ChadNet – no 312 – Sunday 15th March 2026
Welcome to this week’s edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.
In this week’s ChadNet:
- View from the Pews – Milly Colin-Stokes
- Sunday 15th March – Fourth Sunday of Lent – Mothering Sunday
- This week
- Sunday 22nd March – Fifth Sunday of Lent
- Pattingham Resident and Young Person of the Year – nominations invited
- Memory Walk – Sunday 12th April
- Ukraine Refugee Centre
- The Well Foodbank
- Dementia Friendly Church – weekly prayer
- From the Memorial Book
- Giving to the Church
View from the Pews
Dementia is more than being forgetful; it’s not just forgetting names, forgetting how people take their coffee, forgetting the tune of a song; dementia takes the personality out of the person you love.
Every 3 minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia (Alzheimer’s society), a shockingly high statistic considering the lack of understanding and support for people with dementia and their families. With the help and support of Tracey, our church has become a Dementia Friendly Church, a huge step for our community to ensure we are all able to support those facing dementia. As most of you will know Norma Challinor, my Grandma, was diagnosed with dementia nearly 13 years ago. At only 6 years old, I had no true understanding of how much this would impact our lives. I am so lucky to still have so many cherished memories of Grandma before dementia, a privilege that the younger members of our family unfortunately do not have.
Many of these memories with Grandma are centred around our shared passions – our love to dance, our love of music, our love for our family. The last time I saw Grandma, we danced around her room, an activity we do almost every time I visit, whilst humming along to some of her favourite hymns and songs, most notably ‘How Great Thou Art’ or anything from ‘The Sound Music’.
My Grandma may not be the same lady she once was, and she may not have been the Grandma she would have wanted to be, but this has only made us love her even more. We have been privileged to know and love every version of Grandma, and, in her own ways, she has always shown us how much we mean to her. Her values as a kind woman, a family oriented woman and a generous woman have never wavered; but dementia has taken most of what makes her, her.
On May 10th 2026, I will be running the Bristol Half-Marathon in order to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society, a charity very close to mine and my family’s hearts. I have been training consistently since the middle of December, and have thought of Grandma every step of the way.
I would be so grateful for anything you could donate. If you wish to donate, please follow the following link: https://ajbellgreatbristolrun2026.enthuse.com/pf/amelia-colin-stokes, or alternatively please contact me or Alison or Rob Colin-Stokes. Thank you so much.
Whilst it’s too late to change anything now for Grandma, I hope that things will be better for those with Alzheimer’s and their families in the future.I hope I do you proud Grandma x
Milly Colin-Stokes
(The first photograph is a recent one of Milly and Norma. The second is from the Scarecrow Festival website and shows Norma at the first Scarecrow Festival in September 2011 where she delighted visitors to the church with her immaculate demonstration of the art of ‘Sugarcraft’.)
(As always this View is the personal view of the author.)
Would you like to write a View from the Pews?
We welcome contributions for View from the Pews from anyone who would like to write one. It does not need to be on any particular subject. If you would like to write one please send it to or contact Henry Ibberson ( / 01902 701136).
.Contacts
The Vicar’s post is half time so Merry will not be working every day. Her usual working days are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday but this is subject to change. Her phone number is 07486 066065 and her email address is When she is not working she will not normally answer the phone, listen to messages or respond to emails.
Calls to the old phone number (01902 700257) are forwarded to Merry’s phone.
Emails to will be received by the churchwardens.
Contact details for church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website. You can use if you are nore sure who to contact and the churchwardens will be able to forward it to the correct person.
Notices, which should be received by Friday afternoon for inclusion in that week’s ChadNet, and other communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to
Articles for the magazine should be sent to
Sunday 15th March – Fourth Sunday of Lent – Mothering Sunday
At 10 am there will be a service led by the Youth Group in church. This will be followed by a short service of Holy Communion, led by the Vicar, to which you are all most welcome. Prizes will be presented to the winners of the Easter card competition at the Crafts and Pancakes! event which was held on Shrove Tuesday. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.
In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for:
All children and young people in the parish.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Holy Cross Bilbrook.
This week
The church will be open every day. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch.
At 7.30 pm on Monday one of the Lent Course groups meets at the home of Philip Sims. Everyone is welcome to join them.
On Tuesday Prayers for Peace will be said in church at 6 pm. Please do join us and if you would like more information please contact Mary Hayward ().
On Tuesday evening there is a PCC meeting in church.
On Wednesday at 10.00 am there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer, led by the vicar, in church which will be followed by tea, coffee and cake.
After the service the church will be open from 10.30 am until at least 11.00 am as a Place of Welcome when anyone who wants to will be welcome to share in the coffee, cake and chat, whether they have been to the service or not. Those attending will receive a warm welcome.
At 11.00 am on Wednesday the other Lent Course group meets in The Loft in church. Everyone is welcome to join them.
