Bell Restoration

Easy Fundraising for the Essex Association

The Essex Association has a Bell Restoration Account (BRA). Since its registration as a charity in 1986, the fund has helped over 90 Essex churches with grants totalling over £367,779.

A permanent Bell Maintenance & Restoration Sub-Committee is appointed to consider applications for financial assistance for bell maintenance and restoration in accordance with Rule 13.13, meeting at least 30 days before each Management Committee meeting and making written recommendations for consideration at the next Committee meeting. The Sub-committee comprises the Technical Adviser as Convener, one representative from each District, and the Treasurer, with the other two Principal Officers as ex-officio members. The Trustees and Management Committee determines guidelines for the Sub-committee and publishes details of the grant application process.

The BRA income is derived from:

25% of Association peal fees.
Surplus income from Association events.
All donations, gifts and bequests and other voluntary income from Districts, tower bands, church authorities and individuals (unless requested otherwise).
Profit on sales of books and merchandise.
Tax recovered from Gift Aid.
Investment income and interest.
25% of Resident Ringing Member annual subscriptions (since 2019 this income has been diverted to the new Recruitment and Training Fund).

The Essex Association is committed to the furtherance of the work of the Church by ringing bells, promoting bells and bell ringers, and keeping the bells of Essex churches ringing. This is achieved by giving help and advice in the maintenance of bell installations and by making grants available for restoration and improvement projects.

Grants are available for work to provide, restore, maintain and improve bells, bell installations and their supporting structures. Types of work could include, for example:

recast, weld, tune and reclapper bells;
replacement or additional bells;
repair or extend existing frames, provide new frames;
overhaul existing ringing fittings, provide replacement or additional fittings;
re-hang bells;
install or improve sound management and acoustic systems;
augmentation of existing bells, frames and fittings;
provision of bells, frames and fittings in Churches which previously had none.
Provision of bell simulators and audio-visual equipment to support training and practice

Downloads

Current Projects

	Bishops Stortford, St Michael — £14,800 towards rehang in a new frame and with completely new fittings
	Thaxted, St John the Baptist — £700 towards installation of a new amplification system
	Ashen, St Augustine — £500 towards restoration of bells and frame

Recently Completed Projects

The BRA is pleased to support any project that meets its criteria however big or small. Here are some of the recent projects that we have been able to give grants to:

	Brentwood, St Thomas of Canterbury — £1,876 towards installation of a rope guide
	Great Chishill, St Swithun — £9,000 towards rehang, refurbishment and augmentation to six
	Sandon, St Andrew — £5,000 towards rehang and refurbishment of the bells
	West Hanningfield, Ss Mary & Edward, £5,100 towards rehang of bells with completely new fittings in the existing bellframe
	Braintree, St Michael the Archangel (2021) — £6,000 towards rehang and refurbishment of the bells and £4,000 towards shortfall in funding and installation of a simulator
	Kelvedon, St Mary the Virgin (2021) — £7,984 towards framework and recasting the 4th bell
	Waltham Abbey, Holy Cross and St Lawrence (2020) — £7,614 to recast the 7th bell

The Essex Association of Change Ringers President: The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford