ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM
A coffee, a conversation, a moment to pause. Find something to look forward to at St Margaret’s.
CHOOSE AN END DATE ON OR AFTER THE START DATE.
Get ready for an unforgettable evening celebrating the incredible music of one of the world's most legendary groups – the Bee Gees!
Get ready for an unforgettable evening of sensational music, incredible harmonies and timeless hits as New West End Jerseys bring the magic of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons to life!
Get ready for an unforgettable evening celebrating the incredible music of one of the world's most iconic bands – Fleetwood Mac!
Get ready for an unforgettable evening celebrating the legendary music of one of the greatest bands of all time – the Eagles!
Get ready for an unforgettable evening celebrating the music of the most iconic band in history – The Beatles!
Christmas can be a particularly difficult time when we are missing someone we love.
Two days of Kent beer, food and live music at St Margaret’s Church, held on 2 and 3 October 2026.
Explore the festival programme, food and fundraising story below.
The 2026 Rainham Poetry Festival brought local, national and international voices together at St Margaret’s on 5 and 6 June. New writers shared the programme with celebrated poets, including special guest Lemn Sissay.
Explore the two days below, with spoken word, music, an anthology launch and a session for children.
Since 2001 Curtis Stigers has been seriously pursuing a career as a first class jazz singer with 7 albums out so far and many awards under his belt: In 2003 his album “You Inspire Me” was the London Times´ ‘Jazz Album of the Year’, in 2007 Stigers was named ‘Jazz Artist of the Year’ by BBC Radio 2, and in 2010 Stigers won the German Jazz Echo in the category ‘Best International Male Jazz Singer’. He has performed at most major jazz festivals and iconic jazz clubs around the world and is a regular at concert halls on both sides of the Atlantic.
Join Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason for an enchanting recital at the Rainham Piano Festival. This remarkable brother-and-sister duo, renowned worldwide for their virtuosity and musical connection, present a captivating programme blending timeless classics and contemporary brilliance.
Dominic Ferris is one of Britain’s leading piano stars and a global ambassador to flagship piano brand Steinway & Sons. Dominic performed at the wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton and has collaborated with some of the world’s leading artists including Barry Manilow, Dame Shirley Bassey and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Dominic’s live show is a cocktail of piano fireworks featuring popular songs from the Great American Songbook, along with Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody In Blue. Dominic will sing songs by two of the world’s leading piano showmen: Billy Joel and Elton John, whilst featuring numbers from his million-selling album projects with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
Doors open 6:30pm, performance begins 7:30pm
Atmospheres in Audio Theatre is titled to acknowledge the inherent drama we experience through the colour and sonority of timbre. Sound has its own poetry. Central to the music is the combination of the tablas with tenor saxophone added to the hearth and delicacy forged through the multiplicity of the piano.
PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT MEET OUTSIDE OF TERM-TIME.
St Margaret’s Church is on High Street, Rainham, Kent, ME8 7JH. This historic, Grade I listed church brings centuries of local heritage to every visit, offering a distinctive setting for live music, poetry and performance.
From an intimate recital to an evening of spoken word or a lively festival, the building is part of the experience. It is a place to enjoy outstanding performances, discover new voices and come together in the heart of Rainham.
Rainham railway station and local bus routes are within walking distance. Use the map below to plan your journey, and check event details for admission and performance times.
Performance times, ticket prices, age restrictions and seating arrangements vary by event. Check the event’s ticket listing before purchasing.
If you have an access requirement or a question about an event, contact the team before booking so they can help you plan your visit.
office@rainhamchurch.co.uk01634 362023
Acts Six Ltd is the wholly owned trading subsidiary of St Margaret’s Church, Rainham. Its fundraising events support the church and its work in the local community.
St Margaret’s Church, Rainham is a registered charity.Registered Charity Number: 1134849
5 JUNE 2026 · FROM 6PM
6 JUNE 2026 · FROM 2PM
Poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay headlined the 2026 festival with Let the Light Pour In. He was the official poet of the London 2012 Olympics and received the 2019 PEN Pinter Prize.
The Saturday programme opened at 2pm with reading and poetry for children, young people and the young at heart, introduced by Nathan Ward.
