A CONGREGATION has revealed plans to hold a service and act of memorial for Remembrance Sunday.

Churches Together in Gainford has made preparations for the day which will be led by Reverend Eileen Harrop, Father Grieves, and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Mike Poole, with cubs, brownies and scouts in attendance.

The service and act of remembrance, on Sunday, November 8, will be on the green from 10.30am concluding with the 11am silence.

Gainford Primary School children have painted poppy pebbles to be set out socially distanced on the green.

The pebbles will be situated around a temporary memorial cross to indicate where people should stand allowing for social distancing.

Gainford’s Community Choir, The Phoenix Singers, will support with two hymns and the National Anthem, while those gathered are requested to remain silent.

A track and trace system and stations for sanitising will be set up in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines, and attendees will have the option to contribute towards the Poppy Appeal.

Due to the evolving Covid situation, aspects of the service may change closer to the event.

Rev’d Eileen Harrop said: “We believe that community means everyone should be given the opportunity and encouraged to creatively participate together.

“We are very conscientious about being compliant and making decisions to ensure the service is Covid safe.

“We have chosen to move the act of Remembrance away from the memorial in the church yard, because that space is too small to ensure that people stay socially distanced.

“We are going to use the whole of the green, and we have a very large cross which is about ten feet tall that will be placed in the centre of the green as a temporary memorial.

“This will give people who gather a place of focus where wreaths can be placed.

“The poppy pebbles will be spread out about three metres apart, and every household attending will be required to only stand where a pebble has been placed.”

“This gives us more reassurance that people would be socially distanced during the event.”