BECOME A FRIEND OF ST MARY'S CHILHAM
We would love to welcome you !
Currently, it costs £70,000 yearly to keep St Mary's open plus £30,000 is needed for essential roofing works. This is where the Friends help and why we were formed - to preserve a classic example of a wonderful English Church,its history,its architecture, and to ensure that it will be used and enjoyed by many generations to come
You can download and print an application form and a Gift Aid form below. If you would like to make a PayPal donation please click the donate icon below.
​
​
WHO ARE OUR “FRIENDS”
Membership of Friends of St Mary’s Church Chilham is open to anyone, not only from the Parish, but also from wider afield, who would like to join and support our aims for the upkeep of this historic building, including:
-
People who wish to see the building there for future generations for whatever reason
-
People who would like to have the church available for family occasions such as weddings, baptisms, or funerals – or have already used it for those services but do not necessarily worship here or no longer live locally but have fond memories.
-
People who may not support the ministry of the church but are happy to support the upkeep of a beautiful building rich in history – persons not necessarily from the Parish but to include our many visitors from throughout Britain and abroad who love our rich tapestry of village life and monuments and wish to create and maintain a link.
-
People who see the village church as part of the rural scene and wish to see its continued use and existence
THE PURPOSE OF THE FRIENDS
The annual running costs of St Mary’s are high and cannot be met by worshipers alone, so to ensure the building is properly maintained it relies on people’s generosity and The Friends' aim is to raise much needed funds:
-
To help towards the cost of the preservation of the fabric of the church
-
To help with the cost of repairs
-
To help towards the cost of the replacement of major items e.g. heating systems/rewiring of circuits
-
To help with the maintenance costs of ornaments and furnishings
-
To raise funds for the above purposes
BECOME A FRIEND
Joining the Friends will mean you join a list of generous benefactors worldwide who help preserve this historic building for future generations to enjoy:
-
Download the Membership form and send it to the address shown with your payment. (The form shows payment options including PayPal)
-
Remember: complete the Gift Aid section to increase the value of your membership by 25 p per £1.
-
We will keep you updated on progress and information about work and repairs which need to be done to the church fabric and past and upcoming events, so you can see how we are doing.
-
Reports from the AGM
-
If you have an interesting story about St Mary's please send it to us.
If you have any questions please get in touch