APCM : Sunday 11th October

We are planning to hold our much delayed Annual Parochial Church Meeting on Sunday 11th October via Zoom.

We normally distribute paper copies of our reports and accounts before the meeting. Clearly that is a lot more difficult this year.

Accordingly here is a link to our reports – unaltered since originally produced for the APCM planned in March.

 

 

Here is a link to our annual accounts, as produced for the charity commission.

St Catherine’s Centre Activities – Six person limit update

The Government’s announcement on 9th September of a six person gathering limit will clearly affect activities within St Catherine’s Centre.

It is clear that many Church and Hall activities will no longer be able to take place from Monday 14th. There are a list of exemptions to this rule, and we are currently seeking to more fully understand what they are.

However, for now, we can confirm :-

  • Our Sunday Services in the Church building will continue unchanged.
    Religious services are exempt from the new ruling.  We must continue to operate a Covid-secure environment which includes wearing face coverings.
  • The Café will continue opening – with it’s reduced hours (Thursdays and Fridays) and limited menu.
    Covid-secure Hospitality services are exempt, but must now enforce the six person limit, so large groups sharing tables will not be possible.
  • Tuesday get Together will no longer be meeting until this restriction changes.

As the Government issues more guidance, further decisions on other groups can be made.  Please contact your group organiser for details on any specific activity.

St Catherine’s Centre Activities

We are pleased to announce that St Catherine’s Centre (both Hall and Church) is open for hire and holding meetings from the 1st of September.  We will be following Government guidelines as we continue to explore how best to operate in a Corvid safe manner as our users return.

We have been holding Sunday Services in the Church building, in a Corvid-secure environment, for a while now.

In addition, the Café is now open on Thursdays and Fridays with a reduced service.

Accordingly, we are now exploring the best way to open the Hall for use by groups, in a safe manner.

We are asking all groups to undertake additional responsibilities to try and ensure a Corvid-secure environment.  As part of this will are temporarily splitting the centre into two zones.  We ask Hall users to enter via the southern, road side entrance and Church users to enter via the northern, car park side entrance.

In accordance with Government Guidelines, most Hall and Church users will be expected to wear face coverings while they are inside the building.

We totally understand that some groups and some individuals will not consider it appropriate to attend or re-start at this time.

Activities will resume when each group thinks best for their users.  Please chat to your group organiser for details.

Tuesday get Together – Restarting Tuesday 1st September

We are pleased to announce that Tuesday get Together is restarting on Tuesday 1st September in the Café area of St Catherine’s.

We will be following corvid-secure guidelines.  This means that we request that you wear a face covering as you enter the building, sanitise your hands upon arrival, sign in for track and trace purposes, and follow social distancing guidelines while in the Café.

We are stressing that as over 70s are still advised to be very careful in their socialising, that any decision to come is entirely of their own choosing.

Sunday Worship – 23rd August

St Catherine of Siena ChurchIn addition to our on-line service, we have been holding a simple, spoken worship service in church at 10am for a few Sundays now.

As attendance at this physical service has grown, we are now introducing a booking system.

If you would like to attend please let Rev Gill know before 12 noon on Saturday, or email us here at info@stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk . If you turn up without booking, you may still be able to attend, but be prepared for the unlikely possibility that we may not be able to fit you in!

Please remember to wear a face mask. Strict social distancing is in place, and Covid-19 guidelines have been implemented. Government advice is that 70+ be encouraged to stay at home – but it is the individuals decision as to whether you attend.

Our separate on-line service continues as usual at 10am, and can be found at  www.facebook.com/st.catherines.tilehurst/live/

Café Siena – reopening

After careful consideration, we are delighted to announce that we are going to reopen the cafe from this week (August 6th).

Initially a soft opening on Thursdays and Fridays 10.30-13.30 with a reduced menu (hot and cold drinks, cakes, soups, and sandwiches).

Extra safety measures will be in place to help safeguard the well-being of all.  Please wear face coverings to come and go!   Entrance by the car park (north) door only!   Limited seating, including tables and chairs outdoors weather permitting.