PACT’s Annual Carol Service will take place on Friday 17th December followed by refreshments after the service in the hall – carefully distanced, of course, but permissable!

The wonderful AV team at St Matthew’s has confirmed that the service will be available to watch as it happens, and it can also be seen after the event.  The link for watching it live and/or afterwards is the same – please share as you are able.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIFdD_cKxS4   

Please remember that you can book your place at the Carol Concert by visiting www.eventbrite.co.uk and searching for PACT Carol service;  booking is not essential but it gives us an idea of how many will be attending, and how many others we can allow into the venue without a ticket. 

We like to make sure the carol service is truly ecumencial with contributions from many denominations – we have chosen various  readings and reflections and now need to identify folk who would be willing to do these readings for us.  If you know of folk in your church who would be keen to take part – or if you yourself would be happy to do a reading, please let me know asap.

The Lantern procession is going ahead on Saturday 27th November, to mark the beginning of Advent and to light up the nativity scenes at St Ninian’s Cathedral and outside St John’s Kirk.  The details of timings are on the attached poster – sadly, however, due to Covid restrictions, we are unable to offer refreshments in the church following the singing of carols, and the Council will not be supplying mince pies!  Torches will be available, supplied by the Council,  at St Ninian’s for the parade, but people are also invited to   bring their own lanterns.

Join in the churches’ lantern procession through the City Centre to outside St John’s Kirk for carol-singing with Perthshire Brass, and the switch-on of the Perth Nativity Scene – followed by refreshments – on Saturday 27th November.

4.45pm – Gather at St Ninian’s Cathedral, Methven Street, Perth

4.50pm – Switch-on of St Ninian’s Nativity Scene

5pm – Parade leaves St Ninian’s, with Perth Pipe Band

5.20pm – Carols at the Nativity Scene outside St John’s, with Perthshire Brass

Their next meeting  is on Monday 13th September at 7pm at Esolperth.

International Cafe started when the Syrian refugees arrived and started at Blend Cafe, but after a long period online, and two meetings on the South Inch, it is relocating to Esolperth, which is above Costa Coffee in Scott Street.

The point of International Cafe is to provide a warm and welcoming social area for all people who are new to Perth. It is a chance to meet new people and to ask ordinary questions, such as ”where is there a good baker”, or ”tell me where you get your hair cut.”

The meetings are held monthly on the second Monday of the month and they now have the space to run a table tennis club!

To mark the 75^th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, Perth Quaker Meeting invites you to join us for a vigil in Perth High Street and an informal event at the Peace Pole in Rodney Gardens

When: Thursday 6 August 2020.  11.00 – 13.00

Where: At the junction of High Street and King Edward Street

We will have a banner and posters, and will be physically distanced in accordance with current guidelines. Everyone is welcome to join us for all or part of the time.

Informal social event: At 14.00, we will hold a witness for peace and social gathering by the Peace Pole in Rodney Gardens, for around an hour. All are welcome to join us. Bring along a poem, song or similar to share – and a seat if you need one.

For further information contact:

perthquakers@gmail.com or 01738 560250

L’Arche is a grass-roots organisation, building community networks from the ground up as
people with and without learning disabilities.

Its core value is that of shared lives in mutual relationship.

In the Perth Seed group L’Arche is currently exploring the prospects for launching a new community.

*L’Arche offers more than forty years L’Arche experience in the UK
*The first community in Scotland continues to flourish in Inverness, the second in Edinburgh
*There are ten communities in the UK and 148 across the world.

Service provision is one aspect of L’Arche and its shape reflects the desire of local people with learning disabilities, of their networks of relatives and friends, and of the commissioning plans of a particular area’s Social Work team. Local plans reflect the existing strengths of the area.
In most cases, this provision begins by supporting local people at home – sometimes with people moving to a new home. But L’Arche always responds to whatever people in a local group value the most.

L’Arche fulfils all the accreditation steps, referral or SDS arrangements that go with the provision of dual-registered care services with the Local Authority and with the Care Inspectorate.

As L’Arche works on the options for a third Scottish community in Perth, the key criteria are whether there is a desire among local people with learning disabilities, their network of friends, their relatives and advocates, to show the role that a L’Arche community could play as part of Perth’s existing communities – and how that desire is matched in Social Work / Health, Housing and regulatory bodies.

Also of key importance are the interest shown by local people prepared to get involved as volunteers, helping build up momentum and providing skills for future project development and overseeing: and the scope in Perth in future to employ key people with experience.
A network of local people with a deepening vision for how L’Arche could grow in Perth, must come before and with the planning, the search for resources, buildings or workers – all of which are essentials to make this vision a reality.

The Methodist Lent lunches will be held on Thursdays during Lent, 12 – 1.30, doing a study on the film ‘I Daniel Blake’ called ‘Nothing more, nothing less’ and sharing a light bread and cheese lunch together.  All are welcome.  The Methodist Church is in Scott Street.