JCB has donated £6,000 to help the bells ring out at a historic Staffordshire Moorlands parish church which is celebrating its 225th anniversary.
The money, provided through the Bamford Charitable Fund, will go towards a £50,000 project to install a peal of six swinging bells in the tower at St Leonard’s Church, Ipstones, near Leek.
The church was built in 1790 and was actually constructed with a tower capable of containing a ring of bells to call people to worship. However, only one was ever installed and currently it is a fixed bell, which can only produce a single repeating chime.
Parish Priest, Reverend Michael Evans, said: “It has long been the dream of those associated with the church and living in the village to install a peal of swinging bells that can call people to worship. There is something essentially English about that sound ringing out. However, it is a dream that has not been financially possible, mainly because of the demands on the upkeep of the church over the years. But recently we decided the time was right to launch a fundraising campaign and, as well as staging community events, we approached local businesses to see if they could help.
“I am absolutely thrilled and delighted that JCB has made this donation. Many people who live in the village and attend the church also work at the company and will really appreciate this gesture too. The project has captured the imagination of the community and having companies such as JCB on board will no doubt encourage more people to come forward to help out.”
So far the Bell Project fundraising committee has managed to acquire four redundant bells, all from a church in Bath – meaning that only two new bells will have to be cast. Other work that needs to be funded includes the production of the fittings and bell wheels, retuning, as well as installation into the bell tower, taking the total cost of the project to around £50,000.