KENDAL Parish Church are optimistic, but also realistic on the announcement of the potential restrictions approaching this Christmas.

As three house holds will now be permitted to come together over Christmas, Kendal Parish reverend Ashley Henderson says this will be a big step forward for the spiritual wellbeing of the community.

Reverend Henderson said: “I think its just great that we can be back together at this time of the year.

“Spiritually this is a very uplifting thing.

“There were always doubts about if we should be mixing but what I’ve heard from members of our congregation they are desperate to get together. Return to some normality and get some spiritual lift during this time.

“But we do need to be very cautious.

“There’s that caveat, that people need to be together after spending so long away from one another.

“I think it was Nicola Sturgeon who said ‘Covid doesn’t take Christmas off’ and we will likely have to limit the numbers during our services over Christmas.

“If necessary, we might start using a ticket system to keep the numbers under control, and even a church of our size we need to be cautious.

“We hoped churches would be allowed to open, and we had already got it into our heads that something like this was going to happen.

“I’m sure there would be an out-cry nationwide if we couldn’t celebrate Christmas.”

Kendal Parish Vicar Mat Ineson said: “We are of course still waiting for definitive instructions as what we can and can’t do from the Government, and from the Church of England.

“We hope everyone follows the national guidelines, but we also want people to be with their families over the Christmas period.”