St Peter's in St Albans, England, is the most media-friendly church in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The parish won an award of £50 recently for the extensive news coverage it had achieved for a number of projects during 1999.

"Reaching out to the community has always been an important part of the church's work," said St Peter's Vicar, the Revd David Brentnall. "We are delighted that our efforts at St Peter's have borne fruit in this media award, and we plan to use the £50 to begin a new church communications project in the future."

The award has been presented for the last four years by the Beds and Herts Churches Media Trust, an ecumenical trust which encourages churches to develop links with local print and broadcast media. The chairman of the trust is the Rt Revd John Richardson, Bishop of Bedford.

"Each year the competition awards those churches who are taking communication with the local media very seriously," said Peter Crumpler of the Media Trust, who presented the award. "They are reaching many more people than will ever attend a church service or event."

St Peter's projects included publicity for its 1050th anniversary celebrations, the launch of a coffee shop run by people with learning difficulties, and plans for renovation of its churchyard.

The runner up prize of £30 was presented to St Mary the Virgin, East Barnett, for projects including a church "sleep-out" to raise money for the homeless, an Easter children's project, and its response to the vandalism of its building and churchyard.

Previous winners of the award include St Nicholas', Harpenden, St Augustine's RC, Hoddesdon, and Marshalswick Baptist Free Church, St Albans.

Item from: Seeround