The bells of St Laurence church in Alvechurch, Worcestershire date from 1711 and have been ringing across the village for nearly 300 years. There are eight bells ranging in weight from 4 to 12 hundredweight (200 to 600 kg) and the ringers of St Laurence ring them in the traditional English pattern of Change Ringing.

Running Total November 18th 2008

The bells have survived three centuries but are showing signs of wear and we need to raise around £60,000 to have them repaired and refurbished. The work is expensive because we have to retain as much of the eighteenth century structure as we can. These pages describe the problems we are facing, the work that we need to do, and the progress we've made towards raising the money.

News

More good news on the fund-raising front this month. We've had a grant of £2,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, a charity established in 1958 by William Garfield Weston who was the founder of Associated British Foods. We've also had a contribution of £500 from the Alvechurch Village Society. The Rector unveiled the £30,000 mark on our thermometer at the Bel Canto concert and these two unexpected contributions have moved us on towards the next milestone.

Future Events

We have a full season of events planned for the next 12 months. More details here and around the village closer to the date.

• December 13th - Christmas Coffee morning. Christmas fare and festive entertainment in the Village Hall.
• March 2009 - Table Top Sale.
• April 2009 - Quiz night.

Donations

We are offering our supporters the chance to sponsor a bell. You can read details on our sponsorship page or download our brochure with an application form.

Visit our donations page and help us towards our target. You can use your credit card on-line or print out a GiftAid form.

The Bell Fund is raising money on behalf of St Laurence Church. We are working under the following Bell Fund Terms of Reference.

Email us and help with the St Laurence Bell Fund!