We are pleased to announce our 2024 Annual Meeting will once again be held at Westminster Central Hall on Saturday, 28th September 2024.
The meeting is a great opportunity to meet and socialise with fellow magazine editors, as well as celebrate the winners of our 2024 awards. There will also be opportunity to hear from and ask questions of our keynote speakers – check their profiles further down the page.
All church magazine editors are welcome to join. Please do bring copies of your magazine to share with others on the “swaps” table.
This year we are doing online bookings using Microsoft Office Forms. Please click this link and enter the required details.
https://forms.office.com/r/JQLTDHfkBC
Payment options are given on the form. If you are paying by PayPal and have trouble copying and pasting the link on the form, you can use this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5K8F3HRADD2V2
Bookings close on 20th September 2024 at 11:45pm.
Don’t forget to book your travel tickets too!
Programme
10.30 Arrival with tea, coffee, biscuits and chat
11.00 Welcome and introductions
11.10 Key note talk – Neil Pugmire
11.55 Questions to the speaker
12.00 AGM
12.15 Lunch
Please bring a packed lunch with you. Tea and coffee will be provided.
13.15 Talk by Tim Bullamore
14.10 Questions to Tim Bullamore
14.15 Presentation of Awards
Short review of the Award categories and the entries for the 2024 ACE Awards
followed by the presentation of certificates and trophies.
15.00 Closing prayer
15.15 25th anniversary of ACE celebration Afternoon Tea (free) in the conservatory of Wesley’s café.
Comprising: 6 finger sandwiches (2 each of 3 types), a plain or fruit scone with jam and clotted cream or butter, 2 small pieces of cake (from a range of 4), filter coffee/selection of teas. For further details on the cafe, please visit:
https://www.c-h-w.com/wesleys-cafe
16.15-16.30 Depart
Keynote Speaker - Neil Pugmire
Neil Pugmire has been director of communications for the Church of England’s Diocese of Portsmouth since 2000. He previously worked as a journalist for regional newspapers. He is the author of the manual for church communications – 100 Ways To Get Your Church Noticed. This was originally published in 2006, a new edition came out in 2014 and the third edition should be available in October 2024. Find out more on www.getyourchurchnoticed.com. He has also written three other books of Christian drama scripts, resources for holiday clubs and resources for family services. He is also artistic director of a Christian theatre company in Portsmouth.
Afternoon Speaker - Tim Bullamore
Tim Bullamore has been writing obituaries for The Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers for more than 30 years and has been a finalist in the British Press Awards’ specialist writer of the year category on four occasions. His subjects include not only clergy and hymn writers but also dukes, duchesses and detectives. Since 2023 he has additionally been editor of the parish magazine for St Anne’s Church, in Corstorphine, Edinburgh.
In this entertaining introduction to life as an obituary writer Tim will offer insights into the pleasures and pitfalls of remembering the newly departed in national newspapers. He will also describe how the same principles apply equally to church magazines and offer practical advice about how to go about writing parishioners’ obituaries.
Travel suggestions
Westminster Central Hall is in the heart of London and can be reached by various forms of transport. Check on the Westminster Central Hall Location page for details of underground, rail, car and airport options. We have editors that join us from as far as Northumberland and Cheshire on the day, so don’t feel it’s too far to travel.
If you are travelling by train, then check on sites such as The Trainline, National Rail Enquiries or directly with the train operating company that serves your nearest station for offers on early tickets. You can save potentially hundreds of pounds by buying as soon as tickets become available and ensure that you get a decent seat reservation. It’s worth checking the cost of air travel too, as operators may offer cheaper flights on Saturdays, though do consider the environmental impact if doing so.
If you want to extend your visit to London, there are plenty of hotels and other accomodation in the vicinity of Westminster, and you are right next to some of the top attractions London has to offer.