Last summer a boat hired on the Broads caused significant damage when it collided with the historic staithe at St Peter’s church in Belaugh.
Not only did the incident cause a headache for the church in terms of funding a repair, it also led to a significant drop in visitors to the church via the waterways – meaning a dip in the vital revenues tourism contributes.
The predicament of St Peter’s was only discovered by the Diocese courtesy of a recently launched initiative which in 2026 will see pastoral phone calls made to each and every one of our 550 parishes.
Established with the aim of offering bespoke support to every church and PCC, the ‘call-outs’ programme has harnessed the power of a friendly phone call to connect parishes with vital guidance and funding.
While there are no shortage of Diocese of Norwich communications channels and outreach work already in place – eNews bulletins, social media, news and updates posted on the diocesan website, Parish Support Pop-Up events – telephone calls have been identified as a highly effective outreach method.
Tim Sweeting, Diocesan Secretary and CEO of the Diocese of Norwich, said:
“We are dedicated to ensuring each and every parish knows we are here to help, no matter the issues they may encounter.
“Whether the call-outs lead to a friendly chat, an offer of guidance on how funding can be accessed, or an in-depth discussion about how a church may need to utilise the Parish Support Team’s expertise; all these conversations are hugely valuable.
“The quick progress made at Belaugh, and several other churches since we began this project, gives me great cause for hope that this, allied with all the other ways we actively communicate as a diocese, will continue to improve the lives of all our churches.”
Parish Support Adviser, Danica Rice, who leads this drive, rang the PCC Secretary of St Peter’s Church in Belaugh to offer support and identify any areas in need of attention.
Through this call she discovered the situation regarding the staithe and passed this information on to the Diocese’s Care of Church Buildings team, who promptly shared advice on how to arrange repair work and allocated financial support to St Peter’s in the form of a Minor Repairs and Improvements grant.
The repairs have now been completed and a ceremony held to celebrate the staithe’s reinstatement, with Revd Liz Jump very aptly arriving by boat to lead the thanksgiving on the banks of the River Bure.
Reflecting on the importance of the repair, Revd Liz Jump said:
“St Peter’s church Belaugh, who reinstated the Staithe with help from both the Belaugh community and the Diocese, are delighted to have it available for use again.
“We have now formally reopened the Staithe with a service at the church, and it was great fun to arrive by boat! We blessed the Staithe, and gave thanks for all who had managed to bring the plan to fruition, and can’t wait to see it in full use for visitors next season.”
The hope is that many more ways to support churches will be unearthed via call-outs from Diocesan House. Explaining her enthusiasm for the initiative which will fully begin at the turn of the year, Danica Rice said:
“Speaking directly to people in parishes throughout Norfolk and Waveney is by far my favourite part of this role, and seeing the difference this initiative has made – particularly with such a quick turnaround at Belaugh – is incredibly rewarding.
“The response we’ve had to this work has been so encouraging. I’ve had so many lovely conversations, many of which have been about all the amazing work that is already under way.”
One of St Peter’s church’s many claims to fame is that an eight-year-old John Betjeman was inspired by the site during a family holiday to Norfolk, sparking a lifelong obsession with the county’s churches.