COMMUNITY
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» Berryfields Community Vicar
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Our Community
The notion of community is central to our school aims and to our whole academy vision and values. Not only do we aim to build a supportive and inclusive school community that is focused on learning and personal development. We also want to help build the local community by bringing together individuals, families, voluntary organisations and other agencies to ensure that everyone achieves the best possible outcomes.
The school and whole academy is a hub for a number of community resources and facilities which are also located on our site:
- Berryfields Family Centre works in partnership with the school. They run a variety of activities for families with children aged 0-19 or up to 25 (with SEND) including:
- parenting courses
- youth courses and activities for young people
- early years parent and child sessions
- themed workshops
- health drop-ins
- mental health support
(All activities at the centre are offered free of charge).
- The Community Suite is managed by the school and is available for hire, 7 days a week, through the Academy Lettings Manager on a regular or one-off basis to individuals, community groups and other organisations. Similarly the school hall is available for hire on evenings and weekends. Regular activities include, Church on Berryfields Coffee Shop, Taikwondo, dance classes, private tuition, Beavers, church groups and family learning workshops.
- Aylesbury Vale Academy sports facilities are available to hire to local groups through the Academy Lettings Manager. Regular activities include hockey, netball and football clubs.
For more information on community facilities please call us on 01296 428551.
Berryfields Community Vicar – Revd Gareth Lane
Revd Gareth Lane serves as the community vicar for Berryfields, supporting both the local church and wider community, including families connected to the Academy and Berryfields Primary. His unique role helps build a vital bridge between church and community, offering pastoral and spiritual support to pupils, families, and staff, while also leading the development of a new church for the growing Berryfields population.
Gareth grew up in Kent and attended a Church of England secondary school. After school, he moved to High Wycombe to study a BTEC HND in Business Studies and IT. He shares:
“I was always interested in IT—it was probably the only thing I did well in at school. My BTEC helped me start on the IT career ladder, working on a helpdesk and later becoming a networking engineer. I eventually joined a small consultancy firm, working with large companies to develop their IT networks.”
While at college, Gareth became a Christian, beginning a journey that would eventually lead him to church leadership.
“I met my wife Jenny shortly after college, and we became increasingly involved in our church in High Wycombe. Over thirteen years, I found myself leading services and preaching, even helping to set up a service for people in their 20s and 30s. It gave me more of a buzz than designing networks, and I began to feel that God was calling me to full-time ministry.”
Gareth trained for two years in theology to become a priest, followed by a three-year curacy at Church of the Holy Spirit, Bedgrove. This brought him to Aylesbury, where he now calls home.
“Aylesbury has really grown on me—I now consider it home. It’s been exciting to work alongside the Academy and Berryfields Primary. Everyone is so friendly, and I’m here to offer pastoral care and help explore faith in the school context. I’ll be out and about, so please do come and say hello. I want to make myself available to people.”
We’re delighted to have Revd Gareth Lane as a supportive presence in our community.