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Friends of Great Waltham & Ford End Churches
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The Friends purpose is to raise funds both from the community and from external funding bodies for the maintenance, repair and improvement of the Great Waltham and Ford End Churches.  A wide variety of local events are put on each year and new members and volunteers to help are always welcome.  Membership is from £5 a year with donations of £100 or more qualifying for Life Membership. Chairman is David Moncaster 01245 362778. Membership Secretary is Clive Smith 01245 360925.

This is the first issue in 2010 of a periodic newsletter to inform Members of The Friends of Great Waltham and Ford End Churches Trust of future plans and ideas, and the results of recent events that have occurred since the last newsletter. 

Events since Newsletter No. 3:

Nat King Cole Tribute Concert

            This concert was held in Great Waltham church on Saturday the 3rd October 2009 and was well attended and enjoyed by all those present.  The concert raised over £1150 for the Trust’s funds

2009 Christmas Tree Festival

            The Friends of Great Waltham and Ford End Churches Trust, along with thirteen other village groups, decorated a Christmas Tree in the Great Waltham church over the Christmas period.  The competition for the best decorated tree was won by the Up, Up and Away pre-school but the Friends’ tree did attract some attention, and advertised our upcoming ABBA GOLD concert – see below.

Current Plans for 2010

Abba Gold Concert

                  

The next event organised by the Friends is an Abba Tribute Concert featuring the well known group ABBA GOLD who are the most successful Abba tribute band in Europe .  ABBA GOLD have been performing for over 13 years, and have performed over 2200 shows, playing to more than 2 million people, not counting the millions who have seen them on their numerous television appearances.  The concert will take place on Saturday 24th April at Great Waltham church starting at 7:30 pm .  Advance tickets will be on sale closer to the date at £12.50 for adults and £7.50 for children up to 16.  This promises to be a most memorable concert and certainly not one to be missed.

For those of you with access to the Internet you can see a preview of the band on www.abbagold.uk.com

Annual General Meeting

            The 2010 AGM will take place on Wednesday June 9th at Ford End Church . Please put this important date in your diary now.  Elections will take place for one Trustee and two members of the Fund Raising Committee.

The Friends’ Summer Fete

            The Summer Fete this year will held on the field at Ford End on Saturday 26th June starting at 12:00 Noon.  It is still too early to give details of all the attractions planned, but please put the date in your diary now.

Cantate Concert

            Another concert by the celebrated choir Cantate is being planned for Sunday the 4th July in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary celebrations of the Walthambury WI.  The concert will be held in Great Waltham church starting at 6:30 pm .  More details later, but please put the date in your diary now.  If you missed their previous visit to Great Waltham, you missed a treat!  Don’t miss them this time!

Church Projects to be funded:

Following a recent meeting with their Architect the Parochial Church Council (PCC) has agreed a way forward to resolve the dilemma of wanting to redecorate the Great Waltham church (popular and dramatic) but needing to undertake exterior repairs first (boring and expensive) to avoid damp penetration spoiling the new work.

 

Some ‘ring-fenced’ funding is available to deal with the Chancel, so that area will be started as soon as possible and The Friends will be assisting the PCC with grant applications and fund raising for the remainder.  Whilst the necessary scaffolding is in place, the PCC also plans to have a modern lighting scheme installed and repairs to stained glass windows undertaken.  Specific grants to help pay for these improvements will be requested from appropriate bodies as soon as detailed quotations have been obtained by the Architect. 

 

A committee of local people connected with the Great Waltham Community Network and supported by the Friends’ has also raised some funding to relocate and improve the controls of the sound system to make it more user-friendly and to provide training in its proper use.

21st Century Communication!

 

This newsletter is being sent out promptly by E-Mail to those people who sent us their E-Mail addresses, which is about 50% of our membership.  If you have an E-Mail address and have not sent it to us yet, please contact us at: cvzsmithuk@yahoo.co.uk.  It will take only 30 seconds of your time but will vastly improve our delivery efficiency.  (Of course, members who do not have an e-mail address will still receive communications on paper, via snail mail.

February 2010