January 2027 Friday 29 January - New Year Celebration with Bishop Mike Royal, Gen Sec of CTE.
Ongoing Events All Ongoing Events are now listed Here NB - Items here will initially be included for 6 months. To continue after this the ball is in your court to advise us and revise the entry.
Notices and Nuggets (NB - Items here will appear for 4 Issues unless requested longer)
Newsletters from other Organisations If your organisation or church has a regular newsletter or notice that you
would like others to see, send us a copy and we'll include it here
Living Light Trail @ St James’s Church, Ryde31st October 4pm – 5.30pm
Join us for a Neighbourhood Living Light Trail—an exciting, safe, and faith-filled alternative aimed at local children aged 5 and up,( siblings and younger children are welcome to come along and join in with what they can). The journey starts at St Thomas’s Church railings opposite the old NatWest Bank in St Thomas’s Square and finishes in the foyer at St James’s Church with free hot dogs and hot chocolate – we would love to see you there!Website
November 14th - Jumble Sale (jumble can be dropped off from 11am, Doors open at 2pm.
December 4-6th Christmas Tree Festival in the church, to include a Concert on Friday 4th in the church from 7pm, a Sale in the church and hall on Saturday from 10am and the Light Up A Life Service with Mountbatten on Sunday 6th at 3pm.
Source: Revd Bevaly Rackett bevalyrackett@hotmail.comCurate, The Haven Benefice.Providing a Spiritual Harbour for ALL.Back to Menu
We are having our annual Update evening and warmly invite everyone who can make it. We now need Raffle prizes and ask that if you possibly can donate a prize we would very much appreciate it. Please deliver to Joy/Viv or Jeanette or you can leave at the Sports Centre marked for Joy/Uzima. Many thanks in advance for your help.
We look forward to seeing you soon
The Tritone Singers return to Ryde Methodist Church Garfield Road on Saturday 5th December at 7pm to present their Christmas Concert; "Rejoice! Nowell! Wassail!" .
We shall present a concert of well-known and new carols, including those by John Rutter and Bob Chilcott, Peter Warlock and Richard Wilkins!
Plus, there will be opportunities to join in the singing and increase the merriment!
This popular venue will provide interval light refreshments for a small donation and we look forward to giving you all a very warm welcome.
Tickets £10 (children free) on the door or online
Source: Theresa Ellis theresamaryellis@googlemail.com
Notices and Nuggets (NB - Items here will appear for 4 Issues unless requested longer)
IOW Foodbank - 12 Days of Christmas
This year we have changed our Christmas campaign from Reverse Advent to 12 Days of Christmas, asking our generous donors to collect 12 items instead of 24 to allow us to add these to our clients Christmas bag in December. If you would like to take part, I have attached some information. Further details will be released through our website and social media channels, so do keep checking for updates.
What is the 12 Days of Christmas?
Our 12 Days of Christmas campaign is a simple, fun way for individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and community groups to support the Isle of Wight Foodbank over the festive season. 0We’ve chosen 12 items to collect, with a different item featured each day. You can collect one item a day or gather all 12 in one go – whatever works best for you!
How to take part
1. Save or print our 12 Days of Christmas checklistso you can keep track of the items.
2. Find a box to collect your donations in. You could even decorate it to make it feel festive!
3. Follow along each day on our Facebook and Instagram pages to see which item we’re
featuring.
4. Add the 12 items to your box and get ready to share some Christmas kindness!
It’s a great activity to do with children, friends, family, or colleagues – and a lovely way to get everyone involved in giving a little extra this Christmas. Important: Please leave your donations unwrapped, as we need to weigh the items when they arrive.
What should I do when I've finished?
Once you’ve collected your 12 items, you can bring your donations to our warehouse in Cowes. Please check our locations page for the address and opening hours before visiting. Alternatively, you can donate suitable items through the Isle of Wight Foodbank collection baskets at your local supermarket.Please check our website and social media pages for the latest campaign updates and any donation deadlines.
Food items for the 12 Days of Christmas will ideally be sent to us by the end of November.
More info on the 12 Days of Christmas :
Short teaser video (featuring a few local faces):Spread the Christmas kindness!
If you’re taking part, we’d love to see your progress! Share a photo of your collection on social media and tag the Isle of Wight Foodbank. You could also encourage your friends, family, school, or workplace to join in. Every donation makes a difference, and together we can help make Christmas that little bit easier for local people facing hardship this Christmas. Thank you for being part of our 12 Days of Christmas. Give a little – change a lot.
