St Peter & 
Aylesford
PARISH PROFILE 2007
www.aylesford-church.org.uk
Contents
1.1 The Geography
of Aylesford
1.3 Facilities,
Shops and Leisure
1.7 Other
faiths and ecumenical communities
1.7.3 Churches
together in Malling
1.8 Local
Trusts and Charities
1.8.3 Royal
British Legion Village
1.8.4 The
Heart of Kent Hospice & Gavin Astor House
3.2.4 Saturday
Morning Prayers
3.2.6 Emmaus
and Cursillo groups
3.2.9 Links
with the wider world and the wider church
3.8 Other
Affiliated Organisations
4.2 Strengths
and weakness of the Parish
Appendix
1 Map of the Parish of Aylesford
1 AYLESFORD
1.1 The Geography of Aylesford
Aylesford is
located in Mid Kent, at the foot of the North Downs, on the banks of the river
Medway approximately half way between
The
Aylesford is well located for commuting to both
Road links are
excellent. The M2, M20 and M26 are easily accessible.
Aylesford Station on the Medway Valley Railway Line
links to main line routes at Strood,
Add to this easy access to
The parish of Aylesford is large and diverse. It
extends to cover two main villages; Aylesford and Eccles. The extent is shown
in Appendix 1.
It lies in the Deanery of Malling, the Archdeaconry
of Tonbridge and in the Diocese of Rochester.
At the North the parish is rural and runs onto the Downs,
covering Eccles and
The parish is further geographically divided by
three main features, the Medway, the M20 and the railway line. These physical
features have acted to move the main population centres to the south of the
river, whilst the old village and Church (pictured on the cover) now share the
north side with light industry and warehousing.
Despite being in close proximity to
1.3 Facilities, Shops and Leisure
A large retail park to the south of the parish
provides a wealth of retail outlets including Sainsbury’s and BHS, whilst
Bluewater Shopping Centre is only a 20 minute drive
away.
Doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, and many
other forms of local facilities are available.
Hotels, health clubs, sports clubs (including both Aylesford
Rugby and Aylesford Football Clubs) and gymnasiums can all be found within the
parish.
In 2005 the PCC prepared a pamphlet entitled “What’s
doing in Aylesford” which was issued to newcomers to the parish following
completion of two large modern housing estates. This is now slightly out of
date, but does list the major local social amenities & facilities which may
well be of interest to an incoming incumbent. A copy of this publication may be
found on the Parish website www.aylesford-church.org.uk
The church has close links with two local
Previous vicars have visited these schools regularly for assemblies and
assistance with spiritual education.
The church has recently been developing some links with the other two
schools in the parish (Aylesford Primary and Secondary Schools). In recent
years, the Vicar has held some assemblies and visited both schools including
overseeing an Alpha course at
Three pre-school playgroups are present, (one in
Eccles, two in Aylesford one of which is sited on St Peter’s school premises).
In addition, there is a further primary school to
the southwest of the parish,
Slightly further afield are the other main
secondary schools which serve the parish.
- St
Some youngsters in the parish and congregation also
attend The Bennett Memorial School (Church of England) Comprehensive in Tunbridge
Wells.
Having a population of approximately 7,000 Aylesford
Parish has a wide range of socio-economic groups.
There is a wide variety of housing, with the early
buildings in the village centres and in rural areas now overtaken by the growth
of large estates in the latter half of the 20th century and with recent new
developments near the river.
In addition to the local employment offered by the
large amount of industrial and retail centres in and around
commute to
A particular feature of Aylesford Parish is the
presence of The Royal British Legion Village. This community consists of a host
of dwellings for (in particular) older residents, as well as for younger
families and individuals.
In recent years there have been closures of local
industrial and warehousing facilities which have impacted on many families in
the parish.
Recently there has been the closure of the large
Safeways distribution centre in
Happily, this particular site has been purchased by
Waitrose, along with the undertaking to eventually re-employ local staff where
possible.
The above said, unemployment is not high being in
the region of 1 % of the working age parish population (figures for 2003/2004)
House prices are high and the usual ever present
problem exists as to how younger members of the community get started on the
property ladder.
