THE Diocese of Winchester has reported a growth in attendance, including a surge in baptisms and Christmas turnouts.

Figures released by the Church of England, which cover 2011, show a modest rise in average weekly attendance in the Winchester Diocese from 33,600 to 33,800, although nationally the church saw a slight drop of 0.3 per cent.

Winchester also reported an increase of 15 per cent in adult christenings, and Christmas attendance rose 11 per cent, with 93,000 worshipping over the festive season.

The Bishop of Winchester, The Rt Revd Tim Dakin, said: “It is my hope that these figures, while not the be-all and end-all, are a reflection of genuine growth throughout the church.

"The increase of attendance at Christmas and Easter is particularly encouraging, especially given that indications show that this has continued into 2012.

"It is also important to remember that in the Diocese of Winchester, our mission and ministry extends beyond the instances that are easily recorded in statistics, and the traditional forms of church."

The diocese mirrored the national trend with a drop in funeral numbers of 3 per cent, but Winchester saw a greater drop in weddings than the national average, with numbers falling by 9 per cent, compared with a 3.6 per cent drop across the UK.

The numbers also revealed a national increase of 1.2 per cent in children and young people, and this was mirrored in Winchester, which saw a 1 per cent increase from 6,900 in 2010, to 7,000 in 2011.

Rev Andrew Micklefield, of the Itchen Valley Benefice, said the numbers are consistent with what he sees in the parish.

He said: “I have been here three years and our attendances on Sundays have gone up from about forty adults and no children, to about 70 adults and a dozen or so children.

“I think we’re over the worst of the decline in attendances. There seems to be more energy among church attendees. And there also seems to be a thirst from people to find out about faith. I’m speculating, but maybe when things aren’t going well in the economy, people look for something else and they’re finding it in the community of the church.”