The Friends of St Mary’s is wholeheartedly supportive of the PCC’s vision for the redevelopment of St Mary’s and is offering considerable financial support to many of these projects.

In addition to the support of £35,000 that the Friends have donated to support the PCC in the reordering project and the proposed lighting in the church, The Friends covered the costs (£10,000) in Phase 1 of the switching of the glass in two windows of the north aisle so that stained glass would not be obscured by the new toilets.

The Friends is an independent organisation, separate from the church and its council. The Friends committee is predominantly constituted of people who are not regular worshippers at St Mary’s but who work hard to support the fabric of the building and its use by the community.

All money raised by the Friends comes from a combination of fundraising events, regular giving and applications for grant aid. The organisation was set up in 2007

You can read more about the Friends on their website.