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Welcome to the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers

NOTICE:

The Spring General Committee Meeting and OD Bell Fund AGM will be held at Bucklebury on Saturday 8th March 2025.

Click here to access and download the papers.

Introduction

The ODG has the largest membership in the country and its territory contains the cities, towns and villages of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

We have 15 Branches, and today the approximate 2,400 membership represents over 400 ringable towers.  

Our Bell Fund is managed by Trustees and effectively assists in the care, maintenance and restoration of bells through the Diocese.

Our Guild has a great history that can be traced back to1881; many men and women have enriched the Guild by their energy, skill and ability. To maintain our successful, vibrant 21st Century Guild we support our current membership through active recruitment, teaching new recruits as well as teaching experienced ringers to teach well and safely, and we all enjoy social gatherings. 

We are delighted with the developing bands of young ringers, we value the dedication of the established bands, we acknowledge the work and enthusiasm of all our ringing teachers, and we are grateful for the support of the diocesan clergy in the work that we do for the Diocese.

Whether you are an ODG member seeking information, a new recruit, or just browsing we hope that you will find this website helpful.

Learning to Ring

Are you interested in learning to ring?

Please get in touch with us because bell ringing is intriguing, brings lifelong friendships, ignores age, gender, race and wealth. It engages the intellect, brings a sense of belonging, and reminds the community that Christian worship remains an integral part of our multi-cultural country.
Contact me Catherine Lane (master@odg.org.uk).

Please supply your name, contact details and the area where you live so that we can find a tower nearby where we can teach you.

Code for Ringing

The CCCBR has published a Code for Ringing which the Master has requested be placed in every tower.

The Code for Ringing can be seen at this link.

I can ring a bell.  Why should I join the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers?

Member benefits.

By becoming a member of the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers you are looking back over nearly 150 years of history, and joining the largest territorial Guild in the World, to secure the future of bell ringing for your generation and the next.

Members of the ODG

  • Achieve a level of proficiency before being invited to join the Guild.
  • Enjoy the fellowship of the wider community of bellringers.
  • Develop and share the interests and potential of young ringers.
  • Ring with accredited ART teachers to further ringing competence.
  • Benefit from opportunities to participate in free or low-cost training sessions.
  • Gain sound advice and grants to enable bell maintenance and restoration projects.
  • Are eligible to apply for grants to support projects within the territory as well as training courses outside the ODG.
  • Know that safeguarding under 18s and vulnerable adults is taken seriously.
  • Take part in safeguarding awareness courses to keep oneself, and others safe from abuse.
  • Are reassured that the ODG insurance policy is one of the best available.
  • Access Odd Bob, the ODG newsletter, and reserve an annual report for personal use.
  • Keep in touch with the wider ringing community through branch news and updates.
  • Receive Central Council expertise, advice and support, through the ODG fee to the CCCBR.
  • Contribute to the focus and strategic direction of the Guild through participation in Branch and Guild meetings.
  • Have use of the extensive Guild library.
  • Play a pivotal role in maintaining the ancient tradition of bell ringing.
  • Understand that the elected Guild officers work hard to ensure that the ODG celebrates its history and strives to guide the Guild and its members forward to a dynamic future by:
    • Encouraging and improving recruitment.
    • Inspiring high standards in ringing and administration.
    • Developing communications and record keeping which meet the needs of the 21st century.
    • Encouraging skilled teaching to assist every tower.
    • Developing ringing schools throughout the territory.
    • Financially supporting ART.
    • Working in close partnership with the Diocesan Bell Fund (Charity Reg. No. 268390) to fund maintenance and augmentation projects.
    • Maintaining excellent relations with the Diocese of Oxford.

All this, and more, would mostly disappear if the ringers in the diocese did not join the Guild.

In addition, it is increasingly difficult to recruit from the membership, people, like you, who do so much work in the branches and for the Guild. So, without committed Guild members, ringing may be kept going in some towers, but those ringers would be responsible for much more themselves, and there would be a diminishing skills’ reserve to support any of the related activities.

I hope that this overview has better informed you not only about why the Guild exists but how it really is committed to you as a Church Bell Ringer in your tower and your branch.

Catherine Lane

ODG Master (master@odg.org.uk).