A SPECIAL service for the whole of Lancashire to ‘Celebrate Education’ will take place this weekend at Blackburn Cathedral.

During the service the choir from St Paul’s School in Caton will be singing with Vanessa Quai, a popular singer from Vanuatu; known as the Pacific’s number one singing artist.

The theme of the service, organised by the Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) will be ‘Salt and Light’ and it will be attended by headteachers, governors and schoolchildren from across the county.

The service will begin at 6.30pm on Sunday and the preacher will be Lancashire’s Bishop, the Rt Rev. Julian Henderson.

Blackburn Diocese has an established tradition in education. Other churches across the diocese will be marking the importance of education over the coming week as well.

Not only has the diocese the largest collection of church schools in England, but it also has a strong commitment to developing and supporting the wider sphere of education within the parishes.

The Diocesan Board of Education centralises its work in these areas through the work of its committees which focus on the work with children, youth, schools, further and higher education.

The service at Blackburn Cathedral will be attended by representatives of all the local authorities in Lancashire with whom the board works as well as representatives from the parishes in the Diocese. Around 300 guests are anticipated.

The Director of Education for the DBE, the Rev Paul Lock, said: “This event is an important moment in the academic year as it gives us a chance to stop and give thanks for the excellent work done in our schools by pupils and their teachers. We are looking forward to the service and many other churches across the Diocese will also take the opportunity to give thanks for their church schools in their own area in the coming week.”