Friday 2 October | 4pm–11pmSaturday 3 October | 12pm–11pm
Join us at our beautiful 800-year-old Grade I listed church in the heart of Rainham for two days of great beer, Kent food and live music.
With 24 cask ales – mostly Green Hop beers – Kent ciders, Kent wine, live entertainment and our Green Hop BBQ, this is a proper celebration of Kent’s brewing and hop-growing heritage.
Green Hop beers are made using freshly harvested hops rather than dried hops, creating distinctive seasonal beers that can only really be enjoyed at this time of year.
Alongside our 24 cask ales, you’ll find Kent ciders, Kent wine, soft drinks and alcohol-free options.
Be among the first to try Maggie’s Ale – our very own beer, launched exclusively at the festival and only available in Rainham.
4.00–4.45pm – China Soul: Acoustic Set4.45–5.15pm – Meet the Brewer5.15–6.00pm – China Soul: Acoustic Set6.00–6.45pm – Cockney Singalong7.15–8.00pm – Cockney Singalong8.30–9.15pm – The Dead Pelicans9.45–10.30pm – The Dead Pelicans
Music continues between live sets.
12.00–12.45pm – The Cockney Knight1.15–2.00pm – The Cockney Knight2.30–3.30pm – Marvellous Mo & The Backline Ferrets4.00–5.00pm – Marvellous Mo & The Backline Ferrets5.00pm – Hog Roast is served6.00–6.45pm – China Soul with full band7.15–8.00pm – China Soul with full band9.00–9.45pm – Unit 4810.15–11.00pm – Unit 48
Our Green Hop BBQ will be serving Kent sausages and Kent burgers throughout Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday, there’s also a Hog Roast served from 5pm.
• Festival pint glass to take home• Festival beer menu• Your first pint• Live music and entertainment
Tickets are £15 per person, per day.
Capacity is limited, so advance booking is strongly recommended.
STRICTLY 18+ | CHALLENGE 25 | PHOTO ID MAY BE REQUIRED
Friday 2 October: 4pm–11pmSaturday 3 October: 12pm–11pmSaturday last admission: 7pm
St Margaret’s ChurchHigh StreetRainhamGillinghamKentME8 7JH
We’re within easy walking distance of Rainham railway station and the main local bus routes.
St Margaret’s Green Hop Beer Festival is a fundraising event organised by Acts Six Ltd, the wholly owned trading subsidiary of St Margaret’s Church, Rainham, to raise funds in support of the church and its work in the local community.
St Margaret’s Church, Rainham is a registered charity (Charity No. 1134849).
Thank you for supporting St Margaret’s – and cheers!
Tickets go on sale at 8pm Monday 17th August 2026
LAST UPDATED: 19 OCTOBER 2026
We want you to feel welcome at St Margaret’s and confident about how your personal information is used. This notice explains how we handle information connected with rainhamchurch.co.uk, church communications, enquiries, bookings and giving.
Email office@rainhamchurch.co.uk, telephone 01634 362023, or write to the Church Office, St Margaret’s Church, High Street, Rainham, Kent ME8 7JH.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Margaret’s Church, Rainham is responsible for personal information used for the parish website and parish administration. “We”, “us” and “our” in this notice refer to the parish acting through its PCC. Please send privacy enquiries to the Church Office using the details above.
Clergy, the Diocese of Rochester and external organisations may be separately responsible for some records or services, including statutory registers, safeguarding casework and transactions you make directly with another provider. Where that applies, their own privacy information also explains their responsibilities.
We normally receive information from you. We may also receive relevant details from someone arranging an activity on your behalf, a booking or giving provider, church officers or authorised organisations. If we receive information about you indirectly, we provide privacy information as required by law, unless a lawful exception applies.
You do not have to give us optional information. If you do not provide the information needed to answer an enquiry, complete a booking or administer Gift Aid, we may be unable to provide that particular service. We do not use the website to make solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on you.
Information about religious beliefs, health or certain other matters has additional protection. Where we need it, we must identify both a lawful basis and an appropriate additional legal condition. Depending on the circumstances, that may include explicit consent, the lawful activities of a religious not-for-profit body, or conditions supporting safeguarding and other legal duties. Membership of a church is not a blanket permission to use or share sensitive information.
