written proposals to be sent to Becky Watson (Seal Village Fund Secretary) at beckywatsonuk@btinternet.com  (please note the corrected email address) SAVE THE DATE - SAT MARCH 11TH 11.30-1.00 SEAL VILLAGE HALL  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS MEET AND GREET PLUS SEAL VILLAGE FUND AGM. Come along, have a coffee, cake and a chat with members of local village organisations and find out what happens in our village. Also, let's have your ideas for what you would like to see in the future. CORONATION CELEBRATIONS We have been discussing the logistics of having one large village celebration, and in light of the lack of people keen to organise such an event, we were thinking, maybe some of you might prefer to organise a more localised celebration just for your immediate neighbours - a proper old fashioned street party - just for your street or direct neighbourhood. Of course, this will be more difficult for some roads than others, but there is always a solution to be found when getting together with others ! We will all have memories, however young or old, of royal celebrations, and it would be great to pass this legacy on to the very youngest of us. If you feel you want to do this, and may need some support, please let us know and we will help you to facilitate this in any way we can. For instance, if you would like to get together with others who are also planning something similar, we could have a get together to discuss how we can all move the plans forward and support each other. Again, we will have some funds to share, thanks to our 100 Club revenue, but, undoubtedly, more will be needed. If you are planning, or already running some activity in Seal you would like to share with us, please contact marionjgilchrist@gmail.com, and we will do our best to spread the word. Also, please remember to tell any new neighbours about Know Your Neighbours, so that we can add them to our circulation list, or they can use the FaceBook page - search for Know Your Neighbours in Seal. Copyright © 2023 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you are a part of our church family, and we thought you would like to know the latest news from Seal Church/ Our mailing address is: St Peter and St Paul, Seal Church Street Seal Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0AR United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Sunday Worship podcast links and other news: Feb 12

