The Church of England in Lancashire (Blackburn Diocese) is playing a key role in this year's 'Church Tent' initiative at the Royal Lancashire Show, which is being coordinated by Churches Together in Lancashire.

The tent will seek to highlight, amongst other things, the issue of farming and modern slavery and specifically how to identify it and how to help. 

Venue for the Royal Lancashire Show is the County Showground, Salesbury from July 21-23. 

Whilst in the Tent people will be able to meet with various agencies that provide much needed support for farming and rural communities.

There is a Tent Team of 40 people representing organisations including Fair Trade Preston; Farming Community Network; The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute (RABI); Hope For Justice; the Christian Police Association; the Pan Lancashire Anti-Slavery Partnership (PLASP) and ‘No Whispers’, an organisation that offers awareness training to combat child exploitation.

The team running the tent is pictured here in images from our Twitter feed. This year the team will be promoting a central theme of 'Farming and Modern Slavery'. 

The Director of the Clewer Initiative, Caroline Virgo, will be joining the team for the three days and will be helping to resource this area.

There will be informative seminars and activities for children organised by the Diocese of Blackburn’s Children’s Work Adviser, Sarah Earnshaw and her team.

With the central theme focusing on the challenging topic of modern-day slavery, children and their adults will have the opportunity to come along and find out more about this difficult subject.

They will explore what it means to be free, and which real-life superheroes are trying to change our world for the better by trying to tackle this huge problem.

This will be done in a fun and engaging way and children will even have the opportunity to transform into a superhero for themselves whilst also finding out what the Bible says about slavery too.

In addition to the activities in the marquee, we’re extremely excited to share that the Methodist District 'Godly Play Bus' will be joining us at the show all weekend.

The bus is a fully equipped mobile Godly Play classroom where highly trained Godly Play Practitioners use the age-old art of oral storytelling to present some of the big stories from the Bible in a new and refreshing way. Children will be invited to jump on board the bus for storytelling at set times each day.

Of course, the Church Tent will also be there to offer a free drink and somewhere to sit and relax for a while for everyone attending the Show at any time. 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, July 23, there will be a Tent Service (outside if dry) led by Leaders across the whole Church in Lancashire. Those attending include new Moderator of the United Reformed Church for the North West, the Revd Clare Downing and the new Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev. Philip North. 

Supporters wanted! 

Come and be part of this witness to the unity we share in Christ to the people of Lancashire.

Can you support the Church Tent? You can pray for this outreach opportunity as thirty thousand people attend the Show over the three days.

• You can donate toward the cost of the Marquee and equipment.
• You can visit the Church Tent in person if you are planning to go to the Show.
• Come in for a brew and a chat!

Contact Revd Anton Müller, County Ecumenical Officer, Churches Together in Lancashire antonmuller@ctlancashire.org.uk

Ronnie Semley, July 2023