Many of you may have signed a Gift Aid declaration in the past but if you haven’t or are a newly elected member and you pay income tax, please do email me and I will happily send you a form.
Although it seems a small amount the Guild Treasurer advised me that collectively the 25% tax reclaim on subs across the Guild amounts to around £2.5k he claims back each year.
Many thanks
Andrew Christie – Branch Treasurer (bells@peterborough-stmarys.org.uk)
Dear Ringers,
It was good to see many of you, virtually, at our Zoom AGM last Saturday, 15 January. In particular, it was helpful to put faces to names, so thank you to all those who were able to attend.
The minutes are now on the Petbells downloads page for those who would like to read them. The minutes also give details of the new Committee, for those who were unable to attend, but would like to know who is on it.
There is no real change, but we are looking for a new Press Correspondent, as Terry Wright has decided to stand down. Thank you, Terry, for your contribution over the last 5 years in this role. It has been much appreciated by all. Would anyone like to consider volunteering? All offers to the Secretary, please.
Best wishes,
Julie Pocock
Branch Secretary
Firstly a big thank you for all who paid their subs for 2021 and any arrears for 2020. With a few members who retired we had a success rate of over 98%.
Subs are still at £7 (£3.50 students) and with us unable to meet again at the AGM the best way to pay is online. If you were successful in making a payment last year I would be grateful if you can repeat that again, quoting your surname in the reference field.
Otherwise please drop me a SMS/email and I can share account details or provide alternative ways of making a payment.
Many thanks
Andrew Christie – Branch Treasurer
07954 405924
Bells@peterborough-stmarys.org.uk
Dear All,
It was good to see many of you at the Branch AGM on Saturday afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to attend.
Here is Helen’s latest update for you to read. It includes suggestions for Jubilee ringing for HM The Queen on or around 6 February, to celebrate the day She ascended the Throne. This year, 6 February is a Sunday.
There is also the “Golden Blog” by Simon Linford, our President. Open it to find out why he has named it thus. Keen photographers can participate in the photo competition.
Finally, there is a Guild update.
Enjoy the read,
Best wishes,
Julie
Helen’s text:
To: Branch chairs, secretaries & treasurers: please forward on to members.
Happy New year to you all. Half-way through January and we have completed 7 out of 10 branch AGMs, it’s good to see the business of the Guild proceeding to plan. I know that branches will be in touch with members and contacts to ensure that details are correct for the 2021 report, which will capture activity in another very unusual year. One for posterity to ponder over.
Jubilee ringing
6th February sees the 70th anniversary of the Queen ascending to the throne. While the main celebration of the Jubilee will be the extended bank holiday weekend in June, ringing on or around the 6th February would be welcomed by the church. There is a little more information on the CCCBR website. https://cccbr.org.uk/2022/01/12/hm-queens-jubilee/ If you can arrange to ring, please do and please register it on Bellboard AND let secretaries know that you rang. The Guild will, again, let the Queen’s representatives in our area know that we have rung to mark this occasion.
If you rang for the death of the King or the coronation of the Queen, please get in touch with Cathy Dixon (pro@pdg.org.uk) or me (secretary@pdg.org.uk). We’d like to support the CCCBR and have some small articles prepared for distribution locally.
CCCBR update
The President’s first blog of 2022 has been published. https://cccbr.org.uk/2022/01/05/presidents-golden-blog/
Photo Contest
With the weather having had a seasonable turn (it’s been cold, clear and bright!) you may have been able to take a seasonable picture of your church recently. In which case consider submitting it to the Guild’s photo contest. Images will be selected to form a Guild calendar for the 10th anniversary year, in 2024. Consider sending in your images to be part of this event. More details available on the website. https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/photo-contest
Guild Update
Just to remind members that they have a say in how the Guild in run. They can propose someone for Guild office unto the Guild AGM in June. That can be in writing (e-mail is acceptable) to the Guild secretary or in person at the AGM itself.
At the 2021 GMC there was a sub-committee created to review the rules that the Guild, the branches and the Bell repair fund follow. This has not been actively pursued during 2021, when meeting was difficult, but is now being revived. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please let the Guild Secretary know.
The next few months see the bulk of the planning activity for the Guild for the year. Any thoughts you have that you would like to see considered are welcome. What do you want to see your Guild do? Let us know, we’re good, but we’re not very psychic!
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PDGCBR
Website: www.pdg.org.uk
e-mail: secretary@pdg.org.uk
Telephone: 01832 735 266
Dear Ringers,
This is the final reminder for the Branch AGM.
