Activities
We hold various social activities including flower arranging classes and poetry evenings.
We also host live musical events from time to time at the chapel.
We have also hosted Family Saturday when all the other chapel congregations in the East Midlands visited us.
The chapel is very interested in the work of the Derbyshire writer Leslie Crichton Porteous and we hosted a lecture about his life and writings.
Belper Unitarian Chapel is now, after much struggle and work on behalf of many people, an official part of Beth’s Poetry Trail. The trail was established as a permanent memorial to Beth Fender who both loved poetry and was a founder of the two Poetry groups in Belper. The Plaque, affixed to the boundary railings, displays a poem 'To Nature' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge who had many Unitarian links:
To Nature
It may indeed be phantasy, when I
Essay to draw from all created things
Deep, heartfelt, inward joy that closely clings;
And trace in leaves and flowers that round me lie
Lessons of love and earnest piety.
So let it be ; and if the wide world rings
In mock of this belief, it brings
Nor fear, nor grief, nor vain perplexity.
So will I build my altar in the fields,
And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be,
And the sweet fragrance that the wild flower yields
Shall be the incense I will yield to Thee,
Thee only God ! and thou shalt not despise
Even me, the priest of this poor sacrifice.
Deep, heartfelt, inward joy that closely clings;
And trace in leaves and flowers that round me lie
Lessons of love and earnest piety.
So let it be ; and if the wide world rings
In mock of this belief, it brings
Nor fear, nor grief, nor vain perplexity.
So will I build my altar in the fields,
And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be,
And the sweet fragrance that the wild flower yields
Shall be the incense I will yield to Thee,
Thee only God ! and thou shalt not despise
Even me, the priest of this poor sacrifice.
The Plaque will be dedicated following the service on Nov 16th.
Belper Chapel is holding its Christmas Social from 7pm-9pm on Saturday 13th December; all welcome, please bring your talents and food to share.