Coming up coronation roses 

Roses have been planted to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III and in remembrance of the Late Queen Elizabeth II at Bishop Ridley Church, Falconwood.
 
The church hosted a special coronation parade service on Sunday (20 May) which was attended by the local community including its uniformed groups, local councillors and local MP, Louie French. Bishop Ridley also welcomed the Bishop of Rochester, Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Gibbs, for his first visit to the church.
 
During the service the children in uniformed groups received badges, read prayers and the Bible reading. The Bishop gave a fantastic address which brought the coronation to life through a number of costume changes and highlighted its base in the Christian faith.
 


As part of the service, the Bishop also blessed two roses which had been purchased with the legacy of a late long-time member of the congregation Joan Rowlan. The roses commemorate the coronation of King Charles III and are in memorial of the Late Queen Elizabeth II. They were planted in The Green, outside the church, by children from the uniformed groups after the service.
 
Also after the service, a bake sale was held. This happens after each parade service to raise money for a charity. The charity for 2023 is Zarach; the bed poverty charity to provide a bed for every head. So far three beds have already been brought for children in the UK.