About ten years ago Trinity Church got a new mission statement: “Serving God, Serving Each Other, Serving Community”

The 3 notice boards at the back of the Welcome Area were given those same three titles.

Trinity Learning, which does work supporting schools, has taken over the middle board, and so now there is: Serving God, Children, and Serving Community.

In December 2015 posters on the ‘Serving Community’ board include:
* Health and Safety at work Act

* Scouts & Guides Christmas Post. (Last collection yesterday.)
* New Years Walk for Christmas Aid on January 1st.
* Volunteers required for Leonard Cheshire Disability Volunteers.

* Every year there is the opportunity to write cards to Prisoners of Conscience with details provided by Amnesty International.

* Friends of Abingdon are looking for a new Manager / Curator.

* Oxford Community Soup Kitchen need people to help Mrs Smith
* John Radcliffe League of Friends need helpers
* St Michael’s Church have a group in the new year studying the Psalms. (That one could be moved to the ‘Serving God’ noticeboard.)

A recent survey of the voluntary sector in Abingdon by a team of students from Oxford University identified over 200 voluntary and community groups in Abingdon. This is a massive resource which contributes greatly to the quality of life in the town.

Dave Butterworth, the Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) ambassador for Abingdon, thought that it would be a good idea if voluntary groups could meet to get to know one another, to share experiences and, perhaps, develop joint initiatives.

The first such event was held at 35 Ock Street last week and was attend by 20 representative of groups covering a wide range of interests and activities.

People there really enjoyed the event and were keen to hold similar events on a quarterly basis. For more information contact Dave on dave.vol@ocva.org.uk.

As part of National Volunteers’ Week, Dave Butterworth and Marigold Brown, the OCVA Community Ambassadors for Abingdon opened the community shop in Bury Street on Friday 6 June to help community groups to find volunteers.

They were joined in the Community Shop by the following groups looking for volunteers

• Abingdon Good Neighbour Scheme
• 35 Ock Street
• North East Abingdon Community Association

Dave says, “We are amazed by the range and depth of community activities in Abingdon and are keen to meet as many groups as possible and see what sort of help they need, whether it is fundraising, finding volunteers or learning about how best to set up and run groups.”

They can be contacted at dave.vol@ocva.org.uk and marigold.vol@ocva.org.uk