HISTORY will be made in a weekÕs time when the Church Of England creates the new ecclesiastical parish of Bordon.

The scheme to separate Bordon from the parish of Headley has been confirmed by the Privy Council and on Friday, March 1, the shared church of St MarkÕs in Pinehill Road will become the townÕs new centre of worship.

The existing team of clergy, which covers Headley, Headley Down and Bordon, will be dissolved and the Rev Hazel OÕSullivan will become the first vicar of the new Bordon parish.

To mark the occasion a family service will be held at St MarkÕs on Sunday, March 3, at 10 am, when all serving ministers, including the Rev OÕSullivan, the Rev Don Symonds and the Rev Marion Warren from the Methodist church and Rev Pat Hall from the United Reformed Church, will be present to celebrate the historical change.

One of the founder members of St MarkÕs Church, Gerald Hudson, told The Herald that the move will be the final step towards the coming of age for Bordon.

He said: ÒThe creation of the new ecclesiastical parish of Bordon is a very welcome move and it is welcomed by all denominations of the shared church.

ÒI was once asked what I thought of Bordon and I said to be a community it needed a heart - maybe this is what the town needs.

ÒThis will add another responsibility to the people of Bordon. The town will be able to stand on its own two feet now.Ó

The Bordon parish will still be part of the Diocese of Guildford and the Bishop of Guildford will be the patron.

Hazel OÕSullivan believes the change is a major step for the community and hopes St MarkÕs will be thought of as the local church.

She said: ÒBecause St MarkÕs is a shared church, it will be designated as a parish centre of worship rather than the parish church.

ÒThis will mean that local residents who are members of the Church of England will be able to marry in the parish churches of Headley or Blackmoor, as well as St MarkÕs.

ÒThey will also continue to have burial rights in the churchyard of All Saints, Headley, as there is no churchyard at St MarkÕs.Ó

She added: ÒParish boundaries are the historical way of ensuring that every person, in every part of the country, is served by the Church of England.

ÒBoundaries are rarely altered and it is as a sign of recognition that St MarkÕs and Bordon have come of age that the Church of England is making this change.Ó