FRIENDS
OF HEYTESBURY, KNOOK AND TYTHERINGTON CHURCHES
ABOUT THE FRIENDS
The
‘Association of Friends of Heytesbury, Knook and Tytherington
Churches’, to give its full title, or the ‘Friends’ for short,
is a registered charity (No. 1083252), founded in 1998, with the
purpose of supporting the Parochial Church Council in maintaining the
fabric, fittings (including bells, organs, etc.) and furniture of our
three ancient and beautiful churches. Our constitution ensures
that money raised by the ‘Friends’ can only be used for this
purpose, and not to meet the diocesan quota, or in connection with
religious worship.
We
have some 121 household memberships but raise money, not so much from
subscriptions, which are kept low (£5 a year per household or £3 for
an individual – unchanged since our inception), but by running
fund-raising events, such as concerts, thematic evenings (French
evenings, antiques valuations, wine-tasting and the like), auctions of
promises, Hatstand Opera (excerpts from operas presented informally by
a small professional group) and, at Christmas, carol-singing round
Heytesbury (accompanied by a group of musicians playing traditional
local instruments). We also run a ‘hundred club’ for members of
the ‘Friends’ only – £5 a ticket which buys entry to twelve
monthly draws, each with two monetary prizes. The key ingredient
for all our fund-raising events is that we should enjoy laying them
on, because we have always found that, as a result, those attending
them also enjoy themselves.
To
date we have raised some £60,500, of which £49,300 has already been
handed over to the PCC. This has been largely spent on work to
Heytesbury Church, but we are anxious to ensure that the other two
churches get help when they need it, although, until now, they have
asked for little. We have almost no overheads and no property,
so that all the money we raise, except for a tiny percentage needed
for expenses, is used for the purpose for which we are
established.
Anyone
wishing to join the ‘Friends’ should contact the Membership
Secretary, David Atkin-Berry (tel.: 01985 840651, e-mail
address: d_ab@btinternet.com)
or the Chairman, Joe Charlesworth (tel.: 01985 840184, e-mail address:
joe@alexc.com).
Joe
Charlesworth
Joe Charlesworth
