ALL Saints’ Parish Church in Leamington is looking for friends.
Church leaders are launching The Friends of All Saints’ Parish Church to support plans to help care long term for the historic building.
Every parish church relies on its congregation and the wider community to fund the building and its maintenance, and additional funding can only be obtained joining the highly competitive bidding for grant applications.
The aim of the Friends of All Saints’ Parish Church will be to raise funds and assist with grant applications as well as widen the circle of people dedicated to the future prosperity of the landmark building.
While some offer their contribution as members of the congregation, others may want to support just the building, and the new charity will allow that.
The Friends will be launched at the church on November 13, from 7.30pm. The evening will include a tour of the building and a short presentation explaining how people can get involved.
As one of England’s largest parish churches, All Saints rivals many cathedrals in size.
Its gothic-style architecture was described by the eminent late art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as “a church as out of the ordinary for scale as for style”.
The earliest record of the church is from the 12th century. A west tower was added in the 14th century whilst a south porch was added in the 18th century.
In 1842 the church began to take its current form and shape, overseen by the Rev John Craig. By this time the church was no longer in open fields just to the north of a hamlet, but in the centre of a bustling spa town.
Two of Leamington’s town founders, Benjamin Satchwell and William Abbotts, are buried in the churchyard.
The church remains a busy place of worship – with the congregation regularly welcoming visitors from home and abroad. There is a particular emphasis on high quality choral and organ music, with a repertoire spanning the 8th to the 21st centuries.
Visit www.allsaintschurchleamington.org.uk/friends to register to attend the launch.
