The Friends of St James the Great, Thorley
Report by the Secretary to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting May 2026
The Friends’ 2025 fundraising began in March with a joint St James Church / Friends of St James Family Quiz Night. Our other events during the year were a Sale of Nursery Plants in May, the serving of Sunday Afternoon Teas from the Church Room during the summer months and an Autumn Craft Fair in November. Our small band of volunteers also worked to maintain the Churchyard throughout the March to December growing season.
The Friends entered 2025 with several significant funding commitments already in place. These included covering the cost of work on trees in the Churchyard, including crown reductions, the removal of deadwood and the lopping of branches to protect the Church building and to facilitate the installation of a broadband radio link to the St Barnabas Centre to overcome the erratic performance of the mobile link that has hitherto been used to stream Church services. The tree work was completed by local tree surgeons Atkins and Candler Arb Ltd and the Friends’ funding commitment fulfilled during the year. A broadband link has since been installed. Plans in respect of the installation of more permanent streaming equipment funded by the Friends can now be progressed.
Other commitments in place at the start of 2025 were to cover the cost of the tender the PCC had received from Lodge and Sons Ltd for the repair and redecoration of the walls of the ringing chamber and stairs in the Church Tower and some work on the wall above the radiator at ground level, and to reserve some funds for a potential contribution towards the cost of enlarging the Churchyard to prevent it having to be closed once there is no room for further burials. As the latter is something that would be beyond the PCC’s financial means without significant additional help, the Friends decided in 2024 to reserve £15,000 as a potential contribution towards this cost until such time as the PCC can make a final decision on the way forward. This reservation remains in place. The Friends fulfilled its funding commitment in respect of the Church Tower when the work by Lodge and Sons Ltd was completed earlier this year.
New members of the Friends are always welcome. The minimum family subscription is just £5.00. By joining, you will be supporting the work of the PCC in preserving our ancient and beautiful Church building and maintaining our Churchyard
Philip Hargrave
Chairman & Secretary