Guildford Ringing Centre - How it all started ...

At their meeting on 18th November 2000 the Guildford District agreed to purchase some training equipment, from funds raised by Sally Schupke and Julian Morgan at their evening classes, and install it into St Nicolas tower to establish a Ringing Centre.

St Nicolas, Guildford

Sally passed a list of suggested equipment to the St Nicolas bellringers and a request for the equipment to be installed, if possible, by the end of September 2001 (in time for the next set of evening classes, possibly?).

The band decided to try out some of the equipment, and the possible ways it could be used, before going ahead with a permanent installation. A plan was drawn up and a set of initial proposals was passed to the PCC for comment.
>> Appendix 1 <<

I contacted Phil Gay, the chairman of the Ringing Centre committee of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR), and obtained both a description of the purpose, structure and facilities of a typical "recognised" ringing centre and some details of grants available to establish ringing centres.
>> Appendix 2 <<

I was told that applications for the next batch of grants are due in late Spring, and will be announced in the Ringing World.

A District meeting on the subject of training was held at the YMCA in Guildford during Holy Week. Roger Booth, another member of the CCCBR Ringing Centre committee, gave us an excellent presentation on his experience of setting up the Docklands Ringing Centre and posed some questions which we could consider whilst setting up our own.
>> Appendix 3 << [Microsoft Word document]

Whilst a faculty was being sought for painting the stairwell white, the PCC gave the go-ahead for installing the 'first phase' of training equipment. Julian obtained both a computer and a copy of Abel for Windows. We ordered a set of sensors from David Bagley (who has been designing and assembling this equipment for many years) and fitted them to the front six bells.

The CCCBR advertised for applications for grants just after Easter 2001, with applications to be made before the end of June.
A project team was hastily formed to discuss and agree on our proposals, and comprised:

	Beryl Norris		Guild Master
	Rod Pierce		Guild Secretary and Guildford District Treasurer
	Graham Nayler		Guildford District Ringing Master and Training Officer
	Richard Farmer		Guildford District Belfry Inspection Co-ordinator
	Robert Lynch		St Nicolas' Tower Captain
	Trevor Harding		St Nicolas' Tower Keeper
	Julian Morgan		Representing the evening class tutors

On 26th September 2001 we were formally advised by the CCCBR that our grant application had been approved:
>> Appendix 4 << [Microsoft Word document]

Robert Lynch,
St Nicolas,
Guildford         May 2001