During the summer of 2021 the Seaview car park was extremely busy and takings were excellent! This is reflected in the very considerable donations to charities and local associations which have recently been made by St. Mary’s Church. As a Christian community, church members also continue to remain committed to maintain and enhance the beautiful church buildings within their care.

On Sunday, May 29, representatives of some of the groups which are receiving donations this year joined the 10 am Holy Eucharist congregation and were presented with generous cheques by the Rector, Canon Andrew Grace.

Donations will be posted to those groups who were not able to be represented on Sunday. The administration of the charitable giving project requires very considerable effort and this is undertaken willingly each year by Rector’s Warden, Nicole Evans. She has always said that this is her very favourite task each year!

With a few exceptions, the gifts have generally been awarded to local causes and those within our country of Wales. Throughout the two lockdowns and the fire break, all charities have suffered greatly from a general lack of funds from donations and the inability to hold fund-raising events. The church consider it an enormous blessing to be able to acknowledge the wonderful work carried out by these charities and local establishments and support them.

The charities and institutions in receipt of donations this year are: Tenby CIW VC Primary School, Pembrokeshire Care Society, Ty Hafan, Noah’s Ark, Friends of the Community, Pembrokeshire Mind, the Samaritans, Salvation Army, Forget-me-Not of Neyland, Tenby Memory Café, The Red Cross, Paul Sartori Foundation, Hywel Dda Charities, Tenovus, Pembrokeshire Cancer Care, Pembrokeshire Voluntary Transport, Prostate Cancer Pembrokeshire, Hope, Crohns and Colitis Association, Malaria No More, Tenby Talking Newspapers, Smile Train, Crisis, Huntington’s Disease Association, the Stroke Association, Tenby Scout and Guide Hall and Tenby Sea Scouts. The Deacon’s Fund, which is a special fund to support local people who are in personal need, has again gifted funds to Pembrokeshire’s two foodbanks, PATCH and Pembrokeshire Foodbank. The church also continues to support Christian Aid. It is believed that this charitable giving is an essential part of the church’s mission.

The Rector, Reverend Canon Andrew Grace, offered prayers after the presentations had been made and asked for God’s blessing on the staff who work for the charities and associations and the recipients of their support.