We are
delighted to announce that our Barnham Broom Church Bells Restoration Appeal
has been awarded a generous grant of £28,200 from the
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.
Our press release follows:
National Lottery
support for Barnham Broom Church Bells Restoration Appeal
The Barnham Broom Church Bells Restoration Appeal has received
a generous grant of £28,200 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) toward the
full restoration of five historic bells of the Church of St Peter & St Paul
in Barnham Broom, Norfolk, which have not been rung in 40 years. Made possible
by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on bringing
these bells back into the consciousness of the community and on restoring them
in time to ring on the centenary of the WW1 Armistice, Sunday 11 November 2018.
The project embraces the community, the village primary school
and the history of the village whilst leaving a legacy to future generations to
enjoy the part that the church bells will be able to play once more in the
general life of the village and on special occasions such as christenings,
weddings, funerals and festivals.
This initiative spurred members
of the village of all ages to take up the art of bell ringing and to research
the history of the Church and its bells. It is also providing the opportunity
to add campanology to the curriculum of the local school. The introduction of CCTV
camera technology to the bell chamber and the ringing chamber will enable
everyone to enjoy seeing how the newly restored bells are rung.
The Church of St Peter & St Paul at Barnham Broom is
over 700 years old and houses two listed 15th Century bells together
with three further bells hung between 1707 and 1893. All five bells have the
distinction of having never been tuned, a feature that will be of interest to
bell ringers across the country. The history of the Church and the bells will
be shared with the community in a pageant to be held in 2018.
Commenting on the award, Hartley Booth, chairman of the appeal
said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of National Lottery players
via the Heritage Lottery Fund which will allow us to complete the restoration
of our bells. Our project is acting as a catalyst in bringing the community
together and will leave a legacy for future generations.”
Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England, said: “The bells
of the Church of St Peter & St Paul are unusual, not only due to their age,
but also because they have never been tuned. I’m delighted that money raised by
National Lottery players can be used to bring these bells back into use for the
first time since the 1970s and involve the community in learning about their
history.”
Notes to editors
About the Barnham Broom Church Bells Restoration Appeal
We are
facilitating the full restoration of the five historic bells in the church of
St Peter and St Paul, in Barnham Broom, Norfolk in time to ring on the
centenary of the WW1 Armistice, Sunday 11 November 2018 and to leave a legacy
for future generations. Further information can be found on our blog and
Facebook page.
barnhambroomchurchbellsappeal.blogspot.co.uk
www.facebook.com/barnhambroomchurchbellsappeal
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, we
invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the
heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic
parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare
wildlife.
www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram
and use #NationalLottery and #HLF supported.
Further information
For further information, images and interviews, please contact
the Barnham Broom Church Bells Restoration Appeal at
bbbells.appeal@gmail.com or the Appeal Committee Secretary, Brian
Liddell on 01603 757886 or 07891 990378.
