Bellringers a-peal to new generation...
MOBILE belfries are taking the art of bellringing out of churches and into schools, in an effort to create a new generation of enthusiasts.
The move aims to dispel the stuffy image of campanology – bellringing – which is commonly associated with older people and places of worship.
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers has two mobile belfries it can take to events and is raising funds for a smaller, lighter one to take into schools and youth clubs.
It hopes to introduce bellringing to more children and also to people from diverse backgrounds.
Currently about 35,000 people enjoy bellringing.
The council states: “A key target of Mobile Belfry 2.0 and other mobile belfries and mini-rings is schools and youth groups. We want to get bells into the minds of school-age children before they associate bellringing with churches, which limits our reach to different cultures and ethnicities.”
The mobile belfry will cost £65,000, of which £27,000 is being provided by Leicestershirebased Taylor’s Foundry. A bid has also been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £250,000 to enable the belfry to be taken around schools. It is hoped it will be completed by spring.
Vicki Chapman, from the council, said: “Traditionally, the Anglican Church is the home of the bells in England but this means people from other ethnic origins or religions might never have set foot inside an Anglican church and may never have considered it as something to do.
“There is an element of ringing connected to the call to worship but other elements are communitybased. We have plans for the Queen’s Jubilee next year and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“Young people are the ringers of the future. The demographic of bellringing is slightly on the older side of things but there are a lot of young people still taking part. We want to encourage them to become the leaders of the future in ringing.”