THE winners of "Bishop's Den" - a competition based on the BBC
TV Dragons' Den, held as part of a programme to develop new ways of
attracting people into the Church in Cornwall (News, 16 August
2013) - were announced on Sunday.
Parishes, clusters, and deaneries had been invited to compete
for funding, and the finalists entered the Bishop's Den at a public
event in the Mylor Theatre at Truro College.
Forty entries were whittled down to a shortlist of six, who had
to show how they would use the funds to attract people to their
church. They were grilled by a panel of inquisitors chaired by the
Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Tim Thornton, and included the Dean of
Exeter, the Very Revd Dr Jonathan Draper, and people from business
and charity sectors. The compère was Alan Dedicoat, of BBC Radio
2.
Sheds of Hope was a scheme from St Columb Minor, Newquay. Their
aim was to build sheds in their area to bring the community
together in a gardening project.
From the Penlee Cluster came eWaves. The project sought to help
other churches, particularly small rural ones, realise the
potential of what is available from modern and emerging
technologies.
The Fusion Bus Project was presented by young people from four
churches on The Lizard. They wanted to buy a bus, for use as a
mobile centre where young people could "hang out" and hear about
the Church.
The Community Shop was presented by the village of South
Petherwin. Their plan was to provide a shop in the church, in an
area with poor public transport.
Pioneer Youth, from All Hallows', Kea, offered to work with
others in Truro, setting up a hub of missional communities for
young people. Kick Start 4 Youth was a similar project from the
Callington Cluster, four churches in north Cornwall.
After deliberation, the panel announced that it would fund, up
to £100,000 each, the Community Shop and eWaves. Certificates for
grants of £1000 were awarded to four runners-up, from St Budock, St
Austell, Penlee, and Fowey.
The leader of the project, the Archdeacon of Cornwall, the Ven.
Bill Stuart-White, raised about £250,000 from the sale of parsonage
houses.