Tour support and generosity is so appreciated, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Warmest wishes,
Lisa Matthews
Operations Manager
Isle of Wight foodbank
Love Lane Cowes Isle of Wight PO31 7ET
Tel: 01983 292040 Mobile: 07483 399706 301026 -301226
Isle of Wight School Pastors – Exciting New Season Ahead
We are delighted to share some wonderful news from the Isle of Wight School Pastors team. Following our recent recruitment drive, we have welcomed a fantastic group of new volunteers who have stepped forward with a heart to serve and support our Island’s young people. These individuals have now begun their training, preparing to bring friendship, safety, and encouragement into our schools.
While we will not be patrolling during September, this is for a very positive reason. This month is dedicated to the essential process of onboarding our new recruits, completing DBS checks, and ensuring that every detail is in place before they step into their roles. We believe that taking this time now will allow us to enter schools in October fully prepared, confident, and ready to make a meaningful difference from day one.
From October onwards, our School Pastors will be visible in schools across the Island, offering patrols at key times, providing mentoring and listening ears, and being a reassuring presence for both students and staff. We are confident that this new season will bring fresh energy, stronger connections, and a lasting positive impact within our school communities.
We warmly invite you to join us in prayer for our new team members — that they would be equipped with wisdom, compassion, and courage — and to stand alongside us in supporting the work we do. Together, we can help create safer, more encouraging environments where young people can thrive, knowing they are seen, valued, and cared for.
Big things are coming for our schools, and we are so excited for what lies ahead."
This is a book about faith.
Faith, hope, peace and most importantly JOY in the face of adversity, born from the darkest place I've ever mentally found myself in.
It's about choice. The choices we make and how they shape us, make us and ultimately save us. The choice to choose faith. A faith that my tummy mummy, my Mum, my Dad and I all individually made.
Letting my faith outweigh my fears didn't come naturally during my mental breakdown, it came out of necessity. A necessity that I needed to choose hope. I needed to choose God. Because the other option for me, to succumb to darkness, to let fear and anxiety win, wasn't an option I was willing to entertain.
This book is also about my adoption. Not in the sense of how it all began. But how God has used that in the most beautiful and kindest way. How in building me back up to a kintsugi Anita, I'm in a place of peace, strength and openness. Which in turn provided the space to reframe what going back to my birth country for the first time since my adoption looked like to me. From not feeling comfortable even entertaining the thought of it, to beginning to allow the idea into my mind, before simply embracing it and trusting God with the most vulnerable part of me.Available on Amazon
Source: from Facebook post by Nava Young
Bloom of Grace was created by Kent-based author Rhoda Farrant in 2025 from a simple desire: to walk more steadily with God through the ordinary days of life. What began as a personal need for a daily planner grew into a devotional resource bringing Scripture, prayer, reflection and practical planning together.Rhoda regularly visits her son in Ventnor and is delighted to introduce Bloom of Grace to the Island’s Christian community.
Created especially for women across Christian traditions, the 2027 Devotional Planner & Diary offers morning, afternoon and evening planning spaces, an NKJV Bible reading plan, and room for prayer and reflection. It provides gentle structure without pressure or perfectionism—a place to pause, notice grace and take the next faithful step.
At its heart is a simple truth: the discipline is not perfection. The discipline is returning.
When faith takes root, grace helps it bloom.
The UK paperback edition is available directly from Rhoda for £19.99, subject to availability.
To explore the diary and enquire about buying directly, visit the Website
Source: Rhoda Farrant rhoda@bloomofgrace.com
Hope Church in East Cowes
We have moved from MAD-AID location to have our meetings in Clarence Road Evangelical Church
We are really looking forward to our new home under James Pontin's leadership.
We meet at 4pm each week, whereas CEC still meets in the morning, so an ideal way of using the worship space
We are a small but growing enthusiastic church family really looking forward to our future praising our Lord for His provision
We'd love to welcome you to come and join us one Sunday
God bless
ACCOMMODATION WANTED – ISLE OF WIGHT
We are reaching out to the Christian community on the Isle of Wight in the hope that someone may be able to help our 20-year-old son, Jasper, find a safe and stable place to call home.
Jasper moved to the Island to make a genuine fresh start and remove himself from some of the negative influences that had affected his life on the mainland. Over recent months he has made significant and positive changes. He has embraced a much healthier way of living, has strong support from his family, and is determined to build a settled and independent life for himself on the Island.
Unfortunately, finding accommodation through the normal private rental market is proving extremely difficult. Jasper has a conviction from earlier this year, and although he has moved forward considerably since then, we recognise that this can make landlords and letting agencies understandably cautious.
We therefore wondered whether someone within the Island's Christian community might know of a landlord, property owner, annex, small flat, studio or other suitable accommodation where Jasper could be considered as an individual and given an opportunity to demonstrate that he can be a responsible tenant.
