A PASTORAL phone call from the Norwich diocesan office to St Peter’s, Belaugh, has resulted in the welcome repair of a landing stage on the River Bure and a service of blessing for its reinstatement.
Norwich, estimated to be the second largest Church of England diocese, has 550 parishes and 658 church buildings. Its diocesan secretary, Tim Sweeting, said that he wanted to ensure that “each and every parish knows we are here to help, no matter the issues they encounter.”
A customer-services adviser, Danica Rice, has been appointed to support a new pastoral initiative, in which every parish will receive a friendly phone call during 2026, to discuss what is happening in the parish, what expertise, guidance, and funding is available, and to check that all contacts are up to date.
“We’re a very rural diocese, and there’s no way of getting round and visiting all of them,” the diocesan communications manager, Elizabeth Humphries, said. “We have a lot of outreach work already in place, in the shape of eNews bulletins, social media, and news and updates on our website; but we wanted to engage with them in a much more proactive way.”
The call to the PCC secretary of St Peter’s, Belaugh, revealed the struggles that it was facing after an accident on the river in the summer. A hired boat collided with the staithe at St Peter’s, putting it out of use. This resulted in fewer visitors to the church, and, therefore, a loss of vital revenue. The church had no money for the repairs.
Ms Rice contacted the Care of Church Buildings team, who advised on how to arrange the work and allocated St Peter’s a minor-repairs and improvement grant. After the work was done, the Rector, the Revd Liz Jump, arrived by boat to lead the thanksgiving for the staithe’s reinstatement.
