In our Benefice we have three Churches, St Goran, St Just in Gorran Haven and St Michael at Caerhays. Most of us at some time in our life will visit a church either for a wedding, a baptism or a funeral and we all like to feel that the church doors will always be open to us if the need arises. The visitor books in our three churches make fascinating reading and they show how grateful members of our communities and visitors are that our churches are open to them.
The financial cost in the upkeep of these historic buildings is enormous and so the aim of ‘The Friends’ is to raise money to help in the preservation of, not only the church buildings but also the fixtures and fittings, the stained glass windows, and the churchyards. By doing this we hope to be able to maintain the churches, not only for the regular congregation, but also for everybody, both now and for future generations.
Anybody can become a ‘Friend’. You don’t have to be a church member; the annual subscription fee is £10 for single membership and £15 for a family. Every penny that we receive is ploughed back into the upkeep of the churches.
We have a very small committee and are always on the look out for others to join us. We meet approximately once every other month when we discuss various fund raising events, e.g. fairs, quiz evenings, concerts etc. We also decide the best way to use the money raised, which is shared equally by all three churches for their most urgent needs.
If you feel you would like to join our committee you do not have to be a regular churchgoer, just somebody who is keen to keep our beautiful old buildings alive for the future. If you are interested in joining us please contact me, Jill Hargraves, either by email: tobitza@waitrose.com or by ’phone :01726 842166, we would love to hear from you.
