https://johnpounds.org.uk/events daily 0.75 2024-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/50145ec5-f537-4c29-93f9-1fa2173cc733/MacMillan_0001.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847765301-447UDK2L5WJTURLWTECI/image-asset.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/032707c5-06c5-4370-bf67-0af91d1366b0/MN3A0405+%23+3+organ.jpg https://johnpounds.org.uk/events/strawberry-tea monthly 0.5 2024-07-03 https://johnpounds.org.uk/our-history daily 0.75 2023-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632497520214-E8MLTHGV2EOG97OCDDN8/IMG_9343.jpg Our History - Who was John Pounds? John Pounds was born in Portsmouth on 17th June 1766. His father was a sawyer in the royal dockyard and when John was twelve years old he arranged for him to be apprenticed as a shipwright. Three years later John fell into a dry dock and was crippled for life. Following his accident John was unable to work as a shipwright and became a shoemaker, by 1803 he had his own shop in St. Mary Street, Portsmouth. While working in the shop, John began teaching local children to read. His reputation as a teacher grew and he soon had over 40 pupils attending his lessons. Unlike other schools, John did not charge a fee for teaching the poor of Portsmouth. As well as reading and arithmetic, John gave lessons in cooking, carpentry and shoemaking. John Pounds died in 1839. After his death, Thomas Guthrie wrote Plea for Ragged Schools and proclaimed John Pounds as his inspiration. Guthrie started a ragged school in Edinburgh and Sheriff Watson established another in Aberdeen. Lord Shaftesbury formed the Ragged School Union in 1844 and, over the next eight years, over 200 free schools for poor children were established in Britain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632606498772-VOQ4I6PXDDZTCBEEB4GB/winter%2Bchurch.jpg Our History - What is the John Pounds Church? John Pounds Church is the home of Portsmouth Unitarians. There has been a place of worship on the site in Old Portsmouth’s High Street since 1662 when a Presbyterian chapel was founded by Benjamin Burgess, who fell out of grace with St Thomas’s Church (now Portsmouth Cathedral). The High Street Presbyterian Chapel (now known as John Pounds Church) subsequently became united with St Thomas’s Street Baptist Chapel founded in 1640. By the early 19th century the High Street Chapel had fallen into disrepair and was subsequently acquired for Unitarian worship. John Pounds, the famous Portsmouth cobbler whose efforts to offer education, food, and clothing to poor children from his tiny workshop, worshipped in the High Street Chapel and his remains are buried in the churchyard. Both chapels were destroyed by enemy action in one of the most devastating raids on Portsmouth during WWII; the night of 10th/11th January 1941 when 300 raiders dropped 25,000 incendiary bombs on the city. The foundation stone of the current John Pounds Church was laid by Adrian Cedric Boult on 24th September 1955 and the building was opened for worship a year later. A replica of John Pounds workshop has been erected in the church garden. https://johnpounds.org.uk/about-us daily 0.75 2023-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg About Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632498081103-Y2UO5V9JJJ4VZA7HNJU0/IMG_9314.jpg About Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632865483313-MRAXM0Z9U6IETH1J3YVV/gardening.jpg About Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632865702066-X7UIDYO95XGCD4YX9ZDS/puIwArhA.jpg About Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632865850521-FYHSSKVIO6WGUCMQLPIB/garden.jpg About Us - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://johnpounds.org.uk/sunday daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://johnpounds.org.uk/wedding-ceremonies daily 0.75 2023-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632611793711-2ULKW54LCOAEZJM2V28V/weddinh+door.jpg Wedding Ceremonies - Weddings at John Pounds Church Wedding ceremonies at John Pounds church are conducted by our own celebrants. There is no additional cost for a Registrar as we have our own authorised Registrars. We are able to offer the services of an organist (at an additional charge) or you are welcome to provide your own music that can be played during the service. Stewards from the church congregation will be in attendance to offer assistance on the door to welcome your guests and during the service. Our aim is to offer you a friendly and sincere team of people to ensure your wedding ceremony is a joyful occasion. We are very pleased to offer a marriage ceremony to same sex couples. The opportunity for a Blessing of civil partnership ceremony. Renewal of vows to celebrate a special anniversary or other occasion. We are able to marry people whose previous marriages have been dissolved by divorce. Bookings: The total fee for a wedding is £850 , this fee includes the service of our own Registrar. The only additional fee would be £85 for an Organist to play at your wedding. It costs £550 for a Blessing and £250-£450 for renewal of vows (depending on requirements). Please contact the office direct to make an appointment at theoffice@johnpounds.org.uk or by using the Contact Us form below https://johnpounds.org.uk/home daily 1.0 2023-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632609859452-9MRGUWS0FCZGYXI8ANXW/IMG_9333.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632610018672-MJOARRB5OB9OV3XDQ56C/antique+roadshow.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632610614760-DGLYKC0VHUXYCU5WEOEL/candle+wedding.jpg Home https://johnpounds.org.uk/naming-ceremonies daily 0.75 2023-03-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/d026ae5e-40f2-4d32-b4ac-8538d11461c1/child-dedication-large-party.jpg Naming Ceremonies - Naming Ceremonies at John Pounds Church Our Celebrants or visiting Ministers conduct the naming ceremony. Our church follows the Unitarian tradition which lays emphasis on thanksgiving for the birth, for the child’s parents and for the giving of the names to the child. We call such ceremonies Namings and Thanksgivings for the Birth of a Child. We also seek a blessing for the child and family, thereby adding a spiritual dimension to the occasion. The service is open and inclusive, sharing stories from around the world and different faiths about welcoming new life into the world. We encourage interaction, inviting the children to take part in the ceremony and blessing the water. There is also a chance for the Godparents/Sponsors to show their support by repeating some short responses. Water is used for the naming and a certificate for the child is presented to the family. Music on CD is played before and after the ceremony. There is a chance for photos during and after the ceremony as well. The current fee for a Naming Ceremony is £150. Naming Ceremonies are popular at John Pounds Church and bookings are often made well in advance so, to avoid disappointment, the earlier you can make contact the better. If you have any questions about naming ceremonies, please don’t hesitate to contact the church office on theoffice@johnpounds.org.uk https://johnpounds.org.uk/ceremonies daily 0.75 2023-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/1632865046503-Y5IWOWPFVZMP3MAKR70P/cool+wedding.jpg Ceremonies and Fees https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/d026ae5e-40f2-4d32-b4ac-8538d11461c1/child-dedication-large-party.jpg Ceremonies and Fees https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/6b913066-f1fa-42c7-bbe6-d6f7089402e8/Same-Sex-Wedding-Style-2.jpg Ceremonies and Fees https://johnpounds.org.uk/lgbtq-weddings daily 0.75 2024-01-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6134e41fa0efcf74bf2879f2/04cb1650-da3f-4d52-883f-8420c579bac5/9070621490_6dfc74a48a_o.jpg LGBTQ Weddings - Equal Marriages at John Pounds Church We are very pleased to announce that John Pounds Church has been granted the revised marriage license, Equal Marriage for places of worship, which means we can now offer marriage ceremonies at the church for same sex couples. The terms and fees are the same as for other weddings so please visit that page for further information. If you are interested in being married at John Pounds Church, or in receiving a blessing following the conversion to marriage of a former Civil Partnership , please do contact us by calling 02392 821101 or email at theoffice@johnpounds.org.uk or use the Contact Us form below