There are many local youth organisations, but few
established youth clubs or supervised meeting places. The main exception being
a Youth Club meeting at The Friars.
There have been occasional problems with vandalism
and youths congregating in disruptive groups in recent years, although these
have rarely been significant or long lasting.
1.7 Other faiths and ecumenical communities
In addition to being home to the local Anglican
worshipping community, Aylesford is also the home to The Friars, a large
Carmelite religious community, originally founded in the 13th century and
re-established in 1949. A large number of Roman Catholic communicants use The
Friars as a regular place of worship.
St Peter &
Very recently choirs from both communities have
joined and performed together in both venues.
Joint
choirs of St Peter &
1.7.2
Eccles has a
1.7.3 Churches together in Malling
St Peter & St Paul’s participates in an
ecumenical group entitled “Churches together in Malling”.
This consists of cross-church fellowship and
sharing of services and worship. St Peter and
1.8 Local Trusts and Charities
There are a number
of trust and charitable institutions in the parish. Those most often associated
with the church are the following:-
This trust was
instituted by the Victorian benefactor Henry Brassey, MP, and Churchwarden of
Aylesford. Former owner of nearby Preston Hall (now a NHS building) Henry
Brassey financed many good things in the village. In addition to financing the
major refurbishment of the church, he had great influence in the prosperity of
the village in Victorian times.
After Henry
Brassey’s death The Brassey Trust was set up in his memory “For the benefit of the Church of England in
the Parish of Aylesford”.
The trust carries
on with these aims today, managing capital and assets which include the rental
and management of the old school (now used by the church and called the Brassey
Centre), the associated cottage (residential letting) and the former Temperance
Hall (commercial letting)
The Vicar and
Churchwardens of Aylesford are ex officio trustees. The Trust is a legally
separate entity from the parish which can act independently.
Meetings are
infrequent, mainly arising as and when the need dictates.
Aylesford has a
small collection of Alms Houses. Located in
There is a board
of trustees who manage the properties and the Vicar and two Churchwardens are
non-elected trustees.
Meetings are
called every three months or so.
1.8.3
The Royal British
Legion headquarters are located in Aylesford. Situated off
Attached to the
British Legion HQ is an estate of various sized dwellings and social housing many
of which are occupied by the elderly.
The ministry team
visit this estate on a regular basis and take communion monthly.
The parish has
good relations with the Royal British Legion, who use the church on occasion,
and also assist in Remembrance Day worship.
1.8.4 The Heart of Kent Hospice & Gavin Astor House
The Heart of Kent
Hospice is located within our Parish. Set in the grounds of Preston Hall, the
hospice cares for those who are terminally ill.
The church has
good links with the hospice and liaises with their chaplain. Pastoral visits
from the ministry team are regular, the choir sing carols here at Christmas and
several members of the church are or have been involved with the hospice over
the years.
Gavin Astor House
is a care home for the elderly, sited adjacent to the hospice. Those unable to
care for themselves reside here in what is a caring and well run home.
Pastoral visits
are regular here, particularly as many older members of the parish reside here
and communion is celebrated monthly.
2 THE
CHURCH & BUILDINGS
Set on a hill overlooking the ancient
Dating back to Norman times, the church is fairly
large with double aisles.
The church is blessed with many ancient monuments,
several of which are of significant historical importance, including the tomb
of Sir Francis Culpepper.
A major refurbishment was undertaken in 1878
primarily paid for by the Victorian benefactor Henry Brassey.
In recent years carpets have been laid to both
aisles and the chancel, new chairs purchased to replace some of the previous
Victorian pews at the rear of the church enabling the area to be used flexibly
for meetings, displays, and as extra seating for large congregations. A vestry
is used as a crèche and the NW corner of the north aisle is used as a
children’s corner.
The church is in generally good repair, with usual
ongoing maintenance costs cropping up from time to time.
The church bells have been recently re-hung, along
with a large amount of associated work in the tower. Lots of fundraising was
carried out for this, as well as securing of grants etc.
The last Quinquennial Inspection was carried out in
2003. This revealed a few relatively minor issues which were all dealt with
using funds from the Church Repair Fund.