We are not asking anyone to overlook or conceal his past. We would be completely open and honest with any prospective landlord about his circumstances. We are simply hoping to find someone willing to have a conversation with us and look at the person Jasper is trying to become, rather than making a decision based solely on his past.
Jasper has a very supportive family around him, and his dad is currently on the Island providing considerable practical support. We would be happy to meet a prospective landlord personally, discuss Jasper's circumstances fully and explore what reassurance or arrangements could be put in place to make a tenancy work successfully.
Ideally, we are looking for self-contained accommodation on the Isle of Wight, with Newport or the surrounding area particularly suitable, although we would be very grateful to hear about possibilities elsewhere on the Island.
If you have accommodation yourself, know a Christian landlord who might be willing to talk to us, or simply know someone who may be able to point us in the right direction, we would be enormously grateful if you could get in touch privately.
We know that sometimes the right connection comes through a friend of a friend or somebody simply passing a message on, so please feel free to share this appeal within your church community.
Thank you for reading and for any help, prayers or introductions you may be able to offer.
From Sunday 18th October we will be holding our meetings for worship, at which all are welcome, at the Unitarian Meeting House, at 9A High Street, Newport, on Sundays at 10.45am for one hour and on Wednesdays at 12.30pm for half an hour. We will meet in the hall, which has step-free access via the sloping path to the left of the building. There are disabled parking bays outside the council offices on the opposite side of the road.
The Sunday meeting is followed by news of Friends and notices. After this we talk over refreshments and we hope you will be able to stay for this. This meeting can also be attended on Zoom, by following the link from the event page on our website, https://isleofwight.quakermeeting.org .
We enjoy welcoming visitors, including anyone new to Quaker meetings, and old friends who haven't been for a while. It would be good to see you!
The Nave Café to open at Ryde All Saints ChurchRyde All Saints is preparing to open wide its doors once again to welcome locals and visitors into The Nave, a brand-new café space opening inside the beautiful listed building and offering a warm, friendly place to meet throughout the week.
The Nave will serve barista coffee, freshly roasted in partnership with Jaspers Coffee of Cowes, alongside homemade cakes and a selection of savoury treats, with opening hours from Tuesday to Friday, 8am to noon and will run alongside the popular ‘Love Mondays’ community café (Mondays 8am – noon).
The opening marks another step in the renewed life of All Saints following recent refurbishment work, which has created a more flexible and accessible space for worship, community events and midweek activities. The new café area reflects the church’s wider vision to serve Ryde by offering hospitality, community and a place where people can feel at home. The Nave will be staffed by an enthusiastic young café manager heading up a team of volunteers, giving people the opportunity to learn new skills, build confidence and give back to the community. Chaplains will be a gentle presence in the building offering a listening ear if wanted.
Hannah Griffiths, Community Engagement at Ryde All Saints, said: “We are so excited to open The Nave and welcome people into this beautiful building in a new way. Whether someone is popping in for a coffee on the way to work, meeting a friend after school drop off, or simply looking for a friendly place to pause, we hope The Nave will become a relaxed and welcoming space for the whole community.”
The Nave will be open from Wednesday 2nd September, Tuesday to Friday from 8am to noon at Ryde All Saints Church, Queens Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3BG.
If you would be interested in joining the team of volunteers, please contact hannah@ryde.church
As you may be aware the Isle of Wight Council is changing the way that it supports the Voluntary and Community sector. This means that some of the support previously provided by Community Action IW will now be delivered differently. To make sure that you receive the level of independent, person-centred support that you need we are keen to find out your thoughts about what is most important to you. Whether you are a small community group run entirely by volunteers or a larger established organisation, we would welcome your views on what would help strengthen your organisation.
We recognise that your time is valuable, so we want future support to provide genuine value, create meaningful opportunities for collaboration, and support effective engagement between organisations and partners across the system. We have compiled a short survey to gain your feedback about what is important to you and encourage you to take the time to complete it. It should not take more than 10 minutes.
Voluntary and Community Sector Support Survey – Fill in form
We appreciate your time and views. Your feedback will help us build a clearer picture of the support needs across the sector and identify opportunities to develop targeted support, share good practice and strengthen organisational resilience.
Thanks and best wishes
Liz
Liz Hennessy | Commissioning Officer |Commissioning & Partnerships Team
Adult Social Care & Housing Needs | Isle of Wight Council
County Hall | High Street| Newport | Isle of Wight PO30 1UD
Telephone: 01983 821000 Internal: 6693
Email: liz.hennessy@iow.gov.uk | Website
We are currently reviewing our Living Well and Early Help support service for adults on the Isle of Wight and would really value your support in helping us gather feedback.
