UK News

CHESTER, UK (ANS) Churches in the historic north of England city of Chester have joined together to put on a unique festival. Just started is ChesterFest's Summer Celebration Week 2008.

"The world's first year-long festival will revolve around the central week of celebration which runs from July 21-27," reports the Chester Chronicle.

The Summer Celebration Week is organized by 23 church congregations from across the Chester district, working with the support of partner organizations Chester City Council, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Cheshire Police and local businesses to organize a week of projects and fun for young people in the Chester area.

"Activities for this year's celebration week include CAKE (Community Acts of Kindness Experience) projects where young people work together to improve areas including Blacon, the city centre, Boughton, Kingsway, Hoole and other areas," said the Chester Chronicle story.

"They get involved in car washing, making street music and theatre, running children's holiday clubs and subway art and clean-ups which last year resulted in three mosaics decorating the Fountains subway."

Chester Cathedral is the unlikely venue for a rock concert on Saturday, July 26, with One city, One night, One venue, Two bands which sees bands "YFriday" and "thebandwithnoname" in action.

"The festival is rounded off with the spectacular Funday on a Sunday on July 27 at Hoole Coronation Playing Fields. The event is free and includes bouncy castles, barbecue, refreshments, games and entertainers," continued the story.

"The festival, which is in its 11th year, has been steadily growing in size and popularity since it began as a one-day event in Hoole in 1997. It then developed into a week-long program, Hoolefest, in 2004 before it became ChesterFest in 2007."

Building on the success of Alive & Kicking '07, ChesterFest is to present another "fun-filled evening" of football (soccer) and faith on Friday, July 25, at the Function Suite at Chester City Football Club. The guest speaker is John Boyers Chaplain of Manchester United FC and the theme will be "A Question of Sport - in our own inimitable style." Among the prizes for a competition held that night will be a soccer ball signed by England star, Michael Owen.

Deri Fabian, ChesterFest coordinator, said: "We have far more people involved than last year, it's growing every year. The festival is about investing in young people, showing the church in action and building young people's self-esteem. We find that the projects have a really positive effect on the youths involved."

She added: "We had fantastic success last year and hope this year will be even bigger and better."

ChesterFest will continue each month, and among winter events for ChesterFest will be a concert at Chester Cathedral on Saturday, December 13, 2008 called "Dreaming of a Holy Night," which will feature Graham Kendrick with Band plus guest Phillipa Hannah.

David Burrowes MP (Conservative) for Enfield Southgate, Tim Farron MP (Liberal Democrat) for Westmorland & Lonsdale and Andy Reed MP (Labour) for Loughborough took part in a cross-party Slum Survivor challenge with Christian aid agency Tearfund and youth organisation Soul Survivor this week, to highlight the plight of 1 billion slum dwellers around the world.

(Pictured: (from left): James Butcher (Tearfund), Andy Reed MP, David Burrowes MP (back), Joseph Colman (Soul Survivor) (right) and Tim Farron MP (front) on their Slum Survivor challenge. Credit: Hazel Thompson)

"Living life in a slum is reality for 1 billion people, and by going through the Slum Survivor challenge I?m hoping that the issue of poverty and those communities who have to live without proper shelter, sanitation or clean water is highlighted," said David Burrowes MP.

Andy Reed MP said: "Being part of the Slum Survivor challenge has been about experiencing just a tiny part of what life is like for these communities. It's important that we keep up pressure on governments and make sure that they progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, one of which focuses on improving the lives of slum dwellers around the world."

"Being part of this initiative is an act of solidarity," says Tim Farron MP. "The Slum Survivor initiative is about reminding governments that this kind of life is a reality for so many people and we need to take action."

David Westlake, Integral Mission Director at Tearfund explained: "Slum Survivor will help educate a new generation of young campaigners to raise awareness of the issues the poor around the world face. By having just a glimpse of what slum dwellers have to live with, we hope it will empower young people to understand how they can be part of making a difference to the lives of so many."

Slum Survivor is an experience designed to help connect people with the lives of some of the world's poorest people. More than 230 church youth groups have participated in Slum Survivor challenges throughout the country, raising 150,000 pounds to fund life-changing work in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Slum Survivor is an initiative of SoulAction, the partnership between Tearfund and Soul Survivor.