“He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge”
Psalm 91v4
As individual parishes and as a joint benefice, we work hard to maintain a safe environment for all. We are committed to implementing the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policies and good practice guidance and have therefore chosen to adopt the Church of England policy on safeguarding in each of our churches, the link can be found here.
If you have any concerns about either yourself or another person that may be being harmed or is at risk of harm, please contact us straight away. If you are concerned about anybody working or volunteering within the church acting inappropriately, we want to know. You can contact our safeguarding officers using the details below.
Parish Safeguarding Officer for Gisburn: Helen Coar
Email: helencoar1@outlook.com
Phone: 07810504812
Parish Safeguarding Officer for Bolton-by-Bowland: Martyn Bishop
Email: martynbishop@btinternet.com
Phone: 01200447406/07793366949
Parish Safeguarding Officer for Grindleton: Margaret Aspin
Email: aspinm44@gmail.com
Phone: 07812073570
The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser is Catherine Smith, she can be contacted at catherine.smith@blackburn.anglican.org or on 07711485170.
Out of Hours Support
The Diocese of Blackburn partners with thirtyone:eight and you can access their Safeguarding Helpline if the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser is unavailable. Thirtyone:eight can be contacted on 0303 003 1111.
This also includes any safeguarding queries outside of office hours on weekdays and weekends. An Information Sharing Agreement between the two organisations will allow the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser to receive a copy of the advice thirtyone:eight may offer the caller.
In the case of an emergency
If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Service.
Helplines
Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 080 8808 8141 (freephone Monday to Friday 9-5pm)
Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours)
Parent Line: 0808 800 2222
National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours).
Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours)
The Bowland Benefice 