The appeal fund has now reached six figures - £102,000! The support for this project by the people of Writtle has been fantastic and as we approach our target figure of £130,000 the excitement of seeing the work started is growing. We are making plans for a final push to secure funds for the two outstanding bells: number eleven at £15,700 and number twelve (the tenor) at £20,800. If you are thinking of making a donation or sponsoring a bell, or you know someone or a group of people who might wish to, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Our first fund raising event of this year, a concert in the church by the Essex Police Band was a great success. If you missed it you missed a treat.  As part of the Jubilee celebrations, the Tower will be open on Sunday 2 June and on the 3 June Teddy bears will be performing daredevil feats from the top of the church Tower! Our fund raising events for the remainder of this year are as follows:

Barn Dance - Saturday 13th July in Writtle College Tithe Barn
Quiz Night - Saturday 28th September in the Village Hall
An Auction of Promises - Saturday 23 November in the Village Hall

This event is an opportunity to participate in a fun evening, and perhaps for you or your business to gain some publicity, new customers or society members.  For this event we are seeking promises of goods and services which can be bid for at an evening auction. The evening will be a relaxed social event with wine and buffet. The scope for promises is almost unlimited, but to set you thinking, some examples of promises are: a candlelit meal at a restaurant, a meal cooked in your own home for a dinner party, a course of driving lessons, a hairstyling session, attendance at an educational course, a reflexology session, a holiday in a villa, a cricket bat signed by the Essex team, a trip in a helicopter, a day behind the scenes at BBC Essex, a day with a vet, etc etc. If you or someone you know would be interested in offering a promise please do get in touch. To a great extent the success of the evening will depend upon having a good auctioneer.  At present we don't have one, so if you know an auctioneer who might be willing to do this for us, we would be very pleased to hear from them. 

In addition to fundraising, we have been busy over the last year addressing all the technical issues of the project. Drawings showing the details of the bellframe and bells have been produced and approved by the Chelmsford Diocesan Advisory Committee. As part of the process we have consulted with English Heritage and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). In consideration of their concerns for retaining the old bellframe, our scheme preserves a good proportion of the frame in the clock room. 

Phil Stephens, Tower Captain - 01245 421022.