Buxton vicar looks back on ‘perfect storm’ of stress during 2020

Associate priest for Buxton parish Margaret Slyfield described how when places of worship closed their doors in March the parish team reached out to vulnerable people.

Buxton Anglican Team set up a helpline for shielding householders - delivering food parcels, a booklet of daily prayers and a Sunday service and launched a phone-up service.

Lonely community members picked up the phone during weekly calls - their only lifeline to the outside world for those with no internet access - to hear a friendly voice on the other end.

Margaret, who joined the Buxton team in February, said: “If we have learned anything from this awful year it must be that we realise that a sense of togetherness, of community, of looking out for neighbours in our street is the way forward.

“We’ve proved to ourselves that coming together to clap for carers, sing carols on our doorsteps, light a candle in the window each evening, chat on the phone and have essential supplies delivered with a smile all have the power to bring us closer to one another.

“Community spirit is important but church and community working together is dynamite.”

In February last year a new rector, Liz England, joined the parish - which includes six C of E churches around Buxton from Christ Church King Sterndale to St John’s on Manchester Road.

Liz - a former manager of children’s centres in deprived areas of Birmingham - was one of the first responders to set up a helpline for shielders.

However while risking everything to help the community, the dedicated vicar contracted Covid-19 - spending months in hospital and still suffering from the effects of the illness now with pneumonia and pleurisy.

Margaret, speaking about the year just gone by, said: “When Liz England spoke of her hopes when she joined the parish little did we know how 2020 would turn out.

“With coronavirus in our area from early March, a national lockdown, further restrictions, a second lockdown and still further restrictions I think we will all be relieved to see the back of this particular year.”

However the vicar added: “Our churches as part of the Churches Together in Buxton have supported the food bank, Homeless Help and Charis House in practical and financial ways.

“This is particularly important in the colder months of the year when larger fuel bills, Christmas and the knock-on effects of the pandemic have combined to create a perfect storm of stress for many individuals and families.”

Margaret described how the parish team were now looking to find more ways to build community in church buildings - with four now open for services - or online by continuing with Activity Church, Jigsaw Church, Bible study and theological reflection.

She said: “As we look forward to 2021 I hope and pray the covid-19 vaccine programme will be rolled out across more and more age groups.

“Perhaps then we can return to a normal life - but it will be a new type of normal, won’t it.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.