The work of a Lancashire school during the pandemic has been featured in a video from The Church of England in Lancashire, available now to view on YouTube.   

In the film, produced prior to the current lockdown, presenter Rev. Sam Cheesman, the Bishop’s Chaplain, visited St Wilfrid’s C of E Academy in Blackburn and interviewed Mrs Sarah Stamford, Vice Principal of St Wilfrid’s and Jonathan Hands, the School Chaplain.  

Sam travelled round the Diocese in October for a series of ‘road trip’ films. These were first featured as part of a recent livestreamed Diocesan Conference: ‘#HomeGrown: Hearts on Fire with Love for You’. 

Now the road trip sequences have been edited into separate fresh new short films by Jim Cooke of Centreline Films. Watch out for more to come. 

Speaking recently about the film of the school’s response to the pandemic, Mrs Stamford said: “It was a real privilege for us to be part of the journey during the Diocesan Conference. The film is a valuable contribution to our understanding of how we are all coping in this challenging time and we really appreciated being able to step up and take part.” 

In the film itself, school chaplain Jonathan Hands describes how well pupils understand that ‘normality’ has had to be suspended during the course of the year: “It has also been an opportunity for us to try new and different things in school.

"I’ve found that our students are really very resilient and do manage to ‘go with the flow’. 

“Students have also stepped up to the plate to help with worship plans and are using technology to look outward from the school to the local community, and to how we can help people.” 

Ronnie Semley
27/11/2020