Please only include information that is relevant to your request. Avoid sending sensitive information through the newsletter form. Safeguarding concerns should go through the reporting routes on our Safeguarding page, so the appropriate people can respond.
When an activity involves children, we handle their information with particular care and seek appropriate information and permissions from a parent or person with parental responsibility where needed. Information may need to be shared without consent where there is a lawful safeguarding or safety reason.
Our website newsletter form sends the name and email address you enter to our existing Mailchimp audience using a confirmation process. You can unsubscribe using the link in an email or by contacting the Church Office. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of earlier processing.
We may retain the minimum information needed to respect an unsubscribe request and avoid adding you again by mistake. Mailchimp may process delivery, engagement and technical information in accordance with the features enabled for our account and its own privacy information. A subscription does not mean that all church correspondence is marketing: we may still need to respond to your enquiry or send essential information about a booking.
Access within the parish is limited to people who need information for their responsibilities, such as authorised clergy, staff, trustees and volunteers. Service providers may process information to host, secure and operate the website, send email or support administration.
Services used or linked from this site include WordPress.com/Automattic and Jetpack, Mailchimp, Humanitix, MyHallWizard, JustGiving, Vimeo, Google Maps and churchyard or heritage services. Some act on our instructions; others are independent organisations responsible for their own processing. Which organisation receives information depends on the service you choose to use.
For example, an event organiser may receive booking information from Humanitix, a donation provider may share donation or Gift Aid details with the benefiting charity, and a hall booking provider may pass relevant booking details to the venue. Payment details should be entered only through the relevant payment provider’s own secure process.
We may share relevant information with HMRC, diocesan or church bodies, safeguarding professionals, regulators, insurers, professional advisers or law-enforcement bodies where we have a lawful reason or are required to do so. We do not sell personal information.
Some hosting, email, booking, payment and embedded-content providers operate internationally. Where we arrange a transfer of personal information outside the UK, it must have an appropriate lawful safeguard, such as an applicable adequacy arrangement or approved contractual safeguards with any further measures required. Providers acting independently describe their own international processing in their privacy notices.
You can ask the Church Office for information about the safeguards relevant to your information. We do not promise that every service stores all information exclusively in the UK.
Cookies and similar technologies can store or read information on your device. Different rules apply depending on their actual purpose; a technology is not essential simply because it is useful to us.
You can clear stored website data or change cookie settings in your browser. Restricting storage may affect preferences or some functions. Use any provider or website privacy choices offered for the service concerned, and contact us if you want to object to our use of information for statistics or need help understanding a particular technology. Browser controls alone do not replace consent where consent is legally required.
Our site links to independent websites and includes some embedded services. Their operators have their own privacy notices and settings. Please check these before submitting personal information to them. Opening an embed can make a connection to its provider even if you have not submitted a form.
The Share button uses your device’s sharing facility where available. Its alternatives let you copy a page link or open email, Facebook or WhatsApp. Copying a link does not itself send a message; choosing an external sharing service means that service receives the information you choose to share and relevant technical information. Take care not to share private information in a public post.
Church news, event coverage and online services may include photographs, voices or video recordings. How these are used depends on the purpose, the circumstances and the appropriate permissions or other lawful basis. Please contact us if you have questions about an image or recording of you or a child you are responsible for, or want to request a review of published material.
Parish and churchyard material may include historical names, dates and plot references. UK data-protection rights relate to living individuals; historical records can nevertheless include information about living people. We consider correction and privacy requests, while taking account of archival, statutory and other legitimate requirements. A request to remove material does not automatically require deletion of an official register.
We keep information only for as long as needed for its purpose and applicable legal or record-keeping duties. The period depends on the type of record, whether an enquiry or matter is still active, and whether there is a safeguarding, tax, contractual, archival or legal-claims reason to retain it.
Contact us for the retention criteria or period relevant to a particular record. Backups and restricted records may remain until their normal expiry or where retention is legally required.
We use appropriate organisational and technical measures, including access controls, secure connections and the security facilities provided by our systems. Access should be proportionate to the person’s role. We assess and respond to suspected personal-data breaches, including notifying the regulator or affected people where required by law. No website or email service can guarantee absolute security.
Depending on the circumstances, you can ask to access your personal information, correct it, have it erased, restrict its use, receive certain information in a portable format, or object to processing. You can withdraw consent where processing relies on it, and you can object to direct marketing at any time.
