Nature reserve celebrates positive message

VILLAGERS flocked to a nature reserve for a day of activities celebrating how they could “grow" as people.

Dearne Churches Together hosted the event — which included a dove trail, tree planting and fruit-themed activities — at Goldthorpe Railway Cutting to mark Pentecost, Christianity’s late spring festival.

Event co-organiser Julie Turner said more than 100 people, two thirds of them children, had joined in the fun last Wednesday, painting bird houses and creating suncatchers, making bark rubbings and reflecting on how they would like to grow in different “fruit” such as kindness and patience.

“It was great to be in contact with so many families again,” said Julie.

“We also gave out goody bags with more crafts and snacks.

“We are grateful to FareShare for donating fruit and snacks and thanks go to the Dearne Area Team, Countryside Properties and the Railway Embankment group for helping with this event, along with members of Dearne Churches Together.

“It was very fitting to hold such an event in Volunteers Week - we're really grateful to all the people who volunteer at such events to make them so successful.”

In the lead-up to the event, hundreds of handmade doves, many of them knitted by volunteers, were be handed out in Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton-on-Dearne in a bid to replicate the success of the Easter ‘Whispers of Love’ project, when more than 1,000 hearts were distributed and decorated in the area.

Julie added: “The site is a testimony to the hard work done by the Railway Steering Group and the Dearne Area Team and is a peaceful garden area in the heart of Goldthorpe, which offers people space and the chance to explore nature.”

Pentecost is a festival of peace, based around the concept of the Holy Spirit as a dove.

“The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and Pentecost celebrates the birthday of the church, when the Holy Spirit came on followers of Jesus,” Julie said.

“We we are focusing on peace and on the fact that God is with us in our communities to help us at all times.

“It's a way for people to use their creative talents and we have had people of all ages helping out with the project.”

Of the tree planting, she said: “As the saying goes, to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow, so we are excited to be able to give something tangible to our community in this way.”

 

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