Patron: The Right Hon. the Earl Baldwin of Bewdley
Friends of St Peter’s Committee Members 

Chairman:  Peter Archer, The Old Rectory Astley. 01299 826416
Vice chairman:  Ray Way, Pinners Cottage, Astley. 01299 871418
Secretary:  Vacant
Treasurer:  Irene Hoare, Millington Lodge, Weatherlane, Astley 823572 
Committee members:  John Hoare, Millington Lodge, Weatherlane 823572
Joanne Lewis, Vic Powell, Katherine Gorbing
 
If you make a donation to the Restoration Fund please make cheques payable to: “St Peter’s Restoration and Repair Fund”.

If you are a taxpayer, please include a copy of a Gift Aid Declaration in the style set out below. (as a hand-written copy or by ‘copy and paste’).
This means that for every £1 you donate 25p can be reclaimed.
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The Parish Church of St Peter, Astley, Worcestershire 
 
Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
 
Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
 
I am a UK taxpayer intending tax to be reclaimed on the enclosed donation made under the Gift Aid scheme. 
 
Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
 
Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Post your cheque and Gift Aid Declaration to: Irene Hoare, Millington Lodge, Weatherlane, Astley.

The Parish Church of St Peter, the oldest building in Astley, which dates from Norman times, was in need of substantial restoration work. As our ancestors have done before us we hold the church in trust for future generations. The results of a questionnaire, which we organised, confirm that there is widespread community support for the restoration project.

A few years ago The Friends of St Peter’s embarked on a two-stage funding exercise. The first stage was to fund the work necessary to prevent the church from deteriorating further and the second stage was to restore it to Grade 1 condition. The Fundraising Committee applied for grants to assist in the funding of this work but the prospective grant-giving bodies made it a condition that we raise a significant proportion of the funds from the local community. The cost of the first phase was estimated to be approximately £100,000.

English Heritage promised a grant of £36,000 and with other grants, private donations and proceeds from events, we have now raised well over £70,000.

We are very grateful to those of you who have supported us by making a donation or by attending fundraising events and we hope that you will continue to support us. Additional events will be organised in future years.

Direct donations can be made to our Treasurer, Irene Hoare, (or to any other member of the Committee) either as a single payment or in a series of stage payments. If you would like a standing order form please let us know. Wherever possible we would be grateful if donors would make use of the Gift Aid scheme described above.

We hope that you will become a member of the Friends of St Peter’s. The annual subscription, which can be paid to any member of the committee, is £1. Normally, we use the parish magazine to publicise activities and events but from time to time we will send additional mailings direct to members of the Friends.

The restoration of the church is the most ambitious project that Astley has undertaken since the construction of the village hall and we are confident that with your support it will be successful. Please refer to the Parish Magazine for further details.

Fund Raising Events for Your Diary

Please refer to the Astley & Dunley Partish Magazine
Peter Archer, Chair, Friends of St. Peters: peterarcherrhs@btimternet.com 01299 826418

For further information about the Friends & Appeals for Help and
Support please see the parish magazine.
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Coffee Mornings

In aid of St Peter’s Church, Astley
(normally first Thursday of the month)
10.30am – 12.00 noon

In Astley and Dunley Village Hall

*Cakes and Pastries Stall*  *Bring and Buy*  *Raffle*  *Book Stall*

Come along and enjoy a lovely morning chatting with good friends.

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This brilliant DVD charts the restoration work from the first Quinquennial survey in 2005 to present day. It is amazing how much has been achieved in those 10 years. This DVD from Martin Beevers is a fascinating and interesting record of the church’s first major restoration project for 100 years. With clever little touches that will make you smile…

£5.00 from any member of the Friends’ committee or PCC: or contact the magazine editor (Cheques to be made payable to: St Peter’s Restoration and Repair Fund) All proceeds to the Restoration Fund.

Have you made a donation? Attended or helped at a fund raising event? Visited the church?
Supported the church by advertising in or subscribing to the parish magazine? If so, thank you! You have been involved in and have helped with this project and will love this pictorial
record. After all, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Best Kept Churchyard Competition – 2015

On Saturday, 24th October there was great excitement with the presentation of the awards for winning the Best Kept Churchyard Competition – 2015.

Left to right: Peter Manning, Frank Hill, John Hoare, Marion Cumella,
Marjorie Whiting, Rev. Mark Turner, Anthony Scriven and Andrew Cooper.
Photograph: AARON MANNING

The vice chair of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) Worcestershire, Frank Hill and Marjorie Whiting the chair of Worcestershire WI represented the organisers. They were supported by Marion Cumella who holds the office of vice-chair of Worcestershire WI. Receiving the awards were John Hoare and Peter Manning, supported by Anthony Scriven and Andrew Cooper from CS Garden Clearance. After coming fourth in the competition just two years ago it was an outstanding achievement to make it to the winning post as first this year! There was a good turn out from the parish and the ladies laid on some lovely refreshments. Whether we can hold our position in 2017 remains to be seen.
December 2015 – January 2016

Further information published monthly in the Parish Magazine: 50p from the church of St. Peter, Astley