Appeal Update: February 2019

Fund-raising in the last month

We have just enjoyed two wonderful fund-raising events. The first of these was the Antiques Valuation Evening on 20 February, when six experts from Woolley and Wallis were joined by Foxtrot Vintage Clothing to receive and value items brought along by visitors that evening. We had 120 visitors in the church, and our first glass of excellent wine was provided by Maul’s Wine and Cheese Bar. Three pianists entertained us while we waited our turn to talk to the experts, and the St Thomas’s team laid on canapés and cheese for sustenance. The evening was a great success, and raised over £1,400 for the Appeal. Thank you Brenda Parry for all your hard work in organising this.

Then on 23 February, Fiona Hulbert arranged a very successful Murder Mystery evening at the Michael Herbert Hall in Wilton. The drama was presented by the Redlynch Players and the Shah Jahan restaurant provided the curry. There were 140 of us in the hall, and we all tried to apply our Poirot-like logic to discover whodunnit. The Rector easily spotted the guilty party wearing the dog collar! So the evening added another £900 to the funds.

But in addition to these events, we had donations totalling more than £20,000 during the month, so we now have over £350,000 either banked or pledged. A reminder that our immediate target is £471,000 to complete all the work planned between now and March 2020. This work covers the complete Redevelopment programme (the replacement of the pews with benches and chairs, the installation of the new altar and dais, and the installation of the new font) as well as the restoration work on the Doom painting, the clerestory and part of the ceiling.

Grant-making bodies

We have now had donations of more than £20,000 from five trusts to whom we have applied. We are grateful to these and all our donors, for their generous support in helping us approach our immediate target.

Project progress

You will probably have seen the scaffolding erected in the Lady Chapel and nave earlier in February. Our conservator has been doing some final tests to ascertain the best way to clean the ceiling, and took some paint samples to send off for analysis. We are still on course to start the work of clerestory repair, Doom restoration and ceiling cleaning at the start of July.

John Bruce-Ball
February 2019

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