DESIGNS by four children from Gainford Primary School appeared on the Bishop of Durham’s annual Christmas card.
The Rt Revd Paul Butler visited Gainford just before then end of last term to attend collective worship and to reward the children for their artistic creativity.
Bishop Paul has been asking church schools to design his annual Christmas card since his investiture ten years ago and chose Gainford this year “because of all the work they have been doing around growing faith and I thought they would come up with some good designs, which they did.”
Ten-year-old Oliver earned the top prize for his painting of the bright guiding star above a stable which was chosen for the front of Bishop Paul’s card.
Pictures by Ivy, 9, Jacob, 8, and seven-year-old Toby are featured on the reverse side of the card.
Bishop Paul told children: “We send about 800 cards and I sign every single one of them.
“They go to all the vicars and their curates, they go to all the licensed lay-ministers, and they also go to the members of parliament and leaders of business and leaders of councils.”
Headteachers of Church of England schools in the diocese also receive a card, he added.
The school presented the bishop with an embroidered copy of his favourite Bible verse which was created by school office manager Jenny Linsley.
Earlier in the year the bishop presented Gainford Primary School with the Growing Faith Foundation’s partnership award which recognises the close relationship between the school, families and the church in promoting faith in the community.
Gainford was the first school in the country to receive the award.
