Benefice Profile 2020 - The united benefice of Corton, Gunton and Hopton - cloudfront ...
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The united
benefice of
Corton,
Gunton and
Hopton
Benefice Profile 2020
Introduction
This is an exciting time for the parishes of Corton, Gunton and Hopton as they work towards
becoming a single benefice. It will be an exciting opportunity for the new incumbent to shape and
mould this benefice focussing on mission in these distinctive communities.
If you feel you could grow us, spread with us into our communities and enable us to grow in our
discipleship and our service we’d love to receive your application.
Our vision is to pioneer mission, to find innovative ways of
bringing the people to the church and the church to the people,
promoting the love of God to our communities.
We are looking for a Priest-in-Charge who is:
1. Theologically and liturgically flexible, in order to meet the differing styles of worship
practised and able to reach out to people of all ages and diversity
2. Interested in, and committed to, involvement with Christian faith and practice in the 3
local primary schools, especially the 2 Voluntary Aided church schools in Corton and
Hopton
3. A good communicator with IT skills to “deliver” church to a wider community.
4. Being proactive in visiting, strong on pastoral care.
5. Of deep faith and commitment in the service of God who can paint pictures with words
and share their sound theological knowledge
We can offer you
1. The support of the PCCs, and our small committed congregations
2. Strong, well established links with all 3 primary schools
3. Positive links with Corton Methodist Church, Gunton Baptist Church and Gunton
Woodland Burial Park.
4. A modern, 4 bedroomed, Rectory with separate entrance to the study in Gunton built
in accordance with the Green Guide.
5. We will value you and your family, respecting your rest-time, holiday time and time
with your family.
OUR COMMUNITIES
Our communities lie to the north of Lowestoft which is the most easterly point of the British Isles. They are part of the deanery of Lothingland (named after Lake Lothing). Corton and Hopton have been part of a united benefice together for many years with their own officers and PCCs. They became vacant in July 2019 on the retirement of their previous incumbent. The parish of Gunton has two churches but with one PCC and became vacant at the end of 2019, again on the retirement of their incumbent. Whilst Corton and Gunton are 2 coastal villages in the county of Suffolk, immediately north of them is Hopton, another coastal village but now in Norfolk. The A47 trunk road runs alongside all 3 communities together. Popular holiday and caravan parks are found in each parish, whilst a holiday park in Hopton plays host to the national indoor bowling championships each year. The town of Lowestoft (the second largest in Suffolk) was traditionally a fishing port. The fishing industry has almost disappeared being replaced by servicing of the offshore wind farms. Tourism is a major source of employment. Lowestoft offers good beaches and plenty of open space to enjoy nature. The Broads National Park and Carlton Marshes Wildlife reserve are nearby. There are three theatres offering a wide variety of entertainment and plenty of opportunities to enjoy music. The area is well served by a variety supermarkets and retail parks, and there is a branch of Marks and Spencer in Lowestoft. Lowestoft has frequent trains to both Norwich and Ipswich with mainline connections to London and beyond. Trains also connect, via Norwich to Peterborough and the Midlands. The cathedral city of Norwich, within one hour’s drive, has excellent shopping, schools and entertainment to offer. Great Yarmouth, to the north of the benefice (and in its own deanery) has frequent trains to Norwich too. There are good bus services to the James Paget University Hospital at Gorleston and beyond to Norwich and even Peterborough.
Corton
The parish measures about 4 square kilometres. Corton village is situated directly on the coast,
three miles north of Lowestoft town centre. It currently enjoys both a seaside and rural
ambience. The soft cliff to the north of the village is unprotected and will be left for nature to
take its course.
The census data of 2011 records:
561 homes
1,099 population
450+ retired.
A wide occupational spread from lower professional downwards – little high professional
status.
The village includes a public house (with adjoining shop), hairdressing salon, playing field,
sports pavilion and linked Community Hall.
We enjoy a good relationship with the three large holiday-parks (Warner’s Corton Coastal
Holiday Village, Broadland Sands and Waterside Park & Hotel) and visitors often join us for
our worship on Sundays in the summer months. Additionally, Azure Seas is a venue of lesser
scale, while Rising Sun and Wy-Wurry are small holiday-orientated static caravan sites which
cater for adults only.
