Coffee Shop Report for Annual Review 2020

The Coffee Shop in the Melvill Room is open every Saturday morning serving fairly traded coffee and tea and homemade cakes at very competitive prices.  Each week a different charity hosts the event and as a result, in 2019, we again raised over £6,500 in donations to local, national and international charities. St Mary’s also benefits although this largely goes to cover overheads. Many thanks to our fantastic team of volunteer baristas and to the generosity of our customers.  We are particularly grateful to our loyal group of regulars including our bellringing team. As one of our baristas kindly said “It is a wonderful resource for the community generally as well as for the many local charities that benefit and we really value your support and generosity”. The coffee shop also provides an opportunity to introduce St Mary’s and its beautiful building to guests and to casual visitors. A win-win situation!  We would love to welcome additional ‘baristas’ so if you have a favourite charity and would like to join the roster please contact me.  Fresh coffee and tea provided – just bring some scrumptious cakes and a couple of willing volunteers. We would love to see more of our congregation attending so please bear it in mind when you’re out and about on a Saturday morning!   Claire Boyling 020 8878 3775 / [email protected]

Hospitality Team Report for Annual Review 2020

The Hospitality team is a small but vital cog in the daily life of our church. Our role is to provide refreshment at special times and at regular events and services. In 2019, we prepared lunch for the ‘Rector’ candidates and associated dignitaries, cooked a  Maundy Thursday Supper in the Kitson Hall and an Easter Dawn post Service breakfast and co-ordinated all-day refreshments at Barnes Fair, cakes and drinks for Christian Aid and the Barnes Children Literature Festival, Harvest Lunch and a series of light nibbles during the year as required!  But the special occasion was the Bring and Share lunch in July to celebrate the arrival of Rev’d James and Alice Hutchings. Our thanks to Diane du Parcq and colleagues who provided lunches and other refreshment at our Christmas Fair in November. And to our team of enthusiastic ‘barmen’ who make sure we never go home thirsty!  Where would we be without all this generous help?   And finally a word of thanks to our team of Sunday baristas who supply us with coffee after the 10am Sunday service. It is so nice to be able to chat over a cuppa.

Should you wish to join us please contact Claire Boyling (020 8878 3775).  We only meet a couple of times a year:  the committee does the organising but it is the congregation who really make these events special both in terms of contributions and volunteering.   The’ H’ Team:  Rosie, Claire, Fiona, Patty, Alison and Sian