PARISH OF HEYTESBURY, IMBER, KNOOK  AND

   TYTHERINGTON 

 

 

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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 125 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 the annual 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.  Our newest venture is a series of three lectures, taking place between January and March 2008.

As at mid-September 2007, some £38,000 raised in this way has already been handed over to the PCC, mainly for work to Heytesbury Church, and a further £5,800 has now been committed for repairs to Heytesbury Church roof, which have just been completed.  We are anxious to ensure that the other two churches get help when they need it but, to date, 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, John Hutton  (tel.: 01985 840225) or the Chairman, Joe Charlesworth (tel.: 01985 840184, e-mail address: joe@alexc.com.

Joe Charlesworth  10th September, 2007