Facilities

Information about Charlbury’s town facilities during the coronavirus outbreak.

St Mary's live-streaming services

St Mary’s Church will be live-streaming communion services on Sundays and Wednesdays, starting tomorrow (Sunday 22nd March).

You can watch live on YouTube - click here. The Sunday service will start at 8am.

You can also use the same link to watch the service afterwards on ‘catch-up’.

Richard Fairhurst · Sat 21 Mar 2020, 17:25 · Link

St Marys and All Saints - services cancelled

It is with great sorrow, and no small amount of shock, that I have to share with you the announcement made by the Church of England at 1.30 this afternoon that in light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice.

This does not, of course, mean that the work of the church will cease:

Both St Marys (Charlbury) and All Saints (Shorthampton) will continue to be open every day for private prayer and reflection.

I will continue to say morning prayer every day in St Marys on behalf of the church community and the wider parish.

Prayer cards and other resources will be available for use within the church building and to take away.

A regular printed and online resource will be available which will have the readings for the week as well as some prayers and a reflection.

Links will be posted to the many and varied digital resources that are now available online.

As a community we will continue to offer our time and talents in the service of those who need them, joining with other community groups to support and encourage those who will suffer in the coming days.

We have been asked to give our support to a day of prayer and action this Sunday 22 March, in particular to place a lighted candle in our windows at 7pm as a sign of solidarity and hope in the light of Christ that can never be extinguished. Candles will be available in church for that purpose.

Sally Welch, Vicar, Charlbury with Shorthampton

vicar@stmaryscharlbury.co.uk

Jo Paton · Tue 17 Mar 2020, 16:55 · Link

Memorial Hall and Corner House closing

The Memorial Hall and Corner House are closing to the public. This is because the trustees do not wish to provide a venue in which transmission of the coronavirus is likely. This current virus can spread from person to person very easily and the consequences can be fatal. That is why we must all be extremely careful when close to or in contact with others. The virus can also be picked up from hard surfaces which have been touched by those who, sometimes unaware, are already carrying the disease.

The Memorial Hall kitchen will continue to be used for the preparation of meals on wheels and other meal services in the community. Those services are likely to become even more important if increasing numbers of people ‘self-isolate’ and become reliant on a meal turning up at the doorstep. We have to really appreciate those volunteers who are preparing and distributing those meals.

The Corner House ‘bookshop’ will not be accessible because the virus can be transmitted from books that have been handled by persons carrying the virus.

It is important that Charlbury continues as a community but we all need to be aware in these times that physical contact and close proximity is not good. This situation is likely to continue for some months. We hope our people will be spared and that spirits can be kept high.

Roy Scott · Wed 18 Mar 2020, 15:52 · Link

Community Centre and Library Closed

Regrettably, Charlbury Community Centre and the Library are now both closed until further notice. The library will extend loan periods so no-one incurs any fines and the Community Centre will be used to co-ordinate help for Charlbury people who are vulnerable or in self-isolation or having difficulties. Please ring 01608 811878 from 9-5 on weekdays or 9-12.30 at weekends if you need help.

We hope you will find ways to keep fit and active (we are working on ways to help you with this) and look forward to seeing you all again when this is over.

Tanya Stevenson · Sun 22 Mar 2020, 12:50 · Link

St Teresa's Catholic Church suspends services

The Catholic Bishops have just announced that all Masses will be suspended from this Friday evening, 20th March. That means the last Mass in St Teresa's for the time being will be 7pm tomorrow [Thursday], the Solemnity of St Joseph.