Welcome from the Vicar
On behalf of everyone at St Aidan's, let me welcome you to our church!
If you have recently moved to the area or are visiting, we are the parish church for Westcourt and Riverview Park, but, as a Church of England parish church, we minister to everyone and all are welcome.
We are a busy and friendly church, but you will also find time and space to be still, to pray and to reflect here, for we are a community of prayer, peace and hope, and we extend these to you.
We are a varied mix of ages and backgrounds and you will find people at all stages of life here, including families with children. Worship
Our main service of worship is a parish Eucharist which takes place on Sunday mornings at 10.00 but we also have a simple service service of Holy Communion on Wednesday mornings at 9.30. Each Sunday there is a Sunday School with the exception of the first Sunday of the month which is our all age service during which children remain in church and can take part in the worship in a range of ways.
Baptisms (Christening) take place during our Sunday worship and we welcome enquiries about baptism in addition to weddings and funerals.
Please have a look around at our website and feel free to contact me or the churchwardens with any enquiries you may have. I encourage you to read on to the Safeguarding information below- it is always our aim to ensure that St Aidan's is a safe place for everyone.
With every blessing,
The Rev'd Michael Payne, Vicar
01474 352500
vicar.staidans@gmail.com
Safeguarding
We take the safety and well-being of all people seriously at St Aidan's, and especially that of children and vulnerable adults. We have a Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) who, along with the Vicar, can be contacted and consulted regarding any safeguarding matters. Our PSO is Mrs Janet Trevor who may be contacted on 01474 352230 or janet.trevor@blueyonder.co.uk. Please view the Links section for policies and information from the Diocese of Rochester.
If you are concerned about something you have experienced in a church, now or in the past, or you are worried about another person - perhaps a vulnerable adult or a child – there are people you can talk to and you will be taken seriously. You can contact the Diocese of Rochester’s Safeguarding team on 01634 560 000 or visit their webpage at: www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding/ Recognising that this may not feel safe for those with a lived experience of abuse from within the church, a dedicated telephone helpline, operated independently from the church, by the NSPCC, is available. Calls can be made free on 0800 80 20 20
Other safeguarding contacts:
Childline 0800 1111
NSPCC (general helpline) 0808 800 5000
Stop It Now 0808 1000 900
Samaritans 116 123
Our Parish Safeguarding Statement, which adopts the House of Bishop's Promoting a Safer Church policy statement is below:
The following policy was agreed at the Parochial Church Council (PCC) meeting held on 3rd April 2022
In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is committed to:
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Promoting a safer environment and culture.
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Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
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Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
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Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
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Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
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Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
The Parish will:
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Create a safe and caring place for all.
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Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
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Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
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Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
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Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
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Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
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Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
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Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
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Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
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Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
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Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.
Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
This church appoints Janet Trevor as the Parish Safeguarding Officer
Incumbent The Rev’d Michael Payne
Churchwarden/s Dennis Ashurst Date: 3/4/22