There is a service held annually at St Margarets Church, Great Barr Birmingham. It is a thanksgiving service for both transplant and donor families. Being a very emotional and rewarding service it brings both the transplant and donor families together as one. Afterwards, refreshments are served in the church hall where you can meet  and chat to other transplant and donor families A very rewarding experience for all, everyone is made welcome.

 The next service will be held on Sunday 5th July 2009.  2.00PM

For those of you that would like to attend, below are pictures of the church and also address and directions.

                      

              The picturesque Church of St Margarets Great Barr
 

                                  The address of St Margarets is;

                                                   St Margarets Church

                                                          Chapel Lane

                                                            Great Barr

                                                        BIRMINGHAM

                                                             B43 7BA

                                               Tel No  0121 357 1390

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                THANKSGIVING SERVICE SUNDAY 8TH JULY 2007

 

 

 Report.  11-7-2007

 

               This years Thanksgiving Service was held at the usual venue of St Margarets in Great Barr. It was well attended although numbers were slightly down on last year, the weather was very kind to us with a beautiful summers day, which after all the rain previousely made the day even more enjoyable. There were contributions from Professor Elwyn Elias (consultant Hepatologist), Peter Ashcroft (liver recipient co-ordinator), and additional contributions from donor and recipient families.

                For the first time this year there were representations from other religions, with representatives from the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh religions and last but not least a Gospel Choir,  it was a very moving and emotional service, especially listening to Donor and Recipient families tell their own personal stories making it a truly memorable service.

                This was followed by refreshments in the Memorial Hall, where it was nice to meet up with some old friends and make new aquantencies.

                Many thanks to all concerned for all the hard work that goes into making this possible, and to all speakers and choir . God bless you all.

                ALAN.

                          THANKSGIVING SERVICE SUNDAY 6TH JULY 2008

Report 6-7-2008.
  
The service was well attended again this year, in spite of the torrential downpours on and off all day , but this in no way  put a dampner on the service.
Again it was a very touching and moving experience with stories being told from a donor family about their 12 year old son that was  tragically killed in a car accident and  their decision to switch the life support machine off and donate the organs, I think everyone in church shed a tear or two, the courage of these people are truly amazing, and a 17 year old girl that had had a liver and part of a bowel transplant and was now eating solid food for the first time in 16 yrs and is now in remarkably good health. you had to be there to appreciate the emotion of it all.
There were presentations of recipient flowers, lighting of candles for donor and recipient families, the address was given by Professor Deidre Kelly, professor of Paediatric Hepatology & Medical Director for education and research at Birmingham Childrens Hospital.
Refreshments were served after the service in the Memorial hall, and we all had a chance to talk to new and old aquaintences, and express our gratitude to donor and recipient families for the gift of life.
Again many thanks to the speakers, choir, clergy, donor family network refreshments and to all concerned in making this special day possible.
God bless you all.
Alan.