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast    Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building today 10 am   All Age Worship 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion Next Sunday   10 am  Holy Communion 3-4.30pm Messy Church 6.30pm Evensong This week: Mon      2-3.30 Talking Village at Deniz Cafe in the High Street Wed     10.30am Holy Communion in Lavender Fields, visitors welcome.              No Children's or Adult choir today Fri         No Morning Prayer in church              10.30-12.30 Friday Group in church hall Second Sunday before Lent Today's Old Testament readings is one of the most familiar in the Bible, the story of the Creation of the world, from the book of Genesis. But we often don't listen to this story in the light of the context in which it was first written. Like much of the Hebrew scriptures, it seems to have been put into written form when the Jewish people were in exile in Babylon, following the conquest of Jerusalem in 587 AD. Like all people exiled from their home, there was a real anxiety that the stories and customs of "home" might be lost, the distinctive features which were so vital to Jewish life. The picture which accompanies today's podcast captures the sense of melancholy expressed in Psalm 137, written during the exile, "By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept/ when we remembered Zion... How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" I response to this threat, scribes shaped what had been oral stories and fragmentary records into the narratives we now have. Inevitably, those stories were influenced by the stories of the cultures around Israel, including that of Babylon itself - they have common, ancient roots. The most commonly told and known creation story in the Ancient Near East was called the Enuma Elish, from its opening words - "when on high". It involved primordial chaotic waters, and, eventually the creation of humanity. The similarities to the story in Genesis are obvious, but the differences are striking too. Today's sermon thinks about what those differences highlight about the God of the Jews and Christians, and about what we think of God's creation, including ourselves.  What do you believe about God and what has shaped that belief? All Age Ideas Today's story of the creation of the world talks about God who looked at all of it and said "it is good".  Muddy Church have some lovely activities to explore the Creation Stories. You can find them here. https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/items-4 (They have also got some great downloads for Lent activities with children here https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-40-moments-and-40-bags and here https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-challenge-sheets   CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS  SAME SEX BLESSINGS You may have seen reports this week of the debates in the General Synod around the possible authorisation of services of blessing for same-sex couples following a civil marriage or partnership. General Synod voted to approve this, and, once the suggested services have been finalised and commended by General Synod at their next session in July, it is anticipated that blessing services for gay couples will be possible in churches where the PCC and clergy are happy to do them. Seal has been affiliated to Inclusive Church, which has been working towards this, for some time, and I am personally  delighted that this will soon be possible, and look forward to being able to celebrate the relationships of those who would like to seek this, whether they are gay or straight. You can read more about this on the Church of England website here.  LENT GROUPS This year’s Lent Course, “Do this in remembrance of me” will be exploring Holy Communion and what it means to us. There will be four online Zoom sessions on Monday evenings, and four sessions in the vicarage (or possibly the church hall ) on Thursday mornings. Ash Wednesday is on Feb 22, so they will start after this. There is a sign up sheet at the back of church, or you can email to book a place - sealpandp@gmail.com.  if you would like to come. Places will be limited, so please sign up as soon as possible. SEAL CHURCH CLOCK Are you missing the chiming of Seal Church clock? So are we! The mechanism, which is over 150 years old, is badly in need of repair. It will cost around £6000 to do the job, which will involve dismantling the clock, getting it down the tower stairs and taking it to the clock repairers workshop, then doing the whole operation in reverse when it is complete. If you can help with raising the money for this you can donate here https://givealittle.co/campaigns/08d6ce0f-43b4-4d7a-aee7-b94c269b0555, or by cheque payable to Friends of St Peter and St Paul Church" or in cash delivered to The Vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR We're hoping the repairs can be started as soon as possible! SEAL VILLAGE FUND: CALLING ALL ORGANISATIONS/CLUBS AND SOCIETIES THAT OPERATE IN SEAL VILLAGE Do you need some extra funding for a specific project or need? Then the Seal Village Fund may be able to help you! Successful fund raising events have resulted in excess funds being available to distribute to the groups that provide such wonderful opportunities and support in our friendly village. The Seal Village Fund will consider bids from any village organisation/club/society that benefits those that live, work or play in the village. The Rules of Engagement:- 1 - Only bids up to £250 please 2 - Submit a written proposal providing details of the project/initiative, how it will benefit the village, and the amount of funding being requested. Proposals need to be received by Friday February 24th 2023. 3 - You must be prepared to come and present your case at the Seal Village Fund AGM which will take place at the Know Your Neighbours Meet and Greet session on Saturday March 11th 2023 in Seal Village Hall at 11,30. 4 - All successful bids will be notified shortly after the AGM. Any questions and written proposals to be sent to Becky Watson (Seal Village Fund Secretary) at beckywatsonuk@btinternet.com  (please note the corrected email address) SAVE THE DATE - SAT MARCH 11TH 11.30-1.00 SEAL VILLAGE HALL  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS MEET AND GREET PLUS SEAL VILLAGE FUND AGM. Come along, have a coffee, cake and a chat with members of local village organisations and find out what happens in our village. Also, let's have your ideas for what you would like to see in the future. NEWS FROM SEAL LIBRARY FROM JILLIAN Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Seal Library on Friday February 17th from 10am – 3pm with cake and drinks from 10:30am.   There will also be a 70’S Quiz and  some volunteers in period clothes! Jillian has put together a small exhibition on the library opening, books which came out then and a section on life in the 1970’s including crafts from the period. In the afternoon we have 2 sessions from the Kent Wildlife lady for children over 5 on British Birds and for the younger children Jillian has some activities based on characters from the time (Wombles and Clangers!!) - booking needed for these. CORONATION CELEBRATIONS We have been discussing the logistics of having one large village celebration, and in light of the lack of people keen to organise such an event, we were thinking, maybe some of you might prefer to organise a more localised celebration just for your immediate neighbours - a proper old fashioned street party - just for your street or direct neighbourhood. Of course, this will be more difficult for some roads than others, but there is always a solution to be found when getting together with others ! We will all have memories, however young or old, of royal celebrations, and it would be great to pass this legacy on to the very youngest of us. If you feel you want to do this, and may need some support, please let us know and we will help you to facilitate this in any way we can. For instance, if you would like to get together with others who are also planning something similar, we could have a get together to discuss how we can all move the plans forward and support each other. Again, we will have some funds to share, thanks to our 100 Club revenue, but, undoubtedly, more will be needed. If you are planning, or already running some activity in Seal you would like to share with us, please contact marionjgilchrist@gmail.com, and we will do our best to spread the word. Also, please remember to tell any new neighbours about Know Your Neighbours, so that we can add them to our circulation list, or they can use the FaceBook page - search for Know Your Neighbours in Seal.

Sunday worship podcast and other news: Feb 5

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast    Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061

In the church building today 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong Next Sunday   10 am  All Age Worship 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion This week: Mon      2-3.30 Talking Village at Deniz Cafe in the High Street Wed     10 am Zoom Church              No Children's choir today, or on Feb 15              7.15-8.15 pm Adult choir Fri         9.30am Morning Prayer in church              10.30-12.30 Friday Group in church hall

Third Sunday before Lent Today's sermon invites us to think about our attitudes to our faith and worship, what we think they are "for"? In the readings Isaiah speaks God's words to his people, fed up and frustrated by many years of living under the rule of the Babylonians, despite all their prayers and religious rituals. But Isaiah calls them to look at the whole of their lives, and the kind of fasting and worship God really wants.  Maarten van Heemskerck's picture of Isaiah, portrays him looking at the ruins of his society, as he holds a book, presumably of his prophecies, which promise that these ruins can be rebuilt, if people will cooperate with God's work.  In the Gospel reading, Jesus calls us to live as the salt and light that God has made us to be, making a difference in the places we find ourselves.  Why do you pray and/or worship, if you do? What do you think prayer is "for"? How do you think you are called to be salt and light in the situation you find yourself?