To join the AGM at 16.00 on Saturday 15 January 2022, please e-mail Hilary Hardie here at least 24 hours in advance and she will send you the link.
Please check the downloads page of PetBells later on today to see all documents relevant to the meeting.
See you on Saturday.
Best wishes,
Julie Pocock
Branch Secretary
Dear Ringers,
After e-mail exchanges with Alex, we have decided to switch the physical AGM to a Zoom meeting at 16.00 on Saturday 15 January 2022. Alex’s decision is explained in his message below:
“Dear Friends, I have decided to move the AGM to a Zoom meeting. I have taken this decision for several reasons. There have only been eight acceptances to date, and thirteen apologies, so there could to be a low turnout on the day, and with the uncertainty of what may or not develop over the next 10 days or so, I felt it needed decisive action sooner rather than later. Hilary has kindly offered to host the AGM on Zoom, but this needed to be actioned now. Finally, having had my own PCR testing positive, I didn’t feel happy mixing with folk a week on Saturday, even though I was legally allowed to do so. Alex”
This is an opportunity for all members to participate in the Branch AGM Zoom meeting. To join the AGM at 16.00 on Saturday 15 January 2022, please e-mail Hilary Hardie here at least 24 hours in advance and she will send you the link.
It is disappointing not to be holding the full AGM at Castor. It offered Branch members the opportunity physically to meet after, for some, a long time. As Secretary, I was particularly looking forward to meeting Tower Correspondents with whom I have communicated only by e-mail.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our Zoom AGM.
Best wishes,
Julie Pocock
Branch Secretary
Dear Ringers,
After e-mail exchanges with Alex, we have decided to switch the physical AGM to a Zoom meeting at 16.00 on Saturday 15 January 2022. Alex’s decision is explained in his message below:
“Dear Friends, I have decided to move the AGM to a Zoom meeting. I have taken this decision for several reasons. There have only been eight acceptances to date, and thirteen apologies, so there could to be a low turnout on the day, and with the uncertainty of what may or not develop over the next 10 days or so, I felt it needed decisive action sooner rather than later. Hilary has kindly offered to host the AGM on Zoom, but this needed to be actioned now. Finally, having had my own PCR testing positive, I didn’t feel happy mixing with folk a week on Saturday, even though I was legally allowed to do so. Alex”
There is an opportunity for ringers not on the Committee to participate in the Branch AGM Zoom meeting. To join the Committee at 16.00 on Saturday 15 January 2022, please e-mail Hilary Hardie here and she will send you the link.
It is disappointing not to be holding the full AGM at Castor. It offered Branch members the opportunity physically to meet after, for some, a long time. As Secretary, I was particularly looking forward to meeting Tower Correspondents with whom I have communicated only by e-mail.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our Zoom AGM.
Best wishes,
Julie
Julie Pocock
Branch Secretary
Dear Ringers,
A happy and healthy New Year to you all. LEt’s hope 2022 brings better cheer and joy than 2021.
I wrote on 14 December giving you details about our Branch AGM. This is a reminder. To refresh your memories the venue is the church of St Kyneburgha and the Cedar Centre at Castor (postcode PE5 7AX). Here is the schedule:
14.00 Ringing. Please note it is a first floor ringing chamber, with a spiral staircase leading up to it.
16.00 Service
16.45 Tea. Given January is a cold month, tea will be hot soup, sandwiches, cake, biscuits and, of course, tea and coffee.
18.00 AGM
19.30 or earlier: resumption of ringing.
RSVP’s from you all would be really helpful. It would allow us to cater, properly, for our Tea. Also give the Committee a better sense of numbers attending the ringing and the AGM. The current COVID rules may well influence your decision to attend, or not, but do please respond to me here with your acceptance or regret by Friday 7 January.
Some of you may already be familiar with St Kyneburgha and the Cedar Centre and remember how spacious it is. The Cedar Centre has reduced its guest capacity from 72 to 42 to allow better space for all those attending meetings, in this case our AGM. Current guidelines would mean masks would need to worn at all times, apart from when seated and having tea.
II look forward to hearing from you all before 7 January.
Many thanks and best wishes,
Julie
Julie Pocock
Branch Secretary
Dear Friends, I am pleased to say that our usual branch practice will be going ahead at Castor this Friday 7th January at 7-30pm.
I wonder if Father Christmas brought any of you the newly published book “The Core Seven and beyond” written by Simon Linford and edited by our own Will Bosworth. https://www.ringingworld.co.uk/purchase/shop/the-core-seven-and-beyond.html
The book plots a course through treble dodging major methods but starts with a plain method: Double Norwich Court Bob Major. So this will be our method of the month.
