FOR 10 years Reverend Karen Beck has been at the helm of All Saints’ Church in Didcot, and said is has been a “real privilege” to serve the community during the recent tragic events.

Originally hailing from Yorkshire, the 63-year-old decided to leave her post in a Newcastle diocese to settle down in what she describes as a “lovely, ordinary town.”

Living in the parish with her husband David, a retired methodist minister and their eight children and now five grandchildren, Rev Beck described residents as: “really friendly and welcoming."

But in the last three years, Rev Beck said the town had suffered three tragedies, which have rocked the community.

She said: “We always encourage people to come to the church. When Jayden Parkinson was killed it was amazing in a way to give people a space they could come and grieve, it was quite something.

“The same can be said for the family that were killed last year, it completely shook the community but it also brought people closer together as they grieved and remembered them.

“There is a real privilege in being able to help people through times like that.

“As a church we have really tried to open our doors and show we are there for everyone in the town, for whatever they need, during what ever sad or happy time.”

Most recently Rev Beck held a memorial service for the four men killed at Didcot Power Station - Chris Hustable, from Swansea, Ken Cresswell, John Shaw both from Rotherham and Mick Collings from Teeside.

The emergency services, contractors and site owners and councillors all attended the service last month.

Rev Beck added: “The memorial service we held recently to remember the four men killed at Didcot Power Station was not just for them. It was for everybody involved.

“The whole community, as well as the emergency services, has very much been involved with the tragedy as the power station is almost a symbol of Didcot.

“And when the disaster happened I think it did hit hard.

“People were always asking me if they had found the people yet, so it did very much impact people in Didcot.”

Rev Beck said that it was definitely “the people of the town” that makes her want to continue her role in the Church of England.

During her 10 years as priest-in-charge at All Saints’ Rev Beck said the church faced new challenges as the town continued to grow.

She said: “One noticeable difference in the time I have been here is how we have expanded.

“We are constantly growing and the church needs to keep up with all the new members of our community.

“Now we want to make the church fit for the 21st Century, it is 850 years old and we want to make it accessible for everybody.”