Following the government announcement of the lifting of legal restrictions on 19th July we have looked at the guidance and thought long and hard about how we can start to open up safely, given the increasing Covid cases, whilst being sympathetic to people’s anxieties and respectful to differing views. 

We always knew that it would be harder to come out of restrictions that to go in and we will do our best, together with your support, to provide an environment that is spiritually enriching and where people feel safe. 

To do this we propose a measured and cautious approach to gradually reintroduce various elements that we have been used to in our services from Sunday 1st August. This includes:

• Removing the need for booking whilst keeping a list of contact details for track and trace.
• Maintaining the provision of sanitiser.
• Maintaining the wearing of masks.
• Providing some socially distanced seating on the left hand side of the church as you enter, for those who prefer this. 
• Continuing with doors being open to provide adequate ventilation.
• Maintaining communion in one kind with distribution of wafers by hand rather than tongs and no procession of elements.
• Sharing the peace only with people within reach provided that they are happy to do so.
• The singing as a congregation while wearing masks. 
• The introduction of a retiring collection plate rather than collection pouches being handed round.
• Opening the church daily subject to people being available to open and close.

This what we plan to do for August but are monitoring the situation regularly subject to changes in guidelines and feedback. All changes will be communicated in the weekly newsletter, website and also verbally in services in the coming weeks.