Staff Update: Rebecca Horry, Commercial Manager

As the new season begins, it feels full of potential as new life appears around us and the days grow longer. Spring brings a natural sense of renewal, and it feels like a particularly special time in the life of our church. I’m delighted that our building will be hosting several events that explore the story and meaning of Easter in different ways.


One highlight will be hosting Riding Lights Theatre Company presenting Night Falls, a new Passion play by Paul Birch, offering a powerful retelling of the Easter story. We hope it will be meaningful for both members of our congregation and visitors who join us. We are also looking forward to a screening from the Exhibition on Screen series exploring Easter in Art, reflecting on how artists across the centuries have interpreted the Passion and Resurrection.


Our church shop continues to welcome visitors and regulars alike. Alongside cards, books, and gifts, I’m pleased to share that we have recently brought a new book supplier on board, helping us widen our range of titles for both children and adults exploring faith and the heritage of the church.


I’ve also been delighted to help recruit several new volunteers to help run church tours, and we hope this will allow us to expand our tour offer and share the story of the church with even more visitors. If you see them in the church please help welcome them to the team.


Behind the scenes, we continue working to welcome concerts and other events into the church. Our beautiful space lends itself wonderfully to music, and these events not only bring people together but also help support the care and future of the building. Over the coming months, we look forward to hosting a range of concerts and cultural events, welcoming audiences from across the local area and beyond. If you know of choirs, ensembles, or promoters looking for a distinctive venue, please do point them in our direction.


Thank you to everyone who supports these activities by volunteering, attending events, shopping in the shop, or spreading the word.


Recca Horry, Commercial Manager

13.03.2026


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We've seen lots of amazing work in the visitor services department so far this year. SMR stewards have generated over £4,500 donations between January and April 2026 and welcomed over 5000 visitors to the Church. We are welcoming new tour guides to the front of house team with the eventual goal to expand the number of tours we are able to offer to the public. Janet and Reuben have both done their first tours and have received wonderful reviews from visitors. If you are interested in volunteering on the front of house team please contact me on lucy.marshall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk . We have had some amazing feedback from our outreach events as we aim to welcome not only those familiar with SMR but also those that have never been before. These have included film screenings, talks and most recently the Redcliffe Sessions which raised just under £150 for our Lent charity partner, CALM. Thank you to all those who have supported these. The next Redcliffe Session will be in support of SMR and will feature Bristol band Dogsbody on guitar, cello and violin, and songwriter, Alex Pester on 13th June. I am very excited looking into the rest of 2026 for our future events run both in house and by external hirers, more information of which can be found on our website. If you are interested in volunteering at any future SMR events please let me know! Lucy Marshall Visitor Services Coordinator 06.05.2026