In the time since the formation of the Friends in 2009 with its stated aims, our brief has expanded slightly to include projects that benefit any user of the Abbey and its facilities. To date we have contributed almost £80,000 to Abbey finances through 72 projects as follows.
Type of Benefit | Number of Projects | Expenditure |
Visitor Information | 16 | £9,000 |
Enhancing the Abbey Experience | 10 | £18,300 |
Information Technology | 10 | £7,500 |
Parish Facilities & Support | 7.5 | £11,100 |
Children & Youth Work | 7 | £19,300 |
Event Equipment & Support | 7 | £8,300 |
Education | 6.5 | £3,000 |
Boosting Visitor Income | 4 | £2,500 |
Signage | 4 | £0,900 |
Totals | 72 | £79,900 |
The investment in information technology proved extremely useful during the Covid19 pandemic for enabling parishioners to keep in touch with services.
Recently completed projects include:
- Provision of the Church Desk church management system for running the parish more efficiently
- Provision of Good Box equipment to enable donations to be made by card and
- Provision of secure traditional offertory boxes to complement the Good Boxes
Currently active projects include:
- Provision of new external notice boards to welcome and inform visitors and display parish notices
- Overcoming the causes of deterioration in the memorial to Alice Taylor and
- Improving how the mediaeval embroidered cloth in St George’s Chapel is displayed
Additionally, we have annual commitments to support:
- The Ethelflaeda Festival
- The Children’s and Families Worker
- Related children’s activities and
- Tourist QR code charges
We are actively seeking a substantial “flagship” project to support.
Mike Prince, September 2022