Friends of St Michael and All Angels

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 24^th 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