Residential Weekend at Belsey Bridge
Bury Quakers Weekend Conference
‘Strengthening Our Community Through Sharing’
20 – 22 April @ Belsey Bridge Conference Centre, Bungay
We Need Your Help to Plan the Direction of Bury Meeting
For the first time in several years Bury Meeting is holding a weekend away to talk about the current state of the Meeting and to discuss the direction we want it to take.
To help our deliberations, Mike Medhurst, who has been instrumental in guiding the resurgence of Ipswich Meeting, and well-known Quaker, Geoffrey Durham, who was behind Quaker Quest, will be joining us to help focus our discussions.
Internally, Martin Pennock will be running a session on our committee structure so that it works in the best way for everyone.
Who can come: Any friend from Bury meeting is encouraged to attend – member or attender, young or old, long standing friend or recent joiner. We want a broad discussion, with views from a wide range of friends.
When: Friday afternoon to Sunday lunchtime (4pm, Friday 20 April to 1pm, on Sunday 22 April.) If you are unable to commit to the full weekend, you can attend for Saturday alone. However, we would encourage friends to consider attending for the full weekend.
Where: Belsey Bridge Christian Conference Centre, Ditchingham, Bungay, Suffolk. (Transport can be arranged for those without a car).
Cost: The cost of the full weekend ( 2 nights’ accommodation, all meals, coffee/tea and use of conference facilities) is £100 (including £50 subsidy from Bury meeting).
Attendance on Saturday only (lunch, teas/coffees, use of conference facilities) £30.
If you want to attend and need financial support, please speak to Margaret Bennett in confidence.
Why we’d like you to come: As the world evolves and changes, so must our meetings – so that we can continue to be relevant and to address the issues that face us all.
It was agreed that a weekend together, away from our normal routine and the familiarity of the Meeting House, would help us to talk more freely and deeply about our own experience of the Quaker faith and how we would like to see the meeting develop.
By the end of the weekend we aim to have proposals drawn up that we can bring back for further discernment at our Meeting for Business in May.
To Book Your Place: Please contact Margaret Bennett on margaretbennett115@gmail.com or 01284 719299 by Friday 6 April.
She will need the answers to the following questions:
SINGLE BEDROOM Yes/No
DOUBLE BEDROOM Yes/No (shared with?)
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
ANY OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Practical Stuff
Venue: Belsey Bridge Conference Centre, Ditchingham, Bungay, NR35 2DZ (detailed directions on the website)
Contact details: Tel: 01986 892133
Email: belseybridge@cct.org.uk
Website: www.cct.org.uk/belseybridge
Check in: From 3.30pm on Friday 20 April at main reception.
Tea will be served at 4.15pm, and the first session starts promptly at 5pm.
Parking: There is plenty of free parking at the conference venue.
Car Share: If you can offer a lift, or if you need a lift, please contact Alison Fairgrieve who is coordinating this alisonf80@gmail.com
Transport: Train and bus details are available on the Belsey Bridge website for those not travelling by car.
Saturday evening: We would like to encourage as many Friends as possible to contribute to some light hearted entertainment. So if you’d like to read a poem, tell a joke, play an instrument (an electric piano is available), sing, share a funny anecdote or perform some other form of entertainment, please let Margaret or Kate know so that we can programme you in.
In the meantime if you have any queries or questions, please contact Margaret (01284 719299/ 07979 879588) or Kate (01787 378855/ 07722823903)
We look forward very much to welcoming you on the 20th.
Programme
Friday
Arrival from 3.30pm onwards
4pm: Register, find room, afternoon tea
5pm: Session 1 – welcome, introduction, outline weekend
Followed by informal warm-up session
6.30pm: Relaxation prior to dinner
7pm: Dinner
8pm: Session 2 – The present state of the meeting
9.15pm: The Epilogue
Saturday
From 8.00am: Breakfast
9.00am: Session 3– Quakers Sharing Experience -Geoffrey Durham
1.30pm: Lunch
2.00 – 5.00pm Free time Afternoon tea
5.00pm: Session 4 – Reflections on state of the meeting session.
6.30pm: Relaxation prior to dinner
7pm: Dinner
8pm: Evening’s Entertainment
9.30pm: The Epilogue
Sunday
8.30am: Breakfast
9.30: Meeting for worship
10.30: Morning tea/coffee
11am: Session 5 – Bury committee & nominations structure
12.30pm: Session6 –Review of weekend and future action
1pm: Lunch followed by departure