Cornwall Songs of Praise

I'm flying above the Cornish coastline with the crew of

Britain's very first air ambulance service,

30 years old this year.

They've rescued people in all sorts of trouble inland and out at sea,

including this thankful teenager.

The people at our church, I know they prayed from me.

We visit a gardening scheme linked to Cornwall's Eden Project

that's helping people grow in confidence.

It's really changed my life.

And I'll be clowning around in church.

Our music today includes hymns from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

but we start in England.

In Leicester, in fact, with O Praise Ye The Lord.

Cornwall Air Ambulance, based at Newquay Airport, has completed

more than 26,000 missions since its launch back in 1987.

And, as a result, hundreds of lives have been saved.

Steve Garvey is one of the team bringing help to those in urgent need.

We get a lot of visitors in the summer months and the roads

become quite significantly congested.

We've got the beaches,

the moorlands, and there are some very rural areas that are up to an

hour and a half from the nearest hospital here in Cornwall and

we can make those journeys in 15 to 20 minutes, so that brings

a lot of speed, getting the patient to definitive care a lot quicker.

We deal with the more critical incidents at times,

which can bring a great deal of sadness but can also bring

a great deal of joy when you're able to treat someone and make

their rough day a lot better.

The Eastwood family know this all too well.

Harriet got into difficulties on a day out with her grandparents

while her mum was at work.

It was the end of the summer holidays when I was nine.

We went down to Caerhays Beach and me and my sister thought it would

be a great idea to go in the sea,

even though it was cold and it was really rough.

I just remember being taken out really quickly and I could see

my sister at the shore and she was waving to me

and I was trying to wave back with one hand and then, like,

I felt my feet not being able to touch the bottom any more and

I just remember seeing the sky and then darkness.

The people on the beach ran to the cafe there and they rang for 999

and, you know, the air ambulance then arrived

a few minutes later and took Harriet off to Treliske Hospital in Truro,

which would have been about 45 minutes to an hour on

the road but I believe it was about five minutes in the air.

Jackie was at work teaching when she received the call that every

parent dreads.

I arrived at the hospital, I saw my husband and my mum and their

faces were really long and my first words were, "Has Harriet died?"

Because I just didn't know and at that point I didn't know.

Obviously, the news of the accident spread round our village and people

got in contact with our minister who arrived like a whirlwind.

She came straight into the hospital and...

I remember her coming into my ward and just bursting the doors

open and running in.

That was one of the strongest memories I have

of being in hospital.

And you had a lot of support from the local church.

We did, we did, we did.

And lots of people praying for us and praying for Harriet.

The people at our church, every Sunday, they do pray for people

who have accidents around Cornwall, and I know they prayed for me.

The impact of the rescue on the Eastwoods has been huge.

As well as fundraising as a family to show their gratitude,

mum Jackie has changed careers...

and now helps to keep the service going.

We could see that there was an avenue there, you know,

to help other people.

That's how I sort of got involved, really,

and I sort of got a job and I was working two days

a week for the charity and then when they decided to open this

building, I sort of, like, transferred into a full-time job.

The skills I've got as a teacher were used for the charity.

I go out giving talks in schools and assemblies and things like that,

getting as many people involved in the charity as possible.

Because, you know, for little amounts,

it keeps the helicopter flying.

And I love people and working with volunteers.

They are doing that for nothing.

How does your Christian faith help you in what it is you do and

have to do here?

I've been involved in church all my life,

from primary school upwards, and I think that that stood

me in good stead for this particular role that I do.

I don't know, it's sort of, perhaps, God has brought me round to this,

-I don't know.

-He's found the right spot for you.

Here in Cornwall, they're very proud of their tradition and culture

and Britain as a whole is very ethnically and culturally diverse,

which is reflected in many church congregations.

So it may come as a surprise that there has been a 20-year gap

since the last black bishop was appointed to the Church of England.

The most recent, Bishop Woyin Karowei Dorgu,

was consecrated Bishop of Woolwich earlier this year...

..and Pam Rhodes has been to meet him.

Do you think, in this day and time that, actually,

having a black bishop is something very special?

