As you know, the Government’s ‘Plan B’ restrictions for England have been lifted (as of 27 January). This means that face coverings will no longer be mandatory in churches. There are no legal limits to the numbers of people who can attend church services, and rules over social distancing are no longer in place.

It is my view, with support from the Churchwardens and Church Councils, that, although these measures are no longer legal requirements, we should continue to recommend that people follow the practices that we have developed since returning to public worship. That is to say, we recommend face coverings for those attending church services, and we ask people to maintain a safe distance from others, and to use hand sanitizer on entering the building.

Both churches will continue to administer communion in the way that we have been doing and the pattern of services will continue. On Sundays, there will usually be a service of Holy Communion at St Cross at 9.30AM and at St Matthew’s at 10.45AM. The service from St Matthew’s will be livestreamed via Zoom and the church’s Facebook page.

We are aware of the needs of those who are vulnerable and anxious, and will continue to do all we can to make our church services safe, comfortable, and welcoming to all. We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments when we feel it is right to do so.

Thank you for your support and to all who have worked so hard to keep the churches’ mission and ministry going during these challenging times.

Alan Jewell