There is a possible future building programme which becomes more likely as time moves on.
East Suffolk Council’s local plan has designated land to the north of the village, for a “garden
village” community of c. 1400 houses and other amenities (including a primary school).
Gunton is a northerly residential suburb of Lowestoft and south of Corton in Suffolk,
extending in an easterly direction to the beach. The parish straddles the A47(T). The population
of Gunton is about 3300, 94.2% of whom are of white British ethnicity. The age pyramid for the
area is fairly like the national average but shows a higher than average population of people
over the age of 60.
Gunton has three distinct housing estates – a Persimmon estate of privately owned houses
built since 2000, a post-war council estate to the west of the A47(T), and to the east is a 1970’s
private estate. Other features include Gunton Primary Academy, Benjamin Britten Senior
Academy, two small parades of shops, a pharmacy, and four Churches – two Church of
England, a Baptist and a large Mormon church.
A wide spectrum of social classes live within the parish. Historically the Gunton area has had an
above average claimant rate for Job Seekers Allowance but in 2015 it was similar to the county
and national average with 1% of the working age population (age 16-64) claiming Job Seekers
Allowance. The community hall holds a Credit Union and the weekly vegetable van helps
residents to buy at cost price.
There is one residential home in the parish, Blyford Residential Home for the elderly, which offers
supported living and a large sheltered housing complex comprising small flats and bungalows
accommodating over one hundred people.
There is an active Gunton resident’s association for the estate to the east of the A47(T).
Although the area is mainly residential there are some impressive open spaces including Gunton woods which is partly owned by the Church. The woods were wonderfully restored from neglect by the “Woodland Group”, a dedicated team of volunteers who were awarded the “Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award in 2002, one of only two awarded in the county. Sandy cliffs, dunes and the beach offer a wild rugged area for walks much enjoyed by residents. For sports enthusiasts there are several football pitches, rugby and cricket clubs nearby. Swimming, bowls and a gym are available at Warners Gunton Hall Resort Employment within the parish is mainly provided by a large Tesco store, the Warners holiday complex and Pleasurewood Hills theme park. Hopton is a coastal village 4½ miles north west of Lowestoft and 4 miles south of Great Yarmouth with a population of approximately 2,500. The coastal protection for the village has been financed by the two Holiday industries in the village, Haven Holiday Village and Potters Resort (which is famous for hosting National Indoor Bowls Championships). There is a wide range of age groups from young families to both young adults and pensioners living as couples or alone. There are two shops and two pubs in the village, a dental surgery and a bowls club. There are plans which have existed for over 30 years to build on land to the south side of the village. This is now in the early stages of preparation. There is one care home in the village, Ritson Lodge. Haven Holiday Village and Potters Leisure Resort employ a large number of the local population. During the year the population of the resorts also increase the church congregation.
OUR CHURCHES
There are 4 churches within our benefice:
Corton, St Bartholomew
Gunton, St Benedict
Gunton, St Peter
Hopton, St Margaret
.
St. Bartholomew’s, Corton
A late fourteenth century, Grade 1 listed building, with
square west tower, nave and chancel. It is in generally
sound condition (having undergone major work on cleaning
and re-pointing the outer surfaces during the 1990s), but
with grant aid currently being sought to address the problem
of water-penetration through the roof of the tower into the
masonry beneath.
A ruined, roofless section of the nave (caused by collapse
of the timbers during the second half of the seventeenth
century) has a meeting-room, vestibule, kitchen and toilet
constructed within the shell – dating from the 1980s.
Work to replace the tower’s roof may be tied in with a project
to carry out other restorative work on this part of the church,
by using it to provide workshop-experience and training
opportunities for people interested in acquiring traditional
stone-masonry skills.
Use of the building (enabling ministry and outreach and also as a community resource) is
restricted by it being in an isolated location, half a mile to the north of the village and reached
by a narrow, winding, stretch of road, with high grass verges on either side, however there is
a small car park at the church.
A dedicated team of church-goers keep the church interior clean and tidy. The high standard
of floral decoration is commented upon favourably by visitors.