At a time when diversity and racial issues are not very easy in

our country,

I think it does a lot for the celebration of our

multicultural nature, of the church and the multicultural nature

of our community as well.

I think the church has moved on in many ways

in terms of its quintessential English nature.

It makes provision for people of all theological backgrounds,

all traditions, to meet the needs of the local congregation.

Bishop Dorgu was born and raised in Nigeria where his parents had

a profound effect on his faith.

My father became a Christian in the early part of the 20th century

as a young man.

Because he told us the story of how his auntie would not give him

dinner after school because he had become a Christian.

And so for three days, he was locked out of the house

because he had become a Christian.

And my mother was also a first-generation Christian in

her family.

So I am really grateful to God for that because,

but for their faith, I wouldn't be here today.

Faith clicked in for me at about the age of 19 when I was just

starting my medical studies.

But the idea of ordination was something I ran away from.

But I didn't get far.

After a big struggle, I realised that God had been preparing

me all my life for what he was calling me to do.

So I gave up medical practice at that point and went to

Bible college to study theology.

Leaving a successful career in medicine behind,

Karowei was to commence his 20-year career in the church.

Today, he's taking his first confirmation ceremony since

his consecration, here at St Saviour's & St Olave's School in Suffolk.

Some of you may know that I have only been a bishop for 12 days.

So I'm a baby bishop. So please bear with me.

Do you think that your appointment might encourage

a new generation to connect again with the church and its teaching?

I believe so.

Just by meeting a vicar or a bishop like myself,

who is able to speak their language, talk to them in cultural terms

that they can understand, and then connect them with the local parish.

And it also gives them a new sense of ownership and

a new sense of participation in whatever is happening.

I baptise you in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

It's really good to have a black bishop.

Not to be rude,

but I thought he would be, like, a bit big and, like, old.

...and of the Holy Spirit.

I think having a black bishop reaches out to the wider community

because it shows that, like, other ethnic groups can,

like, do something big as well.

It's like a coming of age for us.

A day to remember for them and a day to remember for me.

And a day to remember for the wider community.

The Eden Project is one of Cornwall's most popular

tourist destinations, attracting over a million people each

year to see plant species from all over the world in its huge biomes.

But it also runs an outreach programme called People and Gardens

that's having very beneficial effects on people's wellbeing.

Vegetables grown here supply Eden's kitchens and veg bags for local people.

So, Ken, is it all right to have a little bit of look around?

Yeah, yeah, let's go. Well, this is our field...

Ken Radford founded People and Gardens after battling

depression and finding voluntary work on a nature reserve.

It certainly helped me and I knew that that kind of life would

help others and things developed from there.

Adult social care identified a group of people in the community who

didn't really fit in the statutory environments, such as day care,

but had all expressed a desire to work and asked

me if I would set up a project to meet their needs.

What space have you created here, then,

for the vulnerable people that you work with?

Well, it's the space for people to be able to come in without

feeling judged by anybody,

without feeling that they have to explain who they are, what they

feel, like constant assessments that take place in our society today.

-Hi, Matt, how are you getting on?

-I'm doing all right.

What sort of work do you get involved in?

I get involved with everything, like,

-hoeing and brambling and potting and stuff.

-Yeah.

What do you like about being here and being in the gardens?

It's really changed my life, really.

I didn't do much gardening before I came here.

So you've learned all this since you've been here?

I enjoy working with all my friends, planting all the veg

-and that.

-It means a lot to me.

It gets you out in the job and into the community and working

with new people, different people.

I've been watching you, you're having a laugh here, aren't you?

Yeah, we really love a giggle. Anything we do.

He's got a habit, hasn't he - Matt? He's a character, like you said.

-He's got a very good character.

-Oh, cheers, man.

I have this deep belief in people, I believe in God and I believe

that we all have a responsibility to each other.

That's the bottom line on this planet

and, sadly, it isn't happening at the moment.

And I just know that, for the people we've got here,

we do our bit. We can't change the world but we can help to try.

And what about the friends you've made here and the banter that you

-guys all have?

-They're good, they are.

-Yeah.

Best friends, I could call them.

That's it, lovely. Back you go.