Flush Fund
A major failing in the church is the lack of
toilets. Whilst this is not a new problem, the PCC feel that it is a
significant issue and in particular, does not assist us in our welcoming young
families.
In 2006 the PCC commissioned an architect to design
the conversion of the area below the tower to a WC and small kitchenette. These
plans and specifications are now complete and the process of obtaining
faculties etc. are under way.
In the meantime the “Flush Fund” has been
instigated. This is a major fund-raising drive – as we need to raise approx
£75,000 - £80,000. Our efforts have so far been rewarded as, at the time of
preparing this profile, the funds secured stood at £30,000 including £20,000
from PCC reserves.
Among the more significant fund raising activities
has been door to door collections from the entire parish, complete with our
previous incumbent dragging a toilet on wheels behind him! This proved to be
excellent publicity and outreach and was well received by most parishioners.
The Church Organ
The church organ is a marvellous
instrument built in 1865 by Forster and Andrew.
It has recently been established that the
instrument needs a major overhaul in the near future. The intentions are to
instigate these works once the toilets have been provided.
Formerly a school, this building is located on the
other side of the river. It is owned by the Brassey Trust and the building is
let to the church. Since 1996, it has been used as a church centre, managed by
a PCC sub-committee.
It has a good sized car park, halls, toilets, a
catering kitchen and an office.
The church office is in this building (see later).
The larger of two function rooms is let to the
public for a variety of purposes, ranging from parties to Weightwatchers. Many church
events, shows, meetings and parties are held in this room.
The Brassey Centre – our
“Church Hall”
The
Brassey Centre is essentially our “Church Hall”. Being both well resourced and
located it complements the church where, of course there are no facilities.
A
smaller room is permanently laid out with various merchandise and open to the
public every Saturday in the form of the Saturday Market.
Run
by volunteers, the sale of donated books, stationery, various second hand goods
and hand made goods, brings in a significant amount of money and the Saturday
Market is an essential link with the community.
Working
hard at the Saturday Market
The Brassey Centre is in basically good
repair, with larger repairs and refurbishment projects being run and paid for
by the Brassey Trust in any event.
PCC income from lettings does not cover the
expenses of operating the centre. However, on balance the PCC has concluded
that the Centre still proves to be a net asset to the parish.
The vicarage is a modern detached building, situated near the church, right next to St Peter’s School. It was built in the
late 1980’s in the grounds of the old Georgian vicarage (which
was subsequently converted into classrooms and transferred to the school)
The vicarage has four
bedrooms, lounge, dining room etc with a separate study and downstairs toilet
for visitors.
A double detached garage and good sized gardens
make this an attractive abode for an incoming incumbent.
The Church owns a semi-detached property on the
Greenacres Estate. Formerly a curate’s residence, the property is now
commercially let and provides a regular income in the form of rent and is
managed as an asset.
3 THE
WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY
Regular worship is held as follows
Wednesdays
10.00 Weekly said Holy Communion (Common
Worship)
Sundays 8.00
Weekly said Holy Communion (Common Worship)
10.00 Weekly sung Holy Communion
(Common Worship)
The 10.00 Sunday
communion is sometimes varied, according to season and other events.
Family Services are held monthly.
Evensong is held only rarely, normally in a full
choral setting.
Since 2006 all Baptisms are combined with the 10.00
Sunday communion.
The
Last Service with our previous incumbent, Rev Simon Tillotson.
St Peter and
An established musical tradition is led by the
choir and organ, supported by a willing congregation!
Notwithstanding this, the PCC and past incumbents
have been keen to also provide for those seeking a more informal and “laid
back” worship style.
In past years we have experimented with more modern
and informal services, including for a time, a weekly informal worship on a
Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately these have not generally been well supported.
A very successful music group ran for several years
for family services and had been very popular. However regrettably, this has
recently disbanded due to commitments, members leaving for university etc.. and
general lack of numbers.
The PCC remain keen that suitable talent and
enthusiasm will re-emerge from the congregation in the future.
A number of small informal and formal prayer groups
exist.
The church regularly runs organised
courses at the Brassey Centre. These are well publicised and well attended,
Alpha
Course 2006
A relatively recent introduction, now
seen as an important and part of our outreach.
