Archbishop of Canterbury in Derbyshire for three-day visit

He will spend the day in Derby today, Tuesday, before heading to the Chesterfield area and the High Peak tomorrow, Wednesday. His final day in Derbyshire on Thursday will see him visit Derby, Swadlincote and Normanton.

Among the activities the Archbishop will take part in during his time in Derby today are a walk through the city centre, an event at The Roundhouse showcasing Derby College students and presenting awards to young people in a mini-graduation ceremony.

Tomorrow, he will vist St Peter’s in Derby, home to a refugee and asylum seekers clinic, where he will meet users of the clinic and hear from British Red Cross volunteers and Derby City faith leaders on the response to the refugee crisis.

He will deliver a keynote speech to support Derby Diocese’s aim to encourage closer partnerships at a Social Projects lunch held at St Barnabas Centre, Danesmoor, from 12.30pm. As well as meeting networks of Credit Unions, Foodbanks and Citizen Advice Bureaus, the lunch centres on the importance of working in partnership to provide support in areas of high social deprivation. He will have lunch at the Feeding Derbyshire Super Kitchen, the project which uses surplus food from supermarkets to provide affordable meals to the community.

The regeneration of regional business in a post industrial landscape will be the theme of the business networking event at St Thomas’s Centre, Brampton, from 4pm. The Archbishop will talk about the challenges facing businesses in the current economic climate followed by a Q&A.

The day ends in Glossop where the Archbishop will join local Vicar Andrew Hargreaves as he camps out for the week in the town’s Norfolk Square. Young people from across the Diocese have been invited to the ‘Jesus on the Square’ event to put their questions to the Archbishop, in a public Q&A taking place at 8.30pm. The evening will culminate with the Archbishop donning waders to carry out full immersion baptisms in a temporary swimming pool in the square at 9pm.

On Thursday, the Archbishop will be guest of honour at an event at Derby University, visit St Thomas Church, Pear Tree, and lead an outdoor worship session with primary school children in Swadlincote.

For the full itinerary, click here.