Bell Restoration

The Essex Association has a Bell Restoration Account (BRA). Since 1980, the fund has helped 112 Essex churches with grants totaling over £335,102.

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 Trustee Committee meeting. The Sub-committee comprises the Technical Adviser as Convener, one representative from each District, the Treasurer together 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:

• 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).
• Tax recovered from Gift Aid.
• Investment income and interest.

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