These rights have conditions and exceptions. For example, we may need to retain statutory, safeguarding or tax records. Contact office@rainhamchurch.co.uk with enough detail to help us find the relevant information. We may need proportionate confirmation of your identity. Requests are normally free and are handled within the applicable legal time limits, usually one calendar month, with permitted extensions or adjustments explained where relevant.
Please contact the Church Office if you are concerned about how your information is used. We will consider your complaint and keep you informed. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO); you do not have to complete our complaints process before contacting the regulator.
CONTACT THE ICO
We review this notice when our services, practices or legal requirements change. The date at the top shows the latest revision. Where a change materially affects how we use your information, we provide further information or seek fresh consent where required.
If you submit a comment, we store the name and message you provide with the story and submission date. Church administrators review it before publication. Only approved comments are displayed publicly. You do not need to provide an email address. Please do not include private contact details or sensitive information. Contact the Church Office if you would like your comment removed.
As a church, we understand that we owe a duty of care to ensure the safety of those who visit or use our church, hall or churchyard.
We also know that, where we are an employer or control premises in certain circumstances, we have to meet the requirements of health and safety law.
In particular, we know that if we are an employer having five or more employees, we are required to have a written health and safety policy. As such, we have drafted this policy to meet our duty under Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Our policy is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that our activities are carried out safely and do not pose a risk to the health of our employees, volunteers, congregation, visitors and others who may use the church, churchyard or any other building we are responsible for. This will be in accordance with good practice and any relevant statutory provisions where they apply.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) accepts its overall responsibility for this. We will ensure that adequate resources are made available to achieve this objective. Any decisions we make will have due regard for it.
We will appoint a member of the PCC to have specific responsibility for this policy and its implementation. To keep matters under review, we will include ‘health and safety’ as a standing item on the agenda for all meetings of the PCC. We will monitor the effectiveness of the policy, amending it where we believe it is no longer valid.
It is the duty of each employee and volunteer to exercise personal responsibility for their own safety and that of others. This policy will be brought to their attention. We will try to ensure that everyone involved with the church plays their part in its implementation.
Further detail about our organisation and arrangements for managing health and safety is set out in this document. A copy of it will be kept in the church and made available to others on request.
Signed
Nathan Ward
On behalf of the Parochial Church Council as agreed at a meeting on: Date: 22 January 2026
The person with overall responsibility for implementing our policy is the Vicar. They will ensure that the arrangements set out in this policy satisfy any health and safety law, seeking specialist health and safety advice if necessary.
The following persons have day-to-day responsibility for implementing our policy. They are the Churchwardens. They will ensure that the arrangements set out in this policy are carried out.
All employees and volunteers have a responsibility to cooperate in the implementation of this policy and to take reasonable care of themselves and others while on church business or premises.
This section sets out our general arrangements for managing health and safety and dealing with specific risks. We have removed any points that do not apply to our activities.
Where necessary, we will appoint someone who is competent to assist us in meeting our health and safety obligations. We have appointed Bright Safe to be our competent advisors.
Where necessary, we will complete risk assessments to identify what we need to do to comply with health and safety law. We will record our findings, implementing any necessary precautions. We will review and revise these where we suspect that they are no longer valid.
We will provide any necessary information and training for our employees and volunteers in a timely manner. We will keep a record of what is provided. We will also give relevant information to contractors and self-employed people who may need this to complete their work safely.
We will provide adequate first aid facilities including – as a minimum – a suitably stocked first aid box and a person who will take charge of the first aid arrangements. We will also provide relevant information for employees and volunteers.
Our first aid box is located in the toilet lobby area. Our person in charge of first aid arrangements is the Parish Administrator.
We will record details of any accidents that occur, (in an accident book if required). We will report to the enforcing authority and keep records of certain accidents to employees, volunteers and members of the public in accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
Records of any accidents are kept in the church office.
We will make periodic checks to ensure that our precautions remain effective and adequate. We will also ensure that any lifting, work or electrical equipment and church utilities are inspected as necessary to ensure that they remain safe. We will keep records of the checks we make.
If we employ contractors, we make sure that they have their own health & safety policy and Public and Employers Liability insurance by asking to see copies of the relevant documents.
