A NEW initiative has officially been launched to celebrate the 160th anniversary of a Burntwood church.
St Anne’s Church hosted the event which saw businesses and community leaders in attendance.
As well as marking the milestone, the Friends of St Anne’s group was formally launched by Reverend Richard Westwood, while a film showcased some of the work undertaken by the church in the community.
Richard Stevens, regional development manager of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said:
“St Anne’s has been a pillar of support for Chasetown residents for 160 years and continues to do so not only through religion, but through the many community activities taking place at the church every day which focus on bringing people of all ages together and improving lives.
“The social and economic challenges facing former mining communities such as Chasetown continue to mount, requiring new responses and new ways of working – and St Anne’s has never been afraid to confront these challenges as a church community, but now increasingly through meaningful partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organisations.
“The Friends of St Anne’s concept brings new meaning to community investment and a real opportunity for stakeholders to collectively improve the lives of vulnerable people facing complex barriers on a daily basis.
“Coalfields Regeneration Trust is proud to support St Anne’s and wishes everyone involved a very happy 160th anniversary.”
The new Friends of St Anne’s group is aiming to foster closer ties with business and community leaders as well as generating financial support.