The churchyard is maintained to a reasonable and satisfactory standard, commensurate with
it being a rural burial-ground (serving the whole village community, regardless of colour or
creed) and not an urban cemetery. The cost of upkeep is shared by the PCC and the Parish
Council. A small committee including those who do not regularly worship at the church oversee
the maintenance carried out by a local landscape gardener.
A strength of our church, as evidenced by comments
in the visitors’ book and times of coffee after our
services, is that we are recognised as a friendly,
welcoming place of worship for all who choose to
attend, be they local residents or visitors.
Our worship is traditional, “middle-of-the-road”
Anglican. Sunday morning services are traditionally a
Sung Eucharist with vestments, although other forms
of service have been used, on an occasional basis.
Incense is used on occasions.
There is a cordial relationship between St. Bartholomew’s and the Methodist Chapel in the
village. We combine for the annual village carol service in December and for the Methodist
covenant service on the second Sunday in January.
St. Peter & St Benedict, Gunton
St Peter’s is a small church of Norman
origins and has a typical round tower. Having
been neglected and derelict several times
over the centuries it was last restored and
refurbished in Victorian times. There remain
two fine dog-tooth Norman door arches. The
church is located at the edge of Gunton
woods. St Peter’s Quinquennial inspection
was completed in September 2020 and the
inspection report is currently awaited.
Adjacent to the church is an annexe built in
1991 with a meeting room, kitchen and toilet
facilities. The church and annexe are open
during day light hours for visitors to enjoy. The annexe is well used by local groups for
meetings, a friendship club and two book clubs. The Gunton Woodland Burial Park and the
Church jointly facilitate a coffee morning once a month to support those who are bereaved.
The Church owns thirty acres of land, partly wooded, adjacent
to the church. Half of the land is currently let to a local farmer
for arable use. The rest of the land is let to The Gunton
Woodland Burial Park, offering natural burials to people of
all beliefs and none who wish to be laid to rest close to nature.
Seven thousand trees and shrubs were planted by volunteers
in 2015 and the park opened in 2017. Over the next twenty
years the park will be expanded using the land presently
rented to the farmer. The burial park is a charitable
organization, the administration and finances are separate
from the Church. Currently two members of the PCC are
trustees of the burial park.
St Benedict’s Church was built in 1959 to serve the council
estate. It was last extended in 2008 and offers two halls, a
large vestry/prayer room, a kitchen and a refreshment bar.
The building is used by St Benedict’s Pre-school for seven
half day sessions a week. The 50 members of Friendship
Club meet twice a month. Other groups using the church
building are Gulliver’s Girls W.I, The Parkinson’s Society
support group, Stamp Club, and Gunton Brownies. The
large hall can seat 70 people and is used regularly by The Gunton Residents Association and
for church fund raising events.
The two churches offer differing worship styles and the congregation would like this to continue.
St Peter’s, enjoys a formal traditional service with the Holy Communion service alternating
between The Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship. Services at St Benedict’s are of
a more modern style using Common Worship as a guide and as such more informal with some
flexibility. Once a month at St Benedict’s we have ‘X-plore’, a café style morning service offering
an opportunity to explore our faith with discussion in small groups. There is a more relaxed feel
to the services at St Benedict’s with scope to offer an even wider range of services in order to
encourage a younger congregation. Both churches would be described as low church though a
new Priest-in-Charge should be willing to accommodate several church members who have high
church experience and thus are more sympathetic to church rituals, formal blessings, robing
etc. A Ministry of Healing is incorporated into the service once a month at St Benedict’s.
The major services of the church year are well attended by the local community and visitors to
Gunton Hall holiday complex.
There is an organ at St Peter’s but no organist available to play. At St Benedict’s music is
provided by a pianist or the digital hymnal. A mixture of modern and traditional hymns is sung.
We have a good and growing relationship with Gunton Baptist Church with whom we share
worship three times a year.
Currently there are fifty-two on the Electoral Roll, most of whom are aged over 70. Our church
family though small are committed, faithful and open to new ideas. Several local residents are
willing to support the church in practical ways.