All Age Ideas Jesus talks about us being like salt and light in the world. Talk about salt, and the difference it makes. We shouldn't eat too much of it, but it is important as part of our diet, and a very small amount can make a big difference. You could make a salt picture, by making a pattern with glue on a dark coloured piece of paper, then sprinkling salt on the glue.  In Jesus' time, salt was made by evaporating (drying out) sea water, though it could also be dug up from the ground as rock salt. It was made in "salt pans" - shallow ponds where the water would dry out in the sun. The video below shows salt being made in the traditional way in the salt marshes of Guerande, in France. Philip and I often go on holiday near here! Salt was also made in this way around our coasts too, and places with names like "Seasalter", on the North Kent coast remind us of that.

Salt making the traditional way in France.

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS  LENT GROUPS This year’s Lent Course, “Do this in remembrance of me” will be exploring Holy Communion and what it means to us. There will be four online Zoom sessions on Monday evenings, and four sessions in the vicarage (or possibly the church hall ) on Thursday mornings. Ash Wednesday is on Feb 22, so they will start after this. There is a sign up sheet at the back of church, or you can email to book a place - sealpandp@gmail.com.  if you would like to come. Places will be limited, so please sign up as soon as possible. SEAL CHURCH CLOCK Are you missing the chiming of Seal Church clock? So are we! The mechanism, which is over 150 years old, is badly in need of repair. It will cost around £6000 to do the job, which will involve dismantling the clock, getting it down the tower stairs and taking it to the clock repairers workshop, then doing the whole operation in reverse when it is complete. If you can help with raising the money for this you can donate here https://givealittle.co/campaigns/08d6ce0f-43b4-4d7a-aee7-b94c269b0555, or by cheque payable to Friends of St Peter and St Paul Church" or in cash delivered to The Vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR We're hoping the repairs can be started as soon as possible! SEAL VILLAGE FUND: CALLING ALL ORGANISATIONS/CLUBS AND SOCIETIES THAT OPERATE IN SEAL VILLAGE Do you need some extra funding for a specific project or need? Then the Seal Village Fund may be able to help you! Successful fund raising events have resulted in excess funds being available to distribute to the groups that provide such wonderful opportunities and support in our friendly village. The Seal Village Fund will consider bids from any village organisation/club/society that benefits those that live, work or play in the village. The Rules of Engagement:- 1 - Only bids up to £250 please 2 - Submit a written proposal providing details of the project/initiative, how it will benefit the village, and the amount of funding being requested. Proposals need to be received by Friday February 24th 2023. 3 - You must be prepared to come and present your case at the Seal Village Fund AGM which will take place at the Know Your Neighbours Meet and Greet session on Saturday March 11th 2023 in Seal Village Hall at 11,30. 4 - All successful bids will be notified shortly after the AGM. Any questions and written proposals to be sent to Becky Watson (Seal Village Fund Secretary) at beckywatson@btinternet.com SAVE THE DATE - SAT MARCH 11TH 11.30-1.00 SEAL VILLAGE HALL  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS MEET AND GREET PLUS SEAL VILLAGE FUND AGM. Come along, have a coffee, cake and a chat with members of local village organisations and find out what happens in our village. Also, let's have your ideas for what you would like to see in the future. NEWS FROM SEAL LIBRARY FROM JILLIAN Do you have any 50th Anniversary banners or decorations that might help Seal Library to decorate te building for it's 50th Anniversary on Friday February 17th? Please either drop it in to Jill in the library, or leave it with me and I will deliver. The preparations for the library celebrations are well underway. There will be cake and nibbles in the morning. We have prizes for Frances’ 70’S Quiz and I think we may have some volunteers in period clothes! I have put together a small exhibition on the library opening, books which came out then and a section on life in the 1970’s including crafts from the period. In the afternoon we have 2 sessions from the Kent Wildlife lady for children over 5 on British Birds and for the younger children I have some activities based on characters from the time (Wombles and Clangers!!). CORONATION CELEBRATIONS We have been discussing the logistics of having one large village celebration, and in light of the lack of people keen to organise such an event, we were thinking, maybe some of you might prefer to organise a more localised celebration just for your immediate neighbours - a proper old fashioned street party - just for your street or direct neighbourhood. Of course, this will be more difficult for some roads than others, but there is always a solution to be found when getting together with others ! We will all have memories, however young or old, of royal celebrations, and it would be great to pass this legacy on to the very youngest of us. If you feel you want to do this, and may need some support, please let us know and we will help you to facilitate this in any way we can. For instance, if you would like to get together with others who are also planning something similar, we could have a get together to discuss how we can all move the plans forward and support each other. Again, we will have some funds to share, thanks to our 100 Club revenue, but, undoubtedly, more will be needed.   If you are planning, or already running some activity in Seal you would like to share with us, please contact marionjgilchrist@gmail.com, and we will do our best to spread the word. Also, please remember to tell any new neighbours about Know Your Neighbours, so that we can add them to our circulation list, or they can use the FaceBook page - search for Know Your Neighbours in Seal.