Bells Group:A Bells Group has been formed with the aim of restoring these bells to regular full circle ringing. The project will restore the bells with all new fittings and if funds allow, two new bells will be added to augment the ring from six to eight. The restored bells will be hung in a new steel frame lower down in the tower, leaving the old, part pre-Reformation wooden frame in situ. One bell, the third, is so badly out of tune it will be replaced but the old bell will be hung in the old preserved frame and used as a clock bell. The five other bells will be tuned and a simulator will be fitted to them to enable teaching of new ringers to be undertaken without disturbing the local environment and also to enhance the experience of novice ringers in their learning. Find out more about bell ringing simulators Safe access to all parts of the tower will be installed by means of ladders and access platforms, allowing comprehensive and regualr maintenance to be undertaken. Exhaustive consultation with the proposed contractors, English Heritage, the Suffolk Guild of Ringers, the Church Architect and local ringers has produced a full set of drawings and plans for this project. These are displayed in the church. They were submitted to the Diocesan Advisory Committee in a petition for a Faculty in 2007 and the Faculty was granted at the end of 2007. This is excellent news, as it means all necessary permissions are in place for the Project to proceed. Funding:The most recent estimate of the costs of the Project was obtained in March 2008. To summarise, the capital costs of the Project amount to just over £72,000. On top of that, we must include amounts for inflation and contingency and some professional fees. However, we may also deduct a similar amount if we undertake to use voluntary labour to complete some of the work. Our current fund balance stands at around £34,000, so we still have a long way to go. However, the Bells Group is working hard to apply for funding from grant-giving bodies and local fundraising is also being planned. Successful Local Fundraising Events so far this yeat have included a Tower Open Day, a concert of chamber music in the church and a talk by George Pipe of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers on 'Suffolk Churches - Saxon to Victorian'. HAVE YOU GOT ANY GOOD FUNDRAISING IDEAS? LET US KNOW BY USING THE CONTACT FORM ON THIS WEBSITE!! Successful applications so far; Suffolk Guild of Ringers £6,000 Suffolk Historic Churches Trust £2,000 Suffolk County Council Corporate Regeneration Fund £8,000 Suffolk County Council Locality Budget £2,000 Havebury Housing Partnership CIFG £2,000 Bardwell Parish Council £500 Allchurches Trust Ltd £750 Scarfe Charitable Trust £500 Donations Bardwell PCC Designated Funds £10,000 Local donations and fundraising (approx) £2,500 Can You Help Us?We are looking for help in all sorts of ways. Obviously, financial support is one way, but by no means the only one. However, donations are gratefully received into the PCC Bell Fund account, which is a restricted fund, and if you are a taxpayer you can 'gift aid' your donation to allow the fund to have the money which would have been paid in tax. Details can be obtained from the Treasurer of the PCC. Legacies and bequests may also be made and when you consider how old the bells are this is a wonderful way of knowing something will live on in your, or loved one's memory, for many years to come, to bring a joyful message to the community. Every donation of money, however large or small, is valued and appreciated. We will also be looking for fit and able bodied volunteers to donate some time and labour to carry out some of the preparatory jobs that will need to be done. This could save us a lot of money and moreover gives individuals the chance to give in a non-financial way, which they find personally rewarding. This is only just the start and future updates will give more specific indications of the type of help required, but the basic message is this - help can be offered in all different ways, and if reading this article makes you think you have something to offer in any way at all, don't hesitate to contact us , in total confidence.Thank you for your support in helping to maintain the unique tradition of English church bells in Bardwell village, Suffolk. Please use the contact form on this site. For more information about bells and bell ringing read our Bell Ringing pages.
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Church Bells 