This year’s APCM at St Kenelm’s Church in Upton Snodsbury marked an historic moment! For the first time in over 60 years, Betty Turgoose was not present because, after serving on the PCC for the majority of her life, Betty had resigned.
Betty is the mother of Helen Bennett, current churchwarden at St Kenelm's Church. She was born in 1931 and joined the PCC in the early 1960s.
Helen said: “The Churchwardens she served under for many years were two older gentlemen who refused to step down!
They were reluctant to spend any money on the church building no matter how much the rest of the PCC thought it necessary. And every meeting started with the same long and in-depth discussions about an area of land owned by the PCC with no decisions ever being made! Then for the last 35 years she has been on the PCC with me as Churchwarden!”
Betty also helped run the Sunday School and has been a member of the Mothers' Union for many years. She was thanked for her service and presented with a bouquet of flowers by Vicar, Claire Billington after a sunrise Easter Service. The whole service was conducted outside, including full communion, as the sun rose on Easter morning.
After the service, along with the small presentation to Betty, the 35 people present enjoyed breakfast together - bacon and sausage butties, (kindly supplied by a parishioner), croissants, toast, cereal, coffee and juice, all topped off by individual little Easter eggs!
