His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service, St George’s Church Clun

In December 2022 Shropshire was honoured to be one of only eight counties selected by HRH the Princess of Wales to hold a ‘Together at Christmas’ carol service in celebration of volunteering in the community. On Tuesday December 12ththis year His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Mrs Anna Turner chose St George’s Parish Church in Clun to host her own local ‘Together at Christmas’ service for the first time. Inspired by The Princess of Wales, who now holds an annual festival at Westminster Abbey, invited guests who have gone the extra mile to help others in their communities, together with friends and supporters, were warmly welcomed by Mrs Turner at the special evening service which combined traditional and modern carols and readings.

The Lord-Lieutenant was delighted to be welcomed by the band of bell ringers at St George’s Church ringing a ¼  peal before her Together at Christmas service .  The performance which rang out around Clun involved 1250 changes on 8 bells and lasted 45 mins.  

The congregation of nearly 400 people, of all ages and from all over the Clun Valley, filled every seat in the church, demonstrating that local volunteering really is the thread that binds communities together. The joyful and inclusive Christmas celebration was led by the Rural Dean Revd Stephanie Fountain while the Ad Hoc Choir from Clun supported the congregational singing accompanied by organist Andrew Buckley; the choir also performed the carol A Maiden Most Gentle. Children from St George’s CE School, Clun and the Blue Hills Federation Choir gave sparkling renditions of their chosen seasonal songs with soloist Callum Brockway singing the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City. Minister Rev George Heinz, Clun Mayor Ryan Davies and Beth Gittins from Clun Young Farmers were the readers.

Clun is situated deep in the South Shropshire Hills, a remote, rural area of the county which depends heavily on volunteers to care for the vulnerable, maintain village halls and churches and provide a wide range of services. In her Prologue HM Lord-Lieutenant said “I am so pleased to hold my first local service in Clun to recognise the commitment of all the wonderful volunteers in this area.” She went on to say that without such dedicated individuals, our towns and villages would not be nearly such good places to live and that it is her hope to gain national recognition for any truly outstanding individuals in the county. Mrs Turner asked the congregation to consider nominating anyone they felt should be put forward for their work in the community, to fill in a local nomination form which can be found on the Shropshire Lieutenancy website.

The Lord-Lieutenant’s ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service will be held annually in different areas of the county to celebrate and thank all the unsung heroes who dedicate their time to helping others throughout the year.