Our Health and Safety Risk Assessments, records and other documents are kept on the church website (www.rainhamchurch.co.uk) and in the Church Office.
We will take steps to identify the presence of asbestos in our buildings and, if so, assess any risk from it. We will then implement any plan to manage that risk. We will also provide relevant information to others who might need it (e.g. building contractors). We will keep records of the checks, assessments and plans we have made.
We will ensure that adequate precautions are in place to protect bellringers and others who may enter the ringing room and bell chamber. This may include any emergency evacuation procedure; a safe means of heating; the provision of fire extinguishers, the provision of emergency lighting and the notification of safety procedures to visiting bellringers.
We will ensure that the fabric of our buildings is regularly inspected to make sure it is safe. Defects will be repaired as soon as is practicable bearing in mind that a faculty may be required. Where necessary, temporary measures will be taken to prevent danger until permanent repairs can be made. This will include glazing.
We will ensure that boundary walls and gates are kept in good repair. Where appropriate, we will have trees inspected by a competent person and have any necessary work carried out to make them safe. Headstones tombs and monuments will be checked regularly to ensure they are properly maintained. Where our churchyard is formally closed, we will report any concern to the Local Authority or Parish Council.
Where maintenance, refurbishment and restoration work is planned for our church, we will identify what we need to do to ensure the safety of all those concerned before work starts. We will also determine if we have any responsibilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and comply with these if necessary.
Where our employees and volunteers regularly use computers daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more we will analyse workstations to identify precautions, implementing these as necessary. We will also provide information, training, eye/eyesight tests (on request) and special spectacles if needed.
We will ensure that any electrical system, fixed machine and portable appliances is inspected, tested and maintained by someone who is competent to prevent danger. Any defective equipment will not be used until it is repaired or replaced. We will keep records of the checks made.
Where we intend to hold large or unusual concerts, services or other fund-raising events, we will identify any additional precautions that are necessary and implement these.
We will complete a specific risk assessment to identify what steps are necessary to prevent, detect and take in the event of a fire. We will record our findings, implementing any necessary precautions. We will review and revise these where we suspect that they are no longer valid.
We will ensure that any oil or gas heating system is suitably maintained and checked annually by a competent person. Any defects found will be corrected immediately and we will keep records of the checks made.
We only use domestic cleaning or horticultural products and petrol. We will ensure that these are stored, used and disposed of in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions taking any necessary precautions that are specified.
We will ensure that any lifting equipment is properly maintained and thoroughly examined periodically by a competent person.
We will avoid the need for lifting or carrying heavy objects as far as is possible. Where this is not practical, we will make use of lifting aids (such as, trolleys) or other precautions including team lifting.
Where we store large quantities of oil, we will take adequate precautions to ensure that oil cannot leak into the ground or any water course. This may include the provision of a double skinned plastic tank, an adequate bund, regular checks and proper maintenance etc.
We will ensure that on those occasions when we prepare food we use a clean and disinfected work surface, utensils and equipment. We will store food in such a way as to avoid contamination, provide hand-washing facilities and suitable arrangements for the disposal of waste.
We will implement suitable precautions to prevent slips or trips, taking account of any difficulty the frail, elderly or disabled may have in negotiating access. We will make periodic checks to ensure that floors, coverings, steps and pathways remain in good condition, free from obstruction and that any precautions (such as, hand rails, lighting) remain adequate. We will correct any defects identified, keeping records of the checks we make. We will have arrangements in place to manage pathways in winter weather.
Where we plan to run tower tours, we will identify any specific precautions that are necessary. This will take account of the size of the tower; the control of movement within the tower; the number of stewards available; and the ease with which persons can safely evacuate the tower in case of emergency. We will then implement these.
Where possible we will try and avoid the need for work at height. Where this is not practicable, we will ensure that any work is properly planned to identify suitable precautions. We will make sure that these are implemented, including the provision of any training and checks to ensure the safety of any equipment used.
Any work equipment (including any hand tools) we provide will be suitable, in good condition and properly maintained. Where necessary, some equipment (such as, ladders) will be regularly checked to make sure they are safe. We will keep records of any checks we make.
We will identify circumstances where our employees and volunteers work alone, and implement suitable precautions to ensure their safety.
