'Rolling rev' camps out to connect with parish

A Herefordshire vicar is taking a novel approach to outreach by camping out in one of the villages he is responsible for in an attempt to get to know the people better.

Simon Lockett has been in charge of five churches in the area of the county known as the Golden Valley since the end of 2006.

"The parishes are quite scattered in this most rural part of Herefordshire," said Simon, "and I live in Madley, probably the most accessible of them all. But the problem for a modern day vicar is not being able to live in all the communities that he serves."

To this end, Simon has come up with a plan to spend four days in the villages of Turnastone and Vowchurch living and working from an iconic 1972 VW Camper van. He will move in on Tuesday August 25 and return home on the Saturday ready for services on the Sunday.

"I will be packing my bike so I can visit residents in the greenest way possible and we are going to have a good old Barbeque on the Friday night to round things off," said Simon. "I will use the camper van with its 'Rolling Rev' logo as an office with mobile phone and laptop and people can also visit me and have a cup of tea."

The idea came from Simon's previous appointment as a curate in Oxfordshire. When he mentioned in passing that a vicar in rural areas needs a mobile office, his bishop at the time gave him some money towards the purchase of a camper van.

Other funds followed and Simon put the plan into action. Parishioners there have recently decided to give him the camper van and so the "Rolling Rev" is on the move again.

"It's a simple way and I hope fun way to make contact with people," added Simon. "I hope the people like the idea and that we will all know each other better at the end."