The place a bell holds in church can be varied from an often heard reminder that the church is there or a seldom seen and seldom heard part of a church building.
For some, church bells are a call to worship and a reminder of the connectedness of us all.
Like many other activities in churches, bell ringing was ‘shut down’ along with churches during the pandemic and only as churches have gone back to face-to-face worship has there been a return to ringing. However some churches have struggled to reopen and with this rings of bells have been at risk as some churches don’t hold services, lack funds to maintain the bells and also have fewer events like baptisms and weddings which would have called for ringing.
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) is working in partnership with the Church to assist with their initiatives to support churches to stay open, through focussed and targeted approaches on what is possible and sustainable. There is also a drive to recruit more ringers, particularly amongst younger people. For example;
Bells tend to be out of sight and mind; because of this, maintenance of the skills of ringing and the bells may not always be at the top of the agenda. To avoid the loss of skills and the bells falling short in maintenance, churches are encouraged to maintain a good relationship with the ringers, encourage ringing by supporting local and national events, and include bell ringing in funding and fundraising efforts. In return, bellringers are looking to increase their visibility in the church both locally by being represented on the PCC, and at the national level by bellringing organisations developing closer links with Dioceses and the Church.
Our support for bell ringing ranges from guidance on our website to colleagues applying their specialism and personal experiences to support your church. Becca Ridley, one of our Risk Appraisers shared her experience of being a ringer and how it supports her in her role to support you.
Ecclesiastical’s giving and volunteering schemes have seen some of the Risk Management Surveyor team spend their volunteering day in a church tower, applying preservative to an ancient (1706) bell frame. As part of this, a £1,000 donation was given to the project via personal grants. Benefact Trust, the parent company to Ecclesiastical, also donated £2,250 to this project.
Read our guidance note on Bellringing to support you to safely hold demonstrations and bell ringing events.