Advisory Committee Recommends Go Ahead with Project

The Diocese Advisory Committee met last Tuesday and considered the application to carry out the work we wish to do in the tower.  They have recommended that the application be approved by the Diocesan Chancellor.  Before this can take place a notice needs to be positioned near the main church door at Drayton detailing the work and asking whether their are objections. This needs to be in place for 28 days, after which the Chancellor should approve our application and work can begin.

Tremendous News - Grant Application Success

As I previously posted, I made an application for a grant towards our bell appeal to the ruling body of bellringing, The Central Council. This body administers legacies which have been left specifically for bell restoration work.


I have received an email today saying that the  Drayton Bell Appeal has been awarded a grant of £1,000 to be paid on completion of the work.


Marvellous news that will spur us on towards our target of six bells ringing in St Peter's church.

The shiny appeal leaflets have arrived, all 5 000 of them, in six big boxes. Now I'm spending time inserting  gift aid forms into every leaflet. Then comes the big job of distributing them to every home in Drayton parish plus all the businesses.

Appeal Leaflet Goes to Print

Now that the application for permission to carry out our scheme has been made it is time to print the appeal leaflets. Now is the hard work of raising the remaining money we need to completed the scheme.

Faculty Application Now Been Completed

At last all of the necessary forms have been completed and drawings have been gathered together. The package has now been submitted for consideration at the Diocesan Advisory Committee Meeting on March 17th. We hope that the committee will allow the application without requesting further information.

Tower Survey - A clean Bill of health

As I wrote at the end of last year, the Diocesan Advisory Committee required us to have a structural survey to confirm that the tower would be strong enough for the extra bells we are proposing to install.


I have just received the official survey and it gives the tower a clean bill of health. The structural engineer has stated that he can see no reason why the scheme should not go ahead.


Fantastic news!


Just a few more items to gather before I submit the application to the Diocese for us to proceed with the scheme.

Another Ringing Group Makes Donation

The bell appeal has received a donation of £100 from a group of bell ringers who meet on one Wednesday each month in the Birmingham area. Every ringer that attends give a donation to the group's funds every time they meet. Donations are given to each church they visit to ring and any surplus is, every so often, given to bell restoration appeals. We very much hope that when we have our six bells installed this group will visit to try them out.