2026 will see planned 'Festival Fortnights' across the Leightonstone Churches and churches in West Norfolk.
Samuel, our Church and Community Support Adviser is teaming up with PCCs across Leightonstone and West Norfolk to plan events.
Festival Fortnight seeks to bring together churches from across benefices to collaborate and engage with their local communities.
Festival Fortnight is a celebration of our wonderful churches, bringing communities together through shared events, and open doors. It's all about building stronger relationships within each parish, shining a light on the beauty and heritage of our churches, and welcoming others—both near and far—to join in. By concentrating events in one fortnight, we hoped to create a buzz of activity that will inspire greater interest and interaction from people across all our villages. It's a chance to explore different churches, meet new people, and enjoy a variety of community-led experiences.
Festival events can be anything—from traditional church fetes and concerts to partnerships with local schools. Some of the events from the 2025 Leightonstones Festival Week included creative activity trails that encourage visitors to discover different churches, a Pop-Up Pub, a church tour, a talk by a local author, patronal festivals, a stained glass presentation, and many more.
Why not explore how a similar initiative may work for your church and benefice?
If you want to find out more about Festivals Fortnight, please get in touch with Samuel at samuel.pedlar@elydiocese.org.