The Archdeacon of St Asaph is to make a sunrise summer solstice swim off the coast of Pensarn next week (21 June).

The Venerable Andy Grimwood will join Jo Leslie, the Church Army Evangelist for the north Wales Centre of Mission, for the swim to raise funds for their work in the area.

Andy and Jo plan to swim at 5.15am and will be live-streaming their efforts in an attempt to boost fund-raising.

Andy said: “Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored us so far. We’ve smashed our target of £200 so have increased it to £400. The money will support the work of the north Wales Centre of Mission based at Pensarn.”

The Church Army Centre of Mission opened in partnership with the Diocese of St Asaph on 11 April 2022. Initially Pensarn is the focus of work and is being led by Lead Evangelist Jo, who was commissioned as a Church Army evangelist in 2021. Jo will work with a Pioneer Evangelist to be recruited in due course, Canolfan Dewi Sant Centre (CDSC) and other local stakeholders to provide Christian love and outreach to those living in Pensarn and the wider Aled and Aber-Morfa Mission Areas.

Church Army was established in 1882 by Wilson Carlile with a vision to train ordinary Christian men and women to reach those most in need with the gospel. Since then, Church Army has been working on estates, in schools, in places where there is no church presence and in communities struggling to make ends meet.

The North Wales Centre of Mission is the second in the Diocese of St Asaph. In 2015, the Wrexham Centre of Mission was established on Caia Park.

You can make a donation to support Andy and Jo at North Coast of Wales Centre of Mission Facebook page.