THE bunting strings for St Edmund Church’s ‘Flag It Up’ initiative will be collected next week and will be used to decorate the inside of the building for a community party.

‘Flag It Up’ is designed to create a ‘snapshot’ of what inspires all the generations in Kingsbridge right now, and for the last three months, the church team has been making lengths of bunting with hundreds of colourful flag triangles ready to have a message written or drawn on them.

Susanne Akam-Smith from St Edmund’s said: ‘Whatever our age, we all have words to share. They might be inspirational, joyful or comforting, perhaps a favourite poem, or aspirations for the future. The main thing is not to get to hung-up on what to say and not say anything!

‘If words are not your thing, how about drawing a picture on your flag triangle? There is no need to sign your triangle unless that is your desire!’

Bunting strings are still available at Age Concern, The Cornelius Fund shop, Dodbrooke Church, the Family Baptist Church, Kingsbridge Community Primary School, Kingsbridge Estuary U3A, Kingsbridge WI, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Selworthy Vets, St Edmund’s Church, Kingsbridge Information Centre and Wordwise.

So far messages already penned include famous quotes, verses from poems, songs and the bible, through to birthday wishes and congratulations to friends.

By inviting our community and visitors for a small donation of £1 to write or draw a message on a flag triangle the money raised will be equally shared between Kingsbridge in Bloom, Tearfund’s Toilet Twinning, and St Edmund’s lighting project.

Tearfund Toilet Twinning is a charity that are providing toilets to the 2.4billion people who still don not have access to safe sanitation in 2016. Schools could use this activity to ‘Flag it Up’ to their pupils that other children are not so lucky in having this basic necessity.

The St Edmund’s Church lighting project aims to upgrade the lighting to a cost effective LED system to provide a bright and friendly welcome to people entering the church. Currently, although St Edmunds are pleased to offer a year-round open church policy, they cannot afford to keep the lights on during the day.

Next week the bunting strings will be collected to decorated the inside of St Edmund’s Church. On Friday, October 28, at 6pm until 7pm the church will be welcoming visitors to see the bunting and ‘celebrating this great way in which our community and visitors have come together during the past three months’ with a community party.

If you are still interested in taking part either drop into one of the many places mentioned above or please contact either Judy McDonald on 07435 567126 or Susanne on 07540 497079 and they will provide you with one of the many colourful bunting strings.

For more information on Tearfund Toilet Twinning, visit: www.toilettwinning.org, Kingsbridge In Bloom, visit: www.kingsbridgeinbloom.co.uk or St Edmunds Church, visit: www.achurchnearyou.com/kingsbridge-st-edmund-king-martyr