'Here I am ready to go, excitement spreading from head to toe'.

The opening words of the theme song for KIDZONE, a new venture for primary school children from St Peter's and Bishop Andrewes churches on the St Helier estate in Morden.

KIDZONE is a church service aimed directly at children, which takes place immediately after school. Lots of services end with refreshments but with Kidzone it's the other way round. Children straight from school need sustenance and so do their parents -so there's squash for kids, hot drinks for parents and a tuckshop at the start.

Led by Church Army Captain, Paul Warren, curate, Jon Westall, (left and right in photo), and Chips the Puppet, KIDZONE is a fast moving mix of songs, quizzes, bible stories and prayers, that lasts for half an hour. The children love it and so do their parents.

St Helier is a large parish with a population of nearly 20,000 and ten schools. As more and more parents work on Sunday, the church saw the need for a service after school midweek, that would build on existing work by parish staff in the schools, and reach families who couldn't come to church on Sunday.

Kidzone began after Easter at St Peter's. Attendance averages 70 adults and children, over 80% of whom are not church members. It has now started at daughter church, Bishop Andrewes, with 50 at the first service.

Kidbrooke Church hosts first charity fair

Supporters of a welter of different charities bustled together at the Charity Fair at St. James' Church Hall in Kidbrooke on Saturday 6 May.

The idea of June Mackenzie, a member of St. James' congregation, the day was a great success, with a lively, friendly, atmosphere between the stalls, well supported by local people.

Not including St. James' Church, and the Guides who laid on excellent refreshments, there were eleven charities present, ranging from Newpin to the United Nations Association, from Oxfam to the Cat Protection League. Items on sale included books, flowers, cakes, toy cars and white elephants!:

One sour note was the theft of a cashbox from one of the stalls by a boy - but even this brought out the best as the other charity stall holders held a collection to help make up the loss.

The fair was a 'first' in Kidbrooke but, as it was such a great day, it is unlikely to be the last!

'Let the children come to me... '

Thirteen children were admitted to Communion before confirmation when the Parish of Putney (St. Mary's with All Saints) held their second service for admissions on 14 May.

Pictured above are Lorna and Sam Caseley, Emily Clark, Jack and Joe Davey, Paul Fox, Benjamin and Daniel Hatch, Rebecca Illingworth, Zoe Large, Demi Olding, Ben Short and Kristiane Wentzel with children's work leaders.