St Giles is part of a wonderful, active community here in Graffham. As a community we organise or support many different events – in the Church, Empire Hall and at the Recreation Ground – including Messy Church, regular talks, an Arts Festival, Flower Show, Bank Holiday Fete, Harvest Supper and Christmas Fair. There seems to be no limit to everyone’s creative imagination and energy!
Some recent events include:
Lunch & Talk
Christmas Fair
Graffham’s Christmas Fair is one of the main annual fund-raisers for St Giles Church. There were all the usual attractions – an auction with a 12 days of Christmas theme, a grand raffle, a heaving home produce stall, minced pies, mulled wine, festive gifts, and even a visit from Santa.
Sponsored Walk
The most recent annual Graffham with Woolavington Parish Sponsored Walk supported Ride and Stride, the national fund-raising initiative for the Historic Churches Trust – which generously donated £5,000 towards the recently completed roof repairs at our St Giles. Under Ride and Stride, half the funds collected go to the church that raised them, and half to Historic Churches Trust.
The walk is usually in September, and the last one saw ten walkers complete the route from St Giles Church to Amberley Tea Rooms. If you didn’t remember to sponsor anyone, it’s not too late! You can give online here at St Giles Graffham’s online giving page.
Messy Church
Fundraising Talk
A packed house were told to fasten your seatbelts as ‘Captain Concorde’ Mike Bannister touched down at Graffham’s Empire Hall in October. He shared his unrivalled and very entertaining insights to the world’s only supersonic airliner, in an event that raised funds for maintaining St Giles building and churchyard. Mike knows Concorde better than anyone – from being appointed its youngest first officer as it started flying in 1977 to commanding its final flight as British Airways’ Concorde Chief Pilot 26 years later. Since then, he’s become the best-selling author of the definitive Concorde book – and an in-demand and engaging speaker.
Mike gave his unique perspective on a flying icon that enabled Royalty, celebs, business moguls and everyman and woman to sip Champagne while travelling faster than a bullet, at almost 25 miles a minute. He shared videos and photos from his personal library, swapped anecdotes with previous passengers and pilots in the audience, and took Q&A. The bar offered a selection of drinks and Concorde-inspired indoor snack boxes.