At certain times every week, a member of our
pastoral team mans a phone with the aim of receiving prayer requests from
parishioners who may not feel able to come to church for any reason.
Prayerline
- someone to listen
Gentle advertising and word of mouth has resulted
in this service being used regularly.
A bible study group meets regularly, under
leadership of one of the Pastoral Assistants.
3.2.4 Saturday Morning Prayers
At the time of writing, silent prayers for world
peace – particularly for the
Held in a spiritual manner, a regular weekly coffee
morning is held in Eccles. This is well attended and acts as a welcome
“outpost” in Eccles.
3.2.6 Emmaus and Cursillo groups
These run every fortnight run by one of the
pastoral assistants.
3.2.7 Quiet Days and Prayers
From
time to time quiet days and prayers are held at Wickham Lodge, in the village.
3.2.8 Prayer Visiting
For nine months of the year members
of the pastoral team carry out door to door visiting for prayer requests.
Out
in the community
3.2.9 Links with the wider world and the wider church
Christian Aid is
well supported by St Peter and
A local Charity, Friends of Gambian Schools, was
formed by some members of the church approx. 12 years ago. In addition to
financial support from parishioners, several members of the congregation have
visited The Gambia to see first hand poverty and real need.
In 2004 the PCC voted to declare us a
“
Aylesford is a popular church for
weddings; the scenic setting and availability of both a choir and a full set of
bells considerably enhancing the attraction.
Popular
for Weddings
Baptisms too are popular, although as noted earlier,
the PCC have recently voted to adopt the Bishop’s guidance that baptisms take
place in the context of Sunday Worship.
In the calendar year ending 31st December
2006, there were 41 Baptisms and 21 weddings.
Funerals are likewise numerous, although the
churchyard has been closed for many years, with the exception of committal of
ashes. Local burials take place in the local cemetery, cremations at either of the
two local large crematoriums; Bluebell Hill and Vinter’s Park Maidstone.
There is a significant pastoral and administrative
workload arising from these, but also real opportunities to reach out to people
who often otherwise have no contact with the church. The parish administrator assists with the
arrangements, and the provision made during the interregnum for covering some
pastoral aspects offer possibilities for the longer term.
The incumbency at St Peter and
Aylesford and Eccles, although having only the
single church, offers a challenging parish to the incumbent.
The parish is large with a big and disparate population, much of it remote from
the church and with no obvious community focus. Sunday attendance suggests that
most are not interested but attendance at festivals and occasional offices
apparently suggests a residual faith in many individuals.
The schools also provide another opportunity for outreach
The new vicar will be working with an eager and
willing ministry team.
We are fortunate to have ….
- Two pastoral assistants
- Two lay readers, one of whom is licensed to administer communion by
extension.
- One pastoral assistant in training
- One trainee evangelist.
All are looking forward to working with a new
vicar.
Part
of the “M” Team
The PCC employs a parish clerk who works on
Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 10am and 3pm and is based in the
church office (in the Brassey Centre)
Members of the public call to the office as a first
point of contact for weddings, funerals and the like.
The office is equipped with phones, IT equipment,
copying and binding facilities as well as a toilet and tea making facilities.
It is also used at other times of the week for production and duplication of
the parish magazine and service sheets.
The above makes the office a desirable alternative
to the vicarage study when and if the need arises.
The Parochial Church Council currently comprises nineteen
members of the church.
They meet every two months, with various
sub-committees meeting in the intervening months. Meetings are held at the
Brassey Centre.
Renamed the “Sunday Club” in recent years, the
Sunday School meets most Sundays during the 10.00am Communion.
Due to lack of suitable accommodation within the
church, until recently the Sunday School met in the Vicarage Study.
However, due to enquiries made prior to the current
interregnum, we are now lucky to be able to use St Peter’s School’s new
Playgroup building.
This is located at the end of the
The school have confirmed this arrangement can be
permanent – hence a long standing problem has been solved.
Attendance at Sunday School typically ranges from five
to ten children between the ages of five and fourteen.
A small team of leaders and helpers ensure that the
children who attend get a good quality supplementary education in the Christian
Faith.
3.7.2 
Choir
The choir of the
Well, some of us
are ready!
The parish website www.aylesford-church.org.uk has
samples of the choir singing.