Adult Social Care and Public Health at the Isle of Wight Council, alongside NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, are seeking views on what future preventative support should look like. We are keen to hear from as many people as possible, including members of the public, professionals, people with lived experience, carers, and colleagues across the voluntary and community sector.
Every response will help us better understand what matters most to our communities and ensure future services continue to meet local needs.
We would be very grateful if you could complete the survey and share it through your networks to help us reach as many people as possible.
Living Well and Early Help Service Questionnaire
If you would prefer to speak with us in person, we are holding a number of face to face engagement events across the Island where you can come along, share your views and ask any questions you may have;
Parklands Dementia Resource Centre, Cowes – 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Wednesday 4 November 2026
West Wight Sport Centre Café, Freshwater – 1pm to 3pm on Monday 9 November 2026
Ryde Library, Ryde – 10am to 12 noon on Tuesday 10 November 2026
Quay Arts Centre Café, Newport – 10am to 12 noon on Wednesday 11 November 2026
Thank you.
Best wishes,
Katherine
Katherine Rashley | Commissioning Officer | Strategic Commissioning | Adult Social Care Directorate | Isle of Wight Council | County Hall | Newport | PO30 1UD
Tel: 01983 821000 ext: 6242 Email: Katherine.Rashley@iow.gov.uk
Warm greetings in Christ. I want to share a simple but breathtaking thought with you: what if over two million people across our towns, villages, and cities heard the Good News of Jesus this Christmas?
For that to happen, we need 200,000 believers to stand together across these Isles — and I believe we can.
Last Christmas, more than 112,000 believers from 1,500+ churches stepped beyond their walls and brought the light of Christ to the streets through Shine Your Light. It was a moving glimpse of what happens when the Body of Christ rises in unity — denominations, ministries, networks, all lifting one voice for Jesus. Even leaders from across society — sport, arts, politics, and Buckingham Palace — encouraged the effort. God truly breathed on it.
This year, I believe He is calling us higher.
BBC’s Song of Praise will feature Shine Your Light on Sunday 14th December. We would love you to tune in at 1.15pm that afternoon and see a picture of what the Lord is doing. A special online Carol service will reach 56,000 prisoners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and already more than 700 events are registered nationwide. God is stirring something extraordinary.
Will you join us — and help us shape what could become the largest Christmas outreach our nation has ever witnessed?
Take your place in a nationwide wave of intercession, lifting up our communities, ministries, and evangelistic efforts as we prepare to carry the Gospel beyond our church buildings this Christmas.
You will also have the opportunity to connect with partner ministries, hear about their ongoing work, and stand with them in prayer for their mission.
Make a meaningful contribution by committing your hour(s) of prayer, wherever you may be.
To make it simple, we’ve created a complete 2025 Christmas programme, with a Leaders Guide and ready-to-use resources for your church and community. Order here:
We’ve also prepared two short videos to inspire your congregation:
Leading up to Christmas can be a great time to reach out to our community. Ministry of Music can provide singers, bands, worship leaders and technical services. Events could include carol concerts, worship services, outreach events, youth events, school events, café church, or care homes. Depending on the event our artists can perform Christmas songs & carols or lead worship. We can also provide artists for an alternative to Halloween ‘Light Party’ or a New Years Eve ‘Watchnight Service’.
We are also already taking bookings for 2027. Full details of all the experienced artists we work with are on our website
If you need any further information or are interested in booking an artist for your event, please email us at info@ministryofmusic.co.uk
There is a CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Debt help Centre on the Isle of Wight.
To make an inquiry for help please call the National help line number. The office will take some details and make an appointment for you in your own home on the Isle of Wight.
This is a confidential, professional and FREE service open to anyone of all faiths or none.
This is currently sponsored by a partnership of 5 local churches.
For local organisations who want to sign post people to CAP , please call Sandra Snell (Community Links Co Ordinator) on 07835486128
Source: Sandra Snell ssnell.eyp@gmail.com
Could Your Church Help Change a Child’s Life?Adopt South is asking churches across the Isle of Wight to support local children who are waiting for loving, permanent families.
We are a regional adoption agency working with local authorities, and we rely on strong community partnerships to help spread the word about adoption. Many people who could offer a child a safe and loving home simply don’t know where to start.
How can your church help?
We are inviting churches to support us by:
Displaying an Adopt South leaflets, banner or small pop‑up at church entrances, halls, or community events
Helping us reach individuals and families who may be considering adoption, now or in the future by offering to host adoption information events (virtual or in person)
In the grounds of La Charpenterie, parts of which date back to the 15th Century. Great for all year round breaks; each with Wood Burning Stoves. Pet friendly
Nail cutting, removal of hard skin/corns, Diabetic care, cracked heels, general foot care advice.