At 6 pm on Wednesday the Pattingham Shower Singers meet in church. All are welcome – just come and sing and have fun! If you need more information, contact Alix at .
At 7 pm on Wednesday Choir Practice takes place in church. Anyone interested in joining the choir should contact Martin Fox or any member of the choir.
On Friday from 10 am to 12 noon the Home Instead Memory Café is being held at the Village Hall. These are free informal sessions designed for individuals living with dementia and their carers to meet in a relaxed environment. Enjoy simple, engaging activities, while connecting with others who understand the challenges of dementia. No need to book. Just pop along.
On Saturday morning the church bells will be rung by teams of ringers from towers in the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area in a striking competition.
On Saturday from 12 to 2 pm there will be a Lent Lunch at The Church at Perton. All are welcome.
Sunday 22nd March – Fifth Sunday of Lent
At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion, led by the Vicar, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.
At 6.30 pm there will be a service of Evensong, led by the Vicar, in church.
In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Chad’s School and the other schools attended by children in the parish.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Holy Cross, Bobbington.
Pattingham Resident of the Year and Young Person (under 16) of the Year 2026
Are you, or is there someone you know, who goes above and beyond for our village, supports community relations and deserves recognition?
The Parish Council is inviting nominations for these two awards.
The deadline to nominate or apply yourself is Friday 17thAprfil 2026 at 5 pm at
Memory Walk
The St Chad’s Memory Walk in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society will take place on Sunday 12th April at 2.00 pm. Leaving from Church at 2.00 pm, there will be an hour’s walk followed by refreshments. Further details will be available soon.
Ukraine Refugee Centre
Mary Hayward sent the following message after her latest visit taking the donations to the Ukraine Refugee Centre.
A big thank you for your continued support and donations to Wolverhampton Ukraine Centre. It means so much to Greg and his team.
Today I have delivered toiletries, ladies clothing , towels , raffle prizes and cash donations. My next visit will be 17th April.
Thank you again God Bless
Mary
If you have anything you wish to donate please contact Mary at or 01902 700744 or in Church.
The Well – the Wolverhampton Food Bank
The Well continues to need our donations and prayers. The box remains at the rear of the church for donations of food and toiletries and the wishing well for donations of cash.
Thank you for your generosity.
If you wish to know more about the work of The Well, or would like to know how you can support it in other ways, do connect via their website, where you can sign up to the newsletter and link to their Social Media pages: <www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>
Dementia Friendly Church
Weekly Prayer
God Who Has Made The Church One Family
You went out of your way to include those on the edges of society. May our doors and our hearts be open to all. Grant us the insight to see when one of our members is increasingly in need of help. Let us be quick to ask what we can do and faithful in offering support.
Give us the wisdom to see the person with dementia as you see them: as a unique individual, valued and loved. Let us not write them off because they have a disability. Show us the many ways in which they can still be part of our community, the avenues of service still open to them. Guide us to show them new ways in which they can be valued.
May we make time in our busy lives to include them and assure them of our continued love.
Teach us to be a dementia friendly church.
Amen
(Prayers for Dementia and how to live well with it. Fay Sampson)
If you would like to suggest (or write) a prayer for inclusion in this series please let Tracey Williams, our Dementia Friendly Church Co-ordinator, know.
From the Memorial Book
Those whose anniversaries occur between 8th and 22nd March.
Anthony John Harley – 11th March 1997
Gordon Francis Thomas – 12th March 1992
Dennis William Lovering – 12th March 2012
Emily Margaret Ada Pugh – 13th March 1991
Ronald Lacey – 13th March 1998
Arthur John Rogers – 14th March 2005
Hilda Northern – 15th March 1997
Thomas William Roberts – 17th March 1973
James Keith Bradshaw – 17th March 2006
Lilian Ross Beach – 17th March 2006
Phyllis Alice Wood – 18th March 2016
Ronald Arthur Painting – 20th March 1980
Olive Harris – 20th March 1990
David Spencer Haddock – 21st March 1996
Leslie Thomas Price – 21st March 1997
You can see all the pages of the Memorial Book on the Memorial Book Online page of the Church website.
Giving to the church
Details of the various ways in which you can give can be found on the Giving page of the website.
You can make a bank transfer to our bank account (Account name: Pattingham Parochial Church Council – Sort Code: 20-97-78 Account No: 50655023).
If you are paying by cheque please make the cheque payable to “Pattingham PCC” or “Pattingham Parochial Church Council“.
We have a JustGiving page to enable people to make one off donations. It’s at <https://www.justgiving.com/page/pattingham-church-jg>. You will be asked if you want to make a contribution on top of your donation. If you do it will go to JustGiving and not to charity. If you do not want to make such a contribution select “other”. If you are a taxpayer please consider gift aiding your donation.
ChadNet
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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604