Ding dong – Churches win national award for developing bell-ringers
A group of bell ringers have won a prestigious national award.
Chirk, Overton and Bangor-on-Dee churches have been named 'Cluster of the Year' for their co-operation in recruiting, teaching and developing bell-ringing in their communities.
The award has come from the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART) – an organisation set up to improve the standards of teaching in bell ringing.
The results were announced at an award ceremony held in Harbury, in Warwickshire earlier this month.
The Ringing Master of the North Wales Association of Church Bell Ringers (NWACBR), Peter Furniss, who is also the Ringing Master at St Mary’s Church in Chirk, collected the award.
Peter said: “We are all delighted and amazed to receive this award. It is an honour for all the volunteer bell ringers to be recognised in this way. The teams at Chirk, Bangor and Overton work hard to support each other, to improve standards and to ensure the sound of church bells will echo throughout our communities for generations to come.”
Peter was also a finalist in the ART Award for 'Inspiring Leadership in Ringing'.
He was highly commended for his work to create and deliver a long-term vision for the bell-ringing community in north Wales and implementing it through imaginative and inspiring leadership.
St Mary’s Church in Chirk is also launching a fundraising appeal to renovate the ring of six bells in the church tower and add two more to complete the octave.
A special event will take place in St Mary’s Church Hall on Saturday, March 16, with visitors given the chance to climb the tower and see the bells and ringers in action.
Peter said: “There has been a ring of six bells in Chirk Church since 1519 and these current bells date from 1814. There has been no major work on the bells since 1912, when they were re-hung on a new frame.
“The bells continue to be rung regularly by an enthusiastic and committed band of ringers but their use for over 200 years has taken its toll and the bells require major expenditure to ensure that they continue to ring in the future. If funds allow the ringers would also like to complete the octave by adding two new bells. This will enable more ringers to take part in the ringing while also expanding the repertoire of what they can ring.”
The Vicar of Chirk, the Rev Matt Wilkinson said: “I am so pleased with the hard work of Peter and all the bell ringers. I am really excited by the project and look forward to a very bright future for ringing in this area.”
The launch event for the Chirk bells appeal takes place from 2pm on Saturday, March 16, and is open to all.
St Mary’s Church in Chirk is part of the Offa Mission Area.
St Dunawd in Bangor-on-Dee and St Mary-the-Virgin in Overton-on-Dee are part of the Maelor Mission Area.
Both Mission Areas are part of the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses making up the Church in Wales.
