As we were preparing this edition in early May, the weather was balmy and I was a little light headed having entertained Antipodean visitors for a week. They certainly brought their lovely weather, but boy did we have some washing up.
It’s summertime and the Link is bursting with news. Suddenly the whole town is alive. And it’s festival year. That means have some fun.

Even mayors have fun at this time of the year, and here is a picture to prove it.
The guests of Highworth’s Mayor 2007/08 Richard Scotchmer had a wonderful evening with dinner, music and dancing at the Wrag Barn on Friday 28th March. Local old boys, the Brewery Street Buskers, provided the jazz, blues and dance music.
Our photo shows mayors from neighbouring councils and their partners. But we are stuck for the right collective noun. A gaggle of geese, a flock of sheep, a < what > of mayors?
Suggestions on a post card or e-mail, please.
And have a great summer!

Editor

Generous Highworth shoppers donated nearly half-a-ton of food to the Swindon Foodbank during a collection day at the Brewery Street Co-op on Saturday 10th May. The Foodbank will use these gifts to support Swindon people in crisis. The Foodbank is grateful to all who donated, to the volunteers who helped on the day and to the Co-op who allowed the collection day to take place

A study of the Foodbank by Faithworks (see www.faithworks.info) said Government statistics show that around 30,000 people in Swindon live below the poverty line. The belief underlying the Swindon Foodbank is that Jesus would have gone out to these people, not expected them to come to ‘church’. The project was started in 2005, as a franchise of the Foodbank started by The Trussell Trust in Salisbury. Over the last two and a half years, Swindon Foodbank has provided 55,000 meals.
Foodbank works with over 45 care professionals who give vouchers to people in
crisis situations. People can exchange their voucher for food at the distribution centre,
next to the Christian bookshop in the centre of town, which is open three times a week. The voucher system ensures that the Foodbank’s services reach the neediest, and that care professionals are involved in the crises people are experiencing.

During each week about 12 trained Christian volunteers work in the distribution centre to listen to people share their stories. They are not allowed to preach at the people coming in, but the setting does give them the opportunity to offer clients prayer, and to
share their own testimony when appropriate.