For those of you who know the rhyme to remember it, please learn the blue line too. If you don’t know the rhyme don’t find it out, just learn it by leads and by the treble! Happy bank holiday learning.
See you on Friday.
James
Dear all,
Barring anything dramatic happening between now and 31 December, this is Helen’s last update for the year.
There is plenty in it to read, so settle down with a cup of tea and a mince pie and get reading.
Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas. Let’s hope 2022 is a better year all round.
Best wishes,
Julie
Helen’s text:
To: Branch Chairs, Secretaries & Treasurers. Please pass to members.
Guild news:
I hope that you are able to ring over Christmas, there should be more opportunity this year than last. January always sees a raft of branch AGMs taking place. Latest details can be found on the Guild website. (Branches – please keep webmaster@pdg.org.uk up to date in case of late changes). https://pdg.org.uk/events
Another date for your diary is January 22nd, which sees the next in the series of Guild 10-bell practices, 10:30 – 12:30. Location still tbc. The first was held in Kettering and it was a good, busy practice, with 27 attendees, ringing ranging from Little Bob & Grandsire to Surprise Royal. Hopefully everyone appreciated the opportunity and were able to try something outside their usual fare.
December 100 Club winners are David Westerman, Kelvin Broad and Ann Dowling. Congratulations to all three. Cheques will be in the post. Contact Cathy Dixon (100club@pdg.org.uk) or your branch 100 club co-ordinator for details of how to join.
Should Santa not bring you any ringing or reading matter, the bumper Christmas Ringing World is available here: https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/issue.php?no=5773 A mixture of articles and some puzzles to stop the braincells suffocating under the turkey. Non-subscribers can purchase a single issue.
CCCBR news:
I know some branches have already circulated this.
The CCCBR has been working with the CofE recovery group and the guidance on ringing in certain circumstances have been clarified. In cases where ringing takes place in a separate space ringers can choose whether to wear masks, a decision that will vary from individual to individual, based on their personal situation. I would like to again remind ringers that ringing takes place with the agreement of the incumbent, who can place conditions as they see fit. There are a lot of strong opinions on the topic. I would hope that at a time when the greeting from the angels is “Peace and good will” that a little goodwill can be exercised within the ringing community.
The latest information can be found here: https://cccbr.org.uk/2021/12/17/guidance-for-england-under-plan-b/
The President has a Christmas blog and a Christmas Jumper. Not sure I can recommend the second element of that pairing. https://cccbr.org.uk/2021/12/15/presidents-yule-blog-2/
Mentioned in the blog is the new NorthWest Training course. Details are provisional but can be found here: https://cccbr.org.uk/2021/12/10/the-north-west-ringing-course/ I’d also like to remind ringers that attendance on ringing related training courses can be eligible for a grant from the Guild’s training fund. For more details, and how to make an application, see the Guild’s website. https://pdg.org.uk/homepage/content-2/training-fund
Another event that may interest our younger ringers is the YACR event in Birmingham on the 15th January. Details can be found on their website. https://www.ycra.org.uk/events.php The Guild would consider that attending these events may be advantageous to young ringers, yet they may be the group least able to afford to travel. In which case the Guild executive has agreed that attendance at an event arranged by the YCRA may also be subject to a grant from the training fund for some expenses. Contact Simon Dixon on master@pdg.org.uk for more details.
Safeguarding
You may have seen the latest from the CCCBR or from the CofE relating to the most recent Safeguarding arrangements. The Guild has been working with the Diocesan Safeguarding advisor and our advice is as follows:
All ringers are strongly recommended to take the C0 Basic Awareness online awareness course as soon as practical.
All Tower Captains should do C0 Basic and also C1 Foundation, both online courses.
Tower Captains can apply to take the virtual in-person C2 Leadership Pathway course if they wish to extend their skills and confidence in Safeguarding.
See the diocesan website for more details of these courses: https://www.peterborough-diocese.org.uk/training/training
For help in applying for any of these courses please contact Sharon Welbourne via email: Sharon.welbourne@peterborough-diocese.org.uk .
Contact the Guild’s safeguarding officer on safeguarding@pdg.org.uk in case of any queries.
And with that may I take the opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Unless something dramatic happens (always possible), or I get very bored next weekend (unlikely), you can expect to hear from me in 2022.
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PDGCBR
Website: www.pdg.org.uk
e-mail: secretary@pdg.org.uk
Telephone: 01832 735 266
Peterborough Branch 