St. Margaret’s Hopton
St Margaret’s is a Victorian church with
beautiful windows and an ambiance which
welcomes people. We are a church open to
different styles of worship and at our heart is
the Eucharist (when vestments are worn).
In addition to worship we also hold craft
fayres, concerts and a Drop in every Monday
which both church and non-church goers
attend.
Although we do not currently have any young
families in our weekly congregation we work
closely with the schools. Members of the church take ‘Open the Book’ worship in Hopton and
Corton Church schools whilst Hopton school regularly visits the church using it for both an
education resource and for services.
On special occasions the church has been well supported by
the community and the regular attendance on a Sunday is
around 13.
Our quinquennial inspection is scheduled to be conducted in
the forthcoming months.
Occasional offices across our benefice
St Bartholomew’s:
Weddings Baptisms Funerals/
Interments
2015 1 0 7
2016 0 1 8
2017 0 2 7
2018 1 1 6
2019 1 0 2
St Peter & St Benedict:
Weddings Baptisms Funerals/
Interments
2015 4 3 4
2016 7 6 3
2017 5 7 5
2018 2 4 4
2019 5 2 15
Due to the high number of retired parishioners, funerals and bereavement visiting take up a
higher than average amount of time. Our priest is often asked to lead a service at St Peter’s before
a person is buried in the neighbouring Gunton Woodland Burial Park which was opened in 2017.
St Margaret’s:
Weddings Baptisms Funerals/
Interments
2015 2 7 8
2016 1 5 3
2017 4 4 15
2018 2 3 11
2019 2 3 13The pattern of services is:
Sunday 09.30 11.00 11.00
First in the St Benedict, Gunton St Margaret, Hopton
month (Xplore) (Sung Eucharist)
Second in the St Bartholomew, Corton St Peter, Gunton St Margaret, Hopton
month (Sung Eucharist) (Holy Communion) (Morning worship)*
Third in the St Benedict, Gunton St Margaret, Hopton
month (Morning Prayer with (Sung Eucharist)
healing)
Fourth in the St Bartholomew, Corton St Peter, Gunton St Margaret, Hopton
month (Sung Eucharist) (Holy Communion) (Morning worship)*
Fifth in the No pattern yet decided
month
*These services are currently led by one of the churchwardens and will continue to be lay
led.
Wednesday:
09.45 St Peter, Gunton Holy Communion (from the Book of Common Prayer)ANNUAL EVENTS ACROSS THE BENEFICE
St Bartholomew’s Annual Events
St Bartholomew’s Church involves itself as fully
as possible in the life of the village.
❖ Shrove Tuesday supper
❖ Lent lunch event in support of the
Diocesan Project (March/April)
❖ St George’s Day fish-and-chip supper
(late April)
❖ Christian Aid fund-raising breakfast
(early-mid May)
❖ Strawberry Fayre (early July)
❖ Summer Flower Festival (August bank
holiday)
❖ Suffolk Historic Churches Trust sponsored cycle- ride
(second Saturday in September).
❖ Harvest Supper (early October)
❖ Christmas Fair/Coffee Morning (not held in 2019)
❖ Christmas Concert (early December)
Additionally, the church supports the work of the Salvation
Army (with gifts of produce from its Harvest Festival Service
and with the items contributed by members of the
congregation at the annual Advent Sunday service), as well
as that of the local food-bank
Traditionally the Bible Sunday morning service is attended by
a member of the local branch of The Gideons, who talks about
the organisation’s work.
St Peter and St Benedict’s Annual
Events
We are fortunate to have an active social
committee who organize lunches, afternoon teas
and concerts throughout the year. A successful
Flower Festival was held in 2019. 2020 started
well with a Valentine’s Lunch for forty people. We
invited members of the new benefice to a Lent
lunch on Ash Wednesday in aid of the Bishop’s
Lent Appeal which was well supported.St Margaret’s Annual Events
We hold and welcome the community to join us in various fundraising and social events:
❖ During Lent we hold a weekly Simple Lent lunches.
❖ Fortnightly craft fayres from Easter until October The Craft Fayre also offers a drop in
‘Refreshment Kitchen’ organised by a member of the PCC for people visiting the Fayre
and is well known in the community for a place for a coffee and mardle (natter)
❖ A Drop in is run every Monday which both church and non-church goers attend.
