Friends Chairman's Report 2009 After three years of fundraising primarily for two major projects - the Thomas Parker Organ and the restoration of the Church Bells - the year just finished could have been deemed something of an anticlimax. However, the creativity and enthusiasm of the Committee and the generosity of members and parishioners alike ensured that 2008/9 was one of our most successful years.
Over the twelve months the Friends succeeded in raising £6,046 from members' donations and via a series of events, some by now traditional and some new. Our Coffee Morning and Plant Sale following the AGM in May 2008 raised £552 and our Open Gardens Day in June exceeded all our expectations with a superb total of £653, helped no doubt by the unusually fine weather and the Cream Teas on offer at both ends of the recommended route.
This was followed in October with the second annual Bridge Tea and our Quiz Evening in February 2009, which together raised £1,887. We ended the year with a fascinating illustrated lecture The Group Photograph by Andrew Tatham in March. Our thanks in particular go to Frank and Jane Haslam whose research and technical skills are so important to the success of the Quiz evening, and to June Robinson and her team of helpers who have made the Bridge Tea a firm part of the local players' calendar.
Our membership remained stable at 133. We were pleased to have attracted a few new members as the result of increased publicity for the Friends through regular reports and articles in the Parish Magazine and the interest generated by our events throughout the year, even if an equal number, for whatever reason, felt unable to renew this year. Set against this there was a significant rise in members' donations. This was especially pleasing in view of the current economic situation, which affects people at every level.
We have set as an objective to increase our membership each year and are seeking the assistance of all members in attracting additional supporters. Fran Fleming, who has generously agreed to taking on the role of Membership Secretary from Steve Shaw following the family's move to Cambridgeshire, would be only too pleased to hear of or from prospective new members.
We never forget that every penny raised by the Friends is destined to be spent on maintaining or improving the fabric of the Church of St Mary and St Nicholas or the amenities. We have therefore been pleased again in this last year to contribute a sum of £2,000 towards the upkeep of the Churchyard, this being additional to the working parties which under the direction of Frank Haslam and Dave Jones have continued with their aim of making all headstones accessible and visible.
We are currently awaiting from the PCC more details of the five yearly structural survey of the Church buildings and how and in what order they intend to commission the remedial or other work recommended in the report. In view of the priority which has to be given to the long overdue installation of an adequate lightening conductor on the Church Tower, the FLPC Committee have already confirmed their willingness to make a substantial contribution to this work.
Finally I would like to thank all the members of our Committee for their continuing support and hard work, particularly our Secretary Jackie Hampton and Treasurer Frank Haslam as well as Sonya Grove, Peter Ford and Ron Presley. A special mention too, of Bernard Salsbury who retired from the Committee during the year after nearly a decade of service. His wise counsel will be sorely missed and we are particularly grateful to him for agreeing temporarily to continue to administer Gift Aid on our behalf. We would also like to acknowledge the help and support of David Eaton throughout his time as vicar, and our sadness at the passing of David Oliver, always a great supporter of the Friends.
Chris Evans, Chairman