Brentwood Gazette

Dan tells of appeal making life a bit warmer for people sleeping rough

- Paul Golder

PATRICK Sherring is one of our four lunchtime hosts on Phoenix FM and his time spent in the community as a retired rector and teacher leaves him incredibly well connected and allows him to get some fantastic guests in.

Last week Patrick was visited live on air by both Dan Skeates and Ivor Moody.

Dan is the co-founder and director of Cool To Be Kind, a charitable organisati­on fuelled by the passion of dedicated volunteers committed to spreading support and kindness throughout the Essex community.

Dan came in to talk about The Rucksack Project, a movement which started on the internet to help those sleeping rough on the streets during the coldest time of the year.

This very worthy appeal asks for donations of rucksacks containing sleeping bags, hoodies, thick socks, thermals, gloves and woolly hats which can be given to rough sleepers and give them a little help when it is needed most. More about the appeal can be found at c2bk.co.uk.

Canon Ivor Moody, Vice-Dean at Chelmsford Cathedral, talked about his current book Six More Songs: Further Reflection­s on Faith and Rock’n Roll.

It’s the follow-up to his first book Songs For the Soul, which took six iconic songs and discovered how faith and spirituali­ty might be discovered nestling within the secular.

In Six More Songs Ivor continues this quest, reflecting on the need for different signs and symbols for a generation tired of or unused to the traditiona­l rituals and expression­s of faith and belief and to help us realise

Listen at 98.0FM, www.phoenixfm.com afresh the message and the relevance of the Christian Gospel for the church and society today.

I don’t want to give too many spoilers away about his choices but I particular­ly loved hearing about

Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. It’s hard to think of a rock band with more accidental religious connection­s than Genesis, a band that Gabriel fronted until 1975. I’m a big fan of Gabriel-era Genesis and

Peter’s solo work. He was the first artist I saw live, and I’m always up for any analysis of his incredible work.

Both interviews can be heard again at phoenixfm.com.

 ?? ?? Dan Skeates and Canon Ivor Moody
Dan Skeates and Canon Ivor Moody
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