❖ Although we do not
currently have any young
families regularly attending the
church services we do plan
and run termly Children’s
Activity get- togethers for pre-
school and school aged
children. This includes the
making of the Easter Garden,
Decorating the church for
Christmas. We also hold a
well-attended Nativity Service
on Christmas Eve.
❖ Prior to Covid 19 lockdown St Margaret’s had been selected as a church for the Diocese
of Norwich PlayVan to visit and work within the Community with Pre-school children,
bringing accessible resources with them. It is hoped the PlayVan will start again once it
safe to do so.
❖ Different Concerts arranged by local Community organisations are held during the year.
❖ Christian Aid fund-raising.
❖ Christingle Service fundraising
❖ Samaritan Purse Christmas Shoebox Appeal
❖ Suffolk Historic Churches Trust sponsored cycle- ride
❖ On special occasions the church has been well supported by the community e.g.
Remembrance service, Nine Lessons and Carols with Mince pies!OUR SCHOOLS
All 3 parishes have primary schools:
In Corton village the school, a Church of England Voluntary Aided primary school, occupies a
site in the centre of the village. Currently there are about 110 pupils on roll with 4 teachers,
plus classroom assistants and caretaking/cleaning staff.
The SIAMS inspection report dated February 2018 graded the school as ‘Outstanding’ overall.
The incumbent is an ex-officio member of the governing body of the school and a regular visitor
to their assemblies.
The primary school in Hopton is a Church of England Voluntary Aided primary school too, with
close links to the church.
Currently a team, based at Hopton, take ‘Open
the Book’ worship into both Hopton and Corton
schools and we are eagerly awaiting the
opportunity to be able to re-commence this once
the danger of the Coronavirus becomes less.
Gunton Primary Academy is not a Church of
England school although the previous priest
regularly led assemblies at the school and the
pupils have attended Harvest Festival and
Christmas services at St Peter’s church.
There are two secondary schools for 11 – 16 year olds just outside Gunton parish boundary,
one of which is a centre of Mathematical and Musical excellence in Suffolk. A comparatively
newly built 6th form college in the neighbouring parish of St Margaret in Lowestoft, offers a wide
variety of courses leading to a similar width of qualifications including A levels and B.Tecs.
East Coast College, offering diploma and degree courses, is also nearby. Amongst other
disciplines this specialises in Maritime courses.OUR CHARITIES AND OUR FINANCES
In Corton the incumbent is solely responsible for two charities:
❖ Corton Town Pightle - income is invested in unit trusts managed by CCLA , its benefit
is for general church expenses
❖ The Mary Soames Fowler trust is aimed at the furtherance of Christian education in the
village. Its income is also invested in unit trusts managed by CCLA; The money has not
been accessed for a number of years.
Additionally, as incumbent, you will serve on the village Poor’s Land & Almshouse Trust
committee (the latter overseeing sheltered bungalow accommodation, with warden
supervision).
Parish Share
Corton has managed to pay its adjusted Parish Share contribution for the last three years,
following PCC attendance at TRIO (‘The Responsibility Is Ours’) support meetings with the
diocese.
The sum required for 2019 was £9,507.00, for 2020 it is £10,415 and for 2021 it will be £10,415
Gunton paid £30,000 of the £34,000 requested towards the parish share in 2019. In 2020 and
2021 we are being asked for £33,000 each year.
The congregation has been generous in its support for mission and charitable giving, donating
£2000 in 2019.
Hopton paid its full amount in 2019, but is struggling to pay its adjusted amount of £10,415 in
2020. A similar amount is being requested for 2021.THE RECTORY The Rectory is situated in Gunton but with easy access, by road, to both Corton and Hopton and comprises of a 1960s built 4 bedroomed house with a separate sizeable study (and adjoining toilet) together with 2 separate reception rooms and a third room leading off one of them. The modern kitchen is of a good standard and includes a built-in cooker and hob. Additionally there is a cloakroom, a good sized utility room, and a single garage. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms, a bathroom and a shower room. Outside are extensive but manageable gardens with plenty of space for a family and / or to grow flowers and vegetables
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