St Peter & St Paul’s Church has a long and
established history of bellringing.
The bells and ringing chamber have recently been refurbished, and the
current bellringers are certainly making the most of them.
There are approximately 15members, young and old, who meet to practise every
Monday evening.
The bellringers ring every Sunday prior to the
10.00am service, at the majority of weddings and also special services/events.
Don’t
let go!
The
parish website www.aylesford-church.org.uk has
samples of the our bells being rung.
An occasional group who in recent years have
organised and performed stage shows and performances.
The Brassey Centre has been used as a venue in
recent years, although in the past the church has been used on occasion as well
as the local community centre.
Normally convened and run by church members, St
Peter’s Players is currently inactive.
However, these events do pull in resources and
involvement from outside the congregation and have always enhanced community
spirit and outreach.
3.7.5 
Flower Arrangers
The church is often to be seen adorned with
splendid and beautiful flower arrangements.
This is thanks to a dedicated group of ladies who work hard behind the scenes.
We’re
not finished yet!
3.8 Other Affiliated Organisations
The scouting movement is well represented in
Aylesford.
Aylesford 1st Scouts are a rapidly
expanding group. Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers are all present; based in
the Scout Hut just next to the old bridge on the south side of the river.
The Scouts have recently resumed attending church as
a group for special services and events. We would like to see this develop
further.
There are two Brownie packs in Aylesford
One group meet every Wednesday in the Community
Centre, the other in the Brassey Centre on Thursdays.
The Brownies are well attended, but unfortunately
the nearest Guide Group is in Ditton, the neighbouring village.
Brownies also attend church for special services,
as well as helping out regularly with church cleaning.
Flower festivals
Every three or
four years the Flower arrangers hold a flower festival in the church, which is
always spectacular.
St Peter’s Week
This was begun
last year when a week of events was organised, both social and religious, to
celebrate our Patronal Festival. It is planned to repeat this in 2007.
Village Fete
Some years,
culmination of Church Flower Festivals, Church Fairs, and School Fairs have
resulted in shared planning and organisation. The result has been a number of
large “village fetes” encompassing much of the old village.
Welcome Evening
We have held several
of these over the past two years, in the Brassey Centre. Primarily aimed at
newcomers to the Parish (in view of the large amount of new housing recently
built), they have attracted some new members to the Church as well as being
successful social evenings
In 2005 the PCC discussed matters related to
protection of children in all aspects of church life. A comprehensive Policy, together with procedures and
administrative arrangements based on national and Diocesan recommendations was
developed and introduced.
The PCC has also appointed a Child Protection Officer.
The last set of published accounts is for 2005. The
accounts for 2006 are currently being prepared on an accruals basis reflecting
the latest requirements and recommendations for a parish with our turnover.
The Treasurer, with the Finance Committee, keeps the financial situation
under review and reports the position with recommended action to the PCC. An
annual budget is prepared for PCC approval and a financial overview of major
projects is made. The parish is solvent but income is always struggling to keep
pace with cost of inflation.
Giving: Following a
period of some stagnation and decline the Finance Committee mounted a giving
appeal to the congregation in 2004. This proved successful and giving increased
by about 20% in both planned giving and in collections. Since then two further appeals have been
mounted to avoid loss of momentum. There is a growing appreciation that it is
today’s church that has to fund our activities including paying for our clergy
and that individual giving has to be the foundation of our income.
Other Donations: The PCC is grateful to the small
group who operate the Saturday Market to raise money for the church; they were
able to donate nearly £3000 in 2006.
Fundraising: There was a
welcome increase in activity in 2006 for general and specific purposes, and
recognition that fundraising can provide opportunities for teamwork and social
enjoyment.
Occasional
Offices: Fees from weddings, baptisms and funerals have been a significant
source of income in recent years (£14,000 in 2006 reflecting the attractiveness
of our church as a venue)
Investment
Income: 140 The Avenue provides substantial income, although the PCC has requested
that a review is made of options for the future of this asset to be prepared in
the event that the present tenancy ceases.
Clergy stipend and expenses together with Parish Share unsurprisingly
form the largest item of expenditure (in Rochester Diocese, contributions to
clergy stipends are separate from Parish Share).
