Friends of St Michael and All Angels
St Michael's Church - Lambourn
The Friends of St Michael& All Angels Church Scheme is now up and running. In the past the cost of the church maintenance has fallen to a small number of people, but now we need to try to share the cost of maintenance of this most important community building between more of us.
If you can and wish to help, request an application form via our Friends website:-saintmichaellambournfriends.wordpress.com or you can pick up a leaflet from the church.
The aim of the ‘Friends’ is simply to raise funds to keep our village Grade1 Listed building in good repair , today, tomorrow and for future generations.
Any support you are able to give to this aim will be very much appreciated.
Friends Scheme
Our village can be justly proud of our magnificent Norman church building which is grand and architecturally unique, and which has stood at the centre of our village (town) and has been the focal point of Christian worship in this area of the Lambourn valley for 9 centuries, and is a Grade 1 listed status building.
The church can be instantly recognised when you travel over and down Hungerford Hill. Clearly it is a most important building for the worshiping community, but it is also a much loved and important building for the whole population of Lambourn and the surrounding area. Over the centuries count Lamburians have been Baptised, Married and had their Funeral or Memorial services in the church
Because of it’s size St Michael’s has hosted many notable events over recent years, such as when the Queen Mother attended Fulke Walwyn’s memorial service, The Duchess of Cambridge recently attended her friends wedding at our church, and I will always remember seeing the church full to bursting, with people still outside for Doreen Rackham’s funeral service, and of course it is the ideal venue for the annual Remembrance Day service in November.
We are considering and hoping to establish a ‘Friends Scheme’ with the aim of providing those additional funds needed to help pay for the maintenance and improvements to the building for this and future generations.
Why do we need a Friends Scheme? Well currently the regular congregation have to provide £50000 plus each year to pay for the Vicar, Insurance, Heating Lighting, Cleaning, and Music, just to keep the show on the road, so clearly we need help to raise further funds for maintenance of the building, which has cost around £3000 in 2012, and the very rare Father Willis Organ in our church, which in time will need restoration work carried out.
There will be a meeting in church on Monday 24th February 2014 at 7.30pm for anyone who is interested and able to help get this Scheme established.
Brian Fletcher
Treasurer St Michael& All Angels Church PCC
I’m writing to ask if the Friends of St Mary’s, Iffley, Oxford, might visit St Michael’s on Saturday May 2nd as part of an excursion to churches in Berkshire. We are normally one busload of 50-55 people, led by our expert architectural historian Dr Geoffrey Tyack. We would expect to be in Lambourn by about 4-4.30, so I ask too if the two groups of Friends might like to have tea together. Do let me know if this would be feasible and of interest to your members.
With all good wishes for 2020
Susan Walker
Chair, Friends of St Mary’s, Iffley
This has only just come to my notice. If you would like to discuss this idea, then send a message using the web site of the church, and I will reply.
Best regards
Alistair Mills
Webmaster, https://lambourn-valley-benefice.website
Alistair,
This was in the diary for May but because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the regulations affecting churches it did not happen. I think that Amanda dealt with the query.
Thank you Brian for the quick response, appreciated. Liz
Good Afternoon. My name is Ken Cooper I am the secretary to the Caldicot Male Voice Choir.
We are singing at a funeral on the 15th February .We will be only singing two songs , I am trying to find out whom we have to contact for permission to use the church organ.
Good afternoon Ken, yes, I did hear that we have the privilege of your attendance for this sad occasion. Please contact Revd Julie Mintern, Tel: 01488 208467 or revjulie.mintern@lambournvalley.org
I trust this helps
Regards Liz Beard