The Friends of St Mary’s Church Chilham extend heartfelt gratitude to our valued Friends, both local and global, members, benevolent donors, dedicated volunteers, and unwavering supporters.
Our volunteers, the St Mary's Church Chilham Community, are the lifeblood of our community, generously and freely dedicating time and energy, significantly contributing to our events and projects. Their involvement is a testament to the power of community engagement in enhancing our shared environment.
Even the smallest acts of volunteerism have a profound impact, helping us reach our goals. We are immensely thankful for their commitment, for without them, orchestrating our events and maintaining the integrity of our cherished church building would be a formidable challenge.
Many of you have displayed your culinary skills, crafting delectable cakes, flans, sandwiches, and tray bakes. Many then help serve these treats to our visitors in a beautiful display of hospitality. Others have shown immense dedication in helping to organise events, from setting up venues to welcoming guests. Your actions, driven not by obligation but by a sense of community, significantly enhance our collective well-being and social fabric.
Our committee, though small in number, is big in results. Led by experienced Chair George Kennedy, he and the committee members, often working tirelessly behind the scenes, deserve our utmost appreciation for their unseen yet invaluable contributions.
Jan Armishaw and Rosemary Simmons deserve particular recognition for the volume of work they both put into encouraging volunteers to take part in our events and ensuring they all run smoothly.
We also want to acknowledge the local businesses whose support has been fantastic! Their donations and assistance in promotion are examples of community solidarity.
Peter Higgs and his Farm Shop are always there to support us.
The Post Office is our go-to venue for holding our event tickets, and we thank his staff there and at the Farm Shop for all they do for us.
Our Clock Restoration fundraiser year has been a very busy one. Obtaining grants, our successful Garden Party, Catered Dinner, Coffee mornings, Concerts and Rock Around the Clock Party dance have meant a great deal of organisation but for a very worthwhile project, and mid-2024 should see the refurbished clock mechanism reinstalled and the renovated dial showing its new face to the Parish. None of this would be possible without the support of all of you.
Our sincere thanks go to everyone who donated to the Clock Restoration fundraiser and other projects, both through PayPal and other means. Your generosity plays a crucial role in preserving the historical and architectural beauty of St Mary’s Church Chilham.
The global interest in our initiatives, as evidenced by the traffic to our website from over 90 countries, is both humbling and inspiring. Our member Friends who pay their membership fee each year provide the backbone to our funds and are due their own special thank you.
Together, we are making a difference, and for that, we are eternally grateful.
🎄We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas from all of us and a 🎄happy, healthy, prosperous New Year.