Ken's a nice person, and he's got a heart...heart of gold.

Now, what I want you to do, Jake,

you look down there and I'll turn it on and you tell me when it's coming.

So this is part of your Christian faith in action, what you're doing?

Oh, absolutely. When you've seen the joy on the people's faces today,

the satisfaction that they are achieving something

worthwhile but have control of what they're achieving,

that's something going on that I can't define.

# Precious Lord

# Take my hand

# Lead me on, let me stand

# I'm tired

# I'm weak

# I'm worn

# Through the storm through the night

# Lead me home to the light

# Take my hand

# Precious Lord

# Lead me home

# When my way

# Grows drear

# Precious Lord, linger near

# When my life

# Is almost gone

# Hear my cry

# Hear my call

# Hold my hand, lest I fall

-# Take my hand

-Take my hand

-# Precious Lord

-Lord, lead me home

# Lead me home

# When the darkness appears

# And the night draws near

# And the day is passed

# Passed and gone

# At the river I stand

# Guide my feet, hold my hand

-# Take my hand

-Take my hand

# Precious Lord

# Lord, lead me home

# Lead me home

-# Precious Lord

-Precious Lord

-# Take my hand

-Take my hand

-# Lead me home

-Lead me home

-# Let me stand

-Let me stand

# I am tired

# I am weak

# I am worn

# Through the storm through the night

# Lead me home through the light

-# Take my hand

-Take my hand

# Precious Lord

# Lord, lead me home

# Take my hand

# Lead me home

# Precious Lord

# Lead me home

# Precious Lord

# Lead me home

# Lead me home. #

In a moment, David Grant takes us to meet one of Britain's

funniest congregations but, first,

it's off to Northern Ireland for this traditional favourite.

While there is always lots of fun to be had at the seaside,

churches are places that we go to for things that are much

deeper than just entertainment.

But David Grant has managed to find a church where clowning

around is all part of the fun.

Each year, hundreds of clowns from across the UK

attend a church service in East London

to celebrate the gift of joy and laughter.

The service started in 1946,

so I'm attending the 71st Clown Service.

I've got no idea what I'm letting myself in for.

SQUEAKING

It's one of the most unusual church services you'll ever see,

and it's arranged by the organisation Clowns International.

How hard is it to put it together?

Well, it's very difficult organising clowns,

because they're like free-range chickens.

Even the vicar's got her hands full with this congregation.

I'm going to read you a story.

CHEERING

One hot afternoon, Adam and Eve...

I front an organisation called Holy Fools, which is

the National Christian Clowning and Entertaining Association.

I storytell, I do the basics of juggling.

The Christian faith needs to be shared in a fun way.

Do you feel that in a way that maybe what you're doing

is just a modern-day equivalent to parables, to storytelling?

Yes, it is. The greatest storyteller was Jesus.

I'm an elephant and I'm OK.

Well, he's a church mouse.

He can tell the Christmas story,

because his great-great-great-great -

I can't remember how many greats - grandfather was in that stable

and saw everything happen.

It's a bit embarrassing to ask you this,

but do you think I'd make a good clown?

You know, I think you'd make a brilliant clown.

You've got that look about you.

I look like a clown!

Some people look to be funny, you look to be funny.

You don't even need make-up.

A warning to ourselves not to take ourselves too seriously.

Thank you, clowns.

-How's it looking?

-I think it's great.

David Grant from Songs Of Praise.

Having been a clown for 46 years,

which is amazing, really, cos I'm only 27.

# Sing Hosanna

# Sing Hosanna

# Sing Hosanna... #

We laugh about three times a day, which is really not enough.

It's... Laughter blows the dust off your soul!

What I also see is the church celebrating

that laughter is a gift of God.

It's a gift, and it's free!

ALL: ..for thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Well, it turns out I didn't quite cut it as a clown,

so they've escorted me out of the service.

This has been absolutely nuts, all kinds of mayhem,

but fantastic and moving, and fun!

All right, all right...

Don't cause more... Do you mind?

Next week, we're on Guernsey in the Channel Islands,

but for today, our final piece of music is a song of praise

set to a beautiful tune, sung by a Welsh congregation.