Popalong restarts on Friday 9th September 2022 and we are able to welcome new families.

For those new to the area, Popalong is a Baby and Toddler Group (0 to 3+ years) where mums, dads, grandparents or carers can meet up with others and relax while little ones play, babies wriggle, stare or sleep, enjoy refreshments and join in the singing with Martyn on his guitar.

The group is very friendly and supportive, especially to new mums and newcomers to the area.

The session is from 9.30 - 11.30am and we meet during term time in the Wesleyan Chapel on Chapel Lane, Crich.

For more information contact Lynda on 07890 688021 or jimlynda.gray@btopenworld.com.

Muddlealong have just forwarded some of their completed items to the Ukraine appeal.

As our Muddlers finish items they bring them to the Chapel, where we have our meetings, and where we store them untill we have a good amount to donate.

Luckily we had a lot stored, due to COVID when we couldn’t send them on.

So Margaret (one of our Muddlers) piled them into her car and took them to a collection point in Belper, to be forwarded to Derby and onwards to Poland to help with the Ukraine crisis.

It was all newly finished knitted items:-

                *15 single bed size blankets

                *17 metre square blankets suitable for shawls or for children.

                *26 children’s jumpers and 1 cardigan

                *14 hats

                *5 hat and scarf sets

                *4 scarves

I had recently taken quite a lot of items to Derby Royal Hospital – 2 large bags of metre square blankets used for knee or shoulder blankets and a lovely large bag of Twiddlemuffs. 

This time I took them to the Macmillan Unit, but I vary donations between that ward and the dementia and end of life care wards.

Muddlealong meet in Crich Wesleyan Chapel on Chapel Lane on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday afternoon of each month, 2pm-4.30pm. New members are always welcome :-)

Lynne Field

Popalong meets at the Wesleyan Chapel and welcomes new families. For those new to the area, Popalong is a Baby and Toddler Group (0 to 3 years) where mums, dads, grandparents or carers can meet up with others and relax while little-ones play, babies wriggle, stare or sleep, enjoy refreshments and join in the singing with Martyn on his guitar. The group is very friendly and supportive, especially to families new to the area. The session is from 9.30 - 11.30am and we meet during term time. For more information contact Lynda on 01773 857921 or jimlynda.gray@btopenworld.com.

Popalong Babies also meets at the Wesleyan Chapel but on Mondays from 10am to 11-30 and welcomes first time mums and mums-to-be. Popalong Babies supports infants  0-18 months and their mums and provides a range of activities and group support.  For more information contact Serena Hancox 07719818112 or Elizabeth Brierton 07851202980 or popalongbabies@gmail.com

Covid guidelines are followed as we want to keep all safe and well. Please contact the leaders before popping in, as at present an eye is being kept on numbers. Pre-booking is essential for the Monday Popalong Babies Group where places are limited. 

Join in with the Christmas Story as it unfolds in windows around Crich from 15 December to 29 December.

There will be stopping places around Crich telling the Christmas Story, culminating at St Mary’s for the Nativity scene. Each stopping place will be linked with a Christmas carol. 

Guide books can be picked up from the telephone kiosk in the market place and at the end of the journey, craft bags can be collected from St Mary’s Church porch between 10.30 am and 6.00 pm.

Amber Valley Borough Council, who have been responsible for the maintenance of the ‘closed churchyard’ since the early 90s, have promised that the whole churchyard will be cut within the next few weeks. A churchyard is termed ‘closed’ because there is no more space for burials available. Burials now take place in the adjacent burial ground, below the churchyard. Crich Parish council are responsible for the maintenance of the burial ground.

St Mary’s PCC are excited to be in the planning stages of a sustainable maintenance plan, which will be carried out in cooperation with AVBC. The PCC hope the new plan for this special place can encourage biodiversity and the enjoyment and safety of all churchyard users.

We would love to know the views of those in our community who visit the churchyard and would like to invite you to come and talk to us during the afternoon session of the work day between 2-4pm.

The work party day – open to all comers with their garden tools – will be held on the morning of Satuday 30 October from 9.00 am and an afternoon session from 2.00 pm.  As it is Half Term on that day, children (supervised by their adults) are very welcome to join in!