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December 2021
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Evening light show at Royal Château de Blois during ARC’s 2021 international meeting
ARC UK Newsletter Autumn/Winter 2021
A Letter from the President
My introduction to ARC was in 2019 when I had just finished my undergraduate degree in English and History. I had heard about ARC through my university and thought it sounded like an amazing way to spend my summer before I contemplated life after graduation. I was fortunate enough to be placed on a project in Florence and subsequently met some life-long friends in the process. After my project, I joined the ARC UK Board as a Recruitment Assistant. As a part of ARC, I have greatly enjoyed getting to know other members of the board while helping to strengthen the community of ARC.
At the end of 2020, we said goodbye to Sarah Morton who had been our president since 2016 and a dedicated member of ARC since 2012. I am extremely thankful for all her advice as well as the hard work she has put into ARC over the years. Without the resources she developed, my transition to this new role would have been much more daunting!
2021 has been a difficult year for many. The uncertainty experienced by communities and individuals across the globe in 2020 has persisted and the pandemic continues to develop, presenting new challenges to overcome. For those of us in the UK, 2021 started in a three-month lockdown and I, like many students, had to adapt once again to remote study. However, despite the difficulties of another lockdown, I felt grateful for the optimism of the ARC Board who looked hopefully towards the summer and the possibility of projects. Throughout the year, we carefully monitored the situation in both the UK and Europe to inform our recruitment process and project plans. Unfortunately, summer projects were ultimately cancelled for UK volunteers this year and while this was disappointing, we are excited for the opportunities and encounters 2022 may bring.
In November, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the European meeting in France on behalf of the ARC UK Board. It was wonderful to meet in person with some of the European boards, after a year of online meetings, to discuss our plans for the coming year. During our time in Blois, we were able to visit the Royal Château de Blois, Blois Cathedral and complete a treasure hunt through the city together. A highlight for me was experiencing the evening light show at the château which explored the history of France through narration and illuminations. Overall, the experience of meeting new members of ARC has left me optimistic for the year ahead and I look forward to continuing to work closely with our European partners.
Looking to 2022, we are still keen to develop another UK project and any enquiries from potential host churches will be most welcome. In other exciting news, ARC UK has been developing a new website due to launch in December, in time for the opening of recruitment in January. We are also looking for testimonials from previous volunteers to include on this website, so please get in touch if you would like to share your experience of your summer project.
Finally, I would like to say a massive thank you to all the members of the ARC UK Board for all the support, energy and commitment that they have shown me this year. I am excited to continue to work with this amazing team and see what this new year brings!
Arielle Jasiewicz-Gill
President 2021
Applications for Summer 2022 projects open 24th January
Spend next summer giving tours in some of Europe’s most magnificent churches and cathedrals. Stay tuned for details of our new website launch and how to apply.
To register initial interest or for any questions contact: president.arcuk@gmail.com.ion here.
Join the ARC Board
If you’ve enjoyed a ARC project previously and would be interested in volunteering to help others make the stones speak, get in touch. There are all sorts of exciting roles that can help you gain invaluable experience while also allowing others to share the joys of an ARC project.
Contact president.arcuk@gmail.com.