Ripple Parish includes the residents of Ripple, Uckinghall, Stratford Bridge, Naunton, The Grove at Ryall, Ryall and Holly Green.
St Mary’s Church, Ripple is a Norman Church and is a focus for our community – it belongs to all of us. It is a place of worship and is an unique asset, whether for those of the Anglican faith, other faiths or no faith. St Mary’s Church’s building has to change to meet the community’s current and future needs.
Following the 2018 Quinquennial Inspection (5 year review of the building) St Mary’s Ripple was put on the Church of England’s “At Risk Register”. The Report indicated that at least £250,000 will be needed over several years to remedy the deterioration to the fabric of the Church.
“At Risk” means the Church has serious problems with the condition of the building. However, this status enables The Church to seek financial support from The National Lottery, Historic England and other grant making organisations which may look more favourably on our request for funds. This also gives the local and wider community the opportunity to raise funds to create a place for worship and reflection, and to provide a range of cultural and social activities in this historically important building.
The financial target is at least £500,000. To achieve this and deliver our objectives, The Friends of St Mary’s Church, Ripple (The Friends) has been established.
The Friends’ Objectives are:
- To raise money for Ripple Parochial Church Council (RPCC) funds to meet the key recommendations made in the recent five yearly survey of the building.
- To maintain and enhance the fabric and facilities of the Church building and Churchyard.
- To provide modern facilities for residents and visitors to enjoy this inspirational space and enable them to participate in a wide range of activities.
- To generate funds to meet future demands.
To achieve this The Friends will:
- Consult worshippers and the wider community
- Work with others to arrange e.g. exhibitions, lectures, educational, musical, ceremonial and other events
- Generate ideas and execute plans to position St Mary’s Ripple as a significant social and economic centre for local residents and the wider community.
As members of our community, your opinion matters.
Please respond to the following questions. Your responses will help The Friends to raise the funds necessary to preserve the building and develop the facilities in this remarkable place.
Please click here to start the short survey. During the survey you’ll have the chance to ask for more information about the Friends of St Mary’s.
Friends can help by:
- providing ideas on how to improve the use of the Church building and the Churchyard
- volunteering time e.g. to help with building maintenance, Churchyard upkeep, clearing low level gutters, odd jobs etc
- participating in the organisation of fundraising events
- assisting with marketing activities e.g. producing documents, utilising social media, distributing leaflets
- providing financial support
Thank you for completing this survey. Your support for The Friends will help in the challenge to maintain the fabric of the building as well as creating good use of this precious space.
Current and future generations will appreciate your assistance.
Our heritage is their future.
For more information about the Friends of St Mary’s, Please contact Nicholas Blake, Chairman, Manor Farm House, Naunton, Upton-upon-Severn WR8 0PY , Tel: 01684 593563 Email: ngdblake@aol.com