Home appointments £32
PLEASE CALL LEANNE - 07552628465
110124
070926
Accredited Counselling Training
on the Isle of Wight
Known as WCTI ( Wight Counselling Training Institute) We are an established counselling training provider in Shalfleet, Near Newport that provides 3 accredited Counselling Qualifications:
An introduction to counselling over 10 weeks
A professional certificate in Counselling over 12 months
A professional diploma in Counselling leading to registration as a counsellor ( 2 years)
We also provide organisations on the island with funded counselling support.
If you would like more information or wish to apply, please do get in touch
Charlotte Collins Co-director Wight Counselling Training Institute Web Site01983 722625
The Greenhouse is a Place of Prayer and Worship. A place of Enounter with God. A Place Where You Can Grow
The Greenhouse Christian Centre is situated between Poole and Bournemouth and just a 20 minute walk to the beach. The Centre holds Led and Silent Retreats, Quiet Days, Healing Services, Art Weeks, Discipleship Training Days and so much more.
Are you lonely and not particularly enjoying facing life on your own? Do you wish God would answer your prayers for a soul mate? Then you should contact Friends1st the off-line Christian friendship and introductory agency who've been introducing Christians to each other since 1999. Click here to find out more.
Source: 
Source: 
Source: Admin 
Source: Annalisa Vaughan 
Source: Admin 
Source: David Reading 
Source: 
This is a book about faith.
Faith, hope, peace and most importantly JOY in the face of adversity, born from the darkest place I've ever mentally found myself in.
It's about choice. The choices we make and how they shape us, make us and ultimately save us. The choice to choose faith. A faith that my tummy mummy, my Mum, my Dad and I all individually made.
Letting my faith outweigh my fears didn't come naturally during my mental breakdown, it came out of necessity. A necessity that I needed to choose hope. I needed to choose God. Because the other option for me, to succumb to darkness, to let fear and anxiety win, wasn't an option I was willing to entertain.
This book is also about my adoption. Not in the sense of how it all began. But how God has used that in the most beautiful and kindest way. How in building me back up to a kintsugi Anita, I'm in a place of peace, strength and openness. Which in turn provided the space to reframe what going back to my birth country for the first time since my adoption looked like to me. From not feeling comfortable even entertaining the thought of it, to beginning to allow the idea into my mind, before simply embracing it and trusting God with the most vulnerable part of me.
Rhoda regularly visits her son in Ventnor and is delighted to introduce Bloom of Grace to the Island’s Christian community.
Created especially for women across Christian traditions, the 2027 Devotional Planner & Diary offers morning, afternoon and evening planning spaces, an NKJV Bible reading plan, and room for prayer and reflection. It provides gentle structure without pressure or perfectionism—a place to pause, notice grace and take the next faithful step.
At its heart is a simple truth: the discipline is not perfection. The discipline is returning.
When faith takes root, grace helps it bloom.
The UK paperback edition is available directly from Rhoda for £19.99, subject to availability.
To explore the diary and enquire about buying directly, visit the 
The Nave will serve barista coffee, freshly roasted in partnership with Jaspers Coffee of Cowes, alongside homemade cakes and a selection of savoury treats, with opening hours from Tuesday to Friday, 8am to noon and will run alongside the popular ‘Love Mondays’ community café (Mondays 8am – noon).
The opening marks another step in the renewed life of All Saints following recent refurbishment work, which has created a more flexible and accessible space for worship, community events and midweek activities. The new café area reflects the church’s wider vision to serve Ryde by offering hospitality, community and a place where people can feel at home. The Nave will be staffed by an enthusiastic young café manager heading up a team of volunteers, giving people the opportunity to learn new skills, build confidence and give back to the community. Chaplains will be a gentle presence in the building offering a listening ear if wanted.
Hannah Griffiths, Community Engagement at Ryde All Saints, said: “We are so excited to open The Nave and welcome people into this beautiful building in a new way. Whether someone is popping in for a coffee on the way to work, meeting a friend after school drop off, or simply looking for a friendly place to pause, we hope The Nave will become a relaxed and welcoming space for the whole community.”
The Nave will be open from Wednesday 2nd September, Tuesday to Friday from 8am to noon at Ryde All Saints Church, Queens Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3BG.
If you would be interested in joining the team of volunteers, please contact 
For local organisations who want to sign post people to CAP , please call Sandra Snell (Community Links Co Ordinator) on 07835486128
Source: Sandra Snell 
