St James’ church in Ab Kettleby is a traditional Church of England place of worship. The church underwent a period of restoration having suffered significant subsidence problems. Following the reopening of the church, a band of bell ringers was put together in 2014.
The band meets weekly to learn and practice. They have already mastered handling techniques and are now progressing towards more complex ‘change ringing.’
Last year the bell-ringers received a grant from the Mars in the Community Fund, which allowed them to add three church bells to the tower to give a peal of six bells. This allows six people to ring simultaneously, opening up more opportunities for local people to get involved, and increasing the variety of sound produced.
Bell-ringer and Tower Captain James Lowe commented: “The augmentation to six bells in Ab Kettleby, has greatly increased the heritage of both the church and the village and will provide a long lasting legacy for generations to come. The new sound of the bells has prompted many complimentary comments from villagers, and several new ‘recruits’ have come forward to learn to ring. Our band of ringers are now able to progress their skills in the traditional art of change ringing to a much more advanced level than would otherwise have been possible with three bells.”
The Mars in the Community fund is managed by Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation. Later this year funding will again be available for a range of projects, with the criteria yet to be determined. Check our website for updates.
If you would like to set up your own local giving fund to benefit a specific area, need or cause, or if you want some help determining which worthwhile local groups or projects to help, please contact Katy Green at Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation on 0116 2624 804.
