Setting out at 5am, their aim was to arrive at the cathedral for the 3pm service, joining with hundreds of other pilgrims who will also make their way, joining together for the Easter Monday celebrations.
The group of four are raising funds to restore damage to the church hall and church grounds which were damaged due to vandalism in July 2024. The hall is a place of great support to the local community as it opens its doors every week to both the Foodbank and Food Angels and was badly affected last year. The funds raised will be used for Phase 1 of the hall restoration project which will include replacing the damaged windows and doors.
Revd Phillipa Maddox commented:
Church members and the wider community were deeply shocked when the church hall and churchyard were senselessly vandalised in July 2024. Many people were disturbed that ancient gravestones were destroyed beyond repair and some even put flowers on the graves. It was upsetting that the most vulnerable members of our community would be most affected as the church hall is used weekly by the local Foodbank and the Kaotic Food angels project. Closing the hall would have caused widespread disruption to all the members of the community that hire the space for children’s parties and for dancing, theatre and music groups and events. Our valiant volunteers were determined to get the hall reopened as quickly as possible and we were back up and running within a few days.
Sadly, the windows that had been smashed were so badly damaged that major building work was required to fully repair them. When we started thinking about this project, though, we felt that we wanted to do more than just to put things back the way they were. The attack on the building has highlighted what a valuable resource it is for the community. As a church, we decided to use this opportunity to refurbish the church hall and bring it up to date. Our goals are to improve the sustainability, accessibility, safety and welcome provided by the building in order to better meet the needs of the community.
The group completed the walk with minutes to spare and have raised a significant sum in the meantime. To donate, click here: https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/easter-monday-pilgrimage
Laura, Alex, Norbert and Isa gave this message:
Thank you to everyone who sponsored and supported us on our pilgrimage from St Mary’s Baldock to the Abbey on Monday. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over £1,400! Despite setting off in the rain at 5am, we completed the 24 miles with about 10 minutes to spare… If you haven’t yet donated and would like to, there is still time. Any donations will help towards the work of the repairs and well as additional work to make the hall a welcoming, safe, accessible and sustainable space for everyone who uses it.
Well done to the team!
