A GROUP of Kynren volunteers from Christian churches in the Bishop Auckland and surrounding areas have been getting behind Kynren by prayer walking amongst the cast and backstage areas ahead of each show this season.

The Prayer Walks, which were started by Charlie Scott-King and Rachael Masters after the 2016 season, have been welcomed with open arms by the whole Kynren community including visitors.

Charlie Scott-King, who is currently exploring ordination in the Church of England and hopes to study at Cranmer Hall, Durham in 2018 said: “I had the idea for the prayer walks back in October when I learnt that Jonathan Ruffer was doing all of this work here in the North-East for the glory of God. I saw some bird circling the site and that said to me the walks needed to cover the whole show in prayer.”

Ms Masters said: “It’s great to get a group of volunteers together who all come from various denominations of Christian churches in the area to pray and to share a united vision and blessing really.”

The idea of the Prayer Walks, which last about an hour, is to visit different areas of the show ground, back stage areas and some public spaces, stopping to pray for the night's performance and its wider effect on the community.

Jonathan Ruffer, Chairman of The Eleven Arches Trust that is the backbone of Kynren said: "To many, the idea that God is involved with what people are up to, day-by-day, is extraordinary.

"It isn't, and those who witnessed the power of triumph in the community of Archers at ?the end of last year's season will have sensed the blooming of flowers in the desert in a spirit of new-found confidence in the future.

"Our prayer is that as the flowers continue to bloom, that desert will be irrigated. Can this really happen? God can - and we are the watering-can!"

The Prayer Walkers will be doing their rounds again during the remaining shows of the 2017 season on September 9 and 16.

For more information and tickets visit elevenarches.org