Kirkin’ of the Council set to take place in Renfrewshire

A traditional church service to mark the start of the new five-year term for Renfrewshire Council will take place at Paisley Abbey this weekend.

The Kirkin’ of the Council is a long-held custom to inaugurate a new term for the local authority, and this year’s event takes place at 11am on Sunday 18 June.

Members of the public are invited to attend the event, where they will join councillors, MPs, MSPs, council officials, and representatives of local church and community groups.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron, who will give a reading at the service, said: “The Kirkin’ of the Council is a tradition which is of great symbolic importance for the Council.

“We are keen to invite all of those who we have been elected to serve to be a part of this special occasion and I would invite everyone, of all faiths, to attend.”

Those attending are asked to be in their seats no later than ten minutes before the start of the service which will be led by Reverend Alan Birss, Minister of Paisley Abbey.

Rev. Birss said: “At the Kirking of the Council the whole community is invited to come together in the Abbey to pray for God’s blessing on those we have elected to serve in local government and for the officials who will support them.

“I look forward to Sunday’s service and assure all of a very warm welcome in Paisley Abbey.”