Funding the Brassey Centre is proving to be a
bigger drain on resources than planned at around £3,000 in 2007.
Church upkeep costs have increased in 2007 with a
number of small to medium building repairs being effected and utility price
increases.
2006 also saw major work on the bells and the
renewal of the tower electrical system, financed by fundraising and a 50% grant
with up to £17,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The PCC has a restricted Fabric Fund (largely resulting from a legacy) now
standing at some £47,000 of which £20,000 has been designated to the Flush
Fund. Money is steadily put into the
Church Repair Fund against future Quinquennial work; currently funds stand at
£21,000. General reserves amount to about £9,000, well short of the four months
of expenditure recommended.
The principal financial risk is the dependence of
the church on an ageing congregation, including some individual major
contributors of income and time. Growth, especially amongst younger age bands
is a financial as well as a spiritual imperative.
3.10 Fun and Fellowship
There is a lot of serious work going on in the
parish, but this does not prevent us having fun, enjoying each other’s company,
and sharing this with the community. In
addition to the activities already mentioned (such as concerts, stage shows,
festivals, and Welcome Evenings) we also have regular parish lunches, occasional
barbecues and parties,
2002
Jubilee Celebrations at the Brassey Centre
In recent years many of us have enjoyed some “all-age”
away days at Ashburnham in
A
testimony at Ashburnham
Members of the congregation and invited guests
enjoy a regular Parish Sunday lunch where we can all spend time eating and
chatting together.
On a very hot summer's day in St Peter's week last
year we held a picnic in a local park under shady trees and some hardy members
of the congregation played games of cricket and boules with the children
We look forward to repeating St Peter's week this
year and are in the coming summer we are planning a children's day, and a
family croquet day.
4 THE MISSION
St Peter and
The church has always been a central point of the
community and our prayers are that in the busy world of the 21st century
we can reach out more in love and service to the community so that people can
come to share the building, enjoy the fellowship, catch the faith, and join the
worship.
4.2 Strengths and weakness of the Parish
Strengths
- Prominent and attractive building
- Recent growth in teaching and resultant new members
- Variety in worship with tolerance of different styles and views
- A friendly and accepting atmosphere
- Not just a “
- Good ecumenical links
Weaknesses
- Lack of strategic planning and objectives.
- Lack of younger adults and families
- Very few children regularly attending church
- Lack of church toilet and kitchen
- Church remote from main residential areas and not passed by
general public
- Not enough car parking
- No adjacent church hall
- Dependence on dwindling number of activists within our church
- Burden of maintaining historic buildings
Opportunities
- New housing (both recent and proposed)
- The schools in parish
- Growing national interest in spiritual issues
- A new incumbent!
Threats
- Secularisation of the
- Sunday distractions
The challenge ahead for priest and parishioners.
To
create an environment which will enable serious growth of the church in
Aylesford.
To
create a flexible church, geared at getting more and more people involved with
the spiritual community.
To
provide a spiritual lead so as to nurture and encourage individuals to enhance
the work of the Holy Spirit within our church.
5 THE NEW
INCUMBENT
We are looking for a priest who will value our
traditions, but also work with us to give them fresh expression in a way that
will be life-giving to a new generation.
At present, our worship is centred on the Eucharist.
We want this to continue, but we recognise the need to try new ways.
We realise this requires us to change, and so we
are seeking a priest who will inspire us with a vision for God’s kingdom, and
work with us so that the whole church and every member of the Christian
community can discover their part in God’s great mission of love.
We hope our new incumbent will be:-
- An experienced spiritual leader being a person of prayer, who
knowing his or her own need of God, is able to lead others to a fuller
knowledge of God.
- Someone with a vision for the church in the 21st century
who can think strategically, help us set priorities for the future and who
can lead the church in its evangelistic mission.
- A good teacher, trainer and communicator with the ability to
listen.
- An inspiring motivator, with the ability and confidence to delegate
and empower.
- Someone who can help us create a welcoming church, open to all,
being a vibrant place for all of us to worship to the glory of God.
- Someone who will care for our church and help us care for the wider
community.
Appendix 1
Map of the Parish of Aylesford
