 |
| Established January 17 1881 |
Oxford Diocesan Bell Fund
The Oxford Diocesan Bell Fund was set up by the Guild in 1974. It is a registered charity number 268390. Public BenefitThe Fund's objective is to raise and collect sums of money for investment in suitable charitable investments (as advised by the Diocese of Oxford Investment Advisor) and applying the income arising from the investments in or towards the repair and renewal of church bells in the Diocese of Oxford. The Rules of the Bell Fund may be found here. Governance and ManagementThe Bell Fund is governed by the Governing Trustees who are the members of the Guild General Committee. They meet usually once each year at the Bell Fund AGM. For ease of diary arrangements the Bell Fund AGM is usually held immediately before the March General Committee Meeting. The Bell Fund is managed by an elected body comprising, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and 4 Managing Trustees, all who are elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Managing Trustees generally meet twice a year, in February and September. Grant applications are considered at both of these meetings. Dates of these meetings are published in the Guild web site calendar. The current Officers and Trustees names and Officers addresses may be found here. GrantsGrants may only be given towards the repair, maintenance and renewal of church bells and will not be given towards the costs of augmenting the number of bells in a tower. For clarification, “bells” includes the frames and fittings and all other parts and constructions necessary for the proper functioning of the bells, but excludes day-to-day replacement of ropes, stays or sliders. “Repair, maintenance and renewal” does not include routine servicing of the bells, frame and fittings, or repairs to the tower structure Grant Application Forms are available from the Bell Fund Treasurer. Application Forms are issued upon request and are not available to download. When the Managing Trustees receive notification that on-site work has been completed, members of the ODG Towers & Belfries Sub-committee undertake inspections to verify that the works have been completed to an acceptable standard and are in accordance with the Faculty or other approval process. On receipt of a satisfactory report, arrangements are made for payment of the grant. We may publish brief details of the work for which a grant was given, on this web site. Value of grants paid to projects is set out in the annual accounts. Annual ReportThe Managing Trustees publish an Annual Report each March. This records the activities of the Bell Fund in the previous year. It Identifies the new monies raised, the level of the interest earned from the investments, the current value of the investments, the grants paid, the provisional grants allocated and the issue of new Grant Application Forms. It is presented to the Governing Trustees for adoption at the Bell Fund AGM and is published in the Guild Annual Report. Annual Reports can be seen 2013 | 2014 | 2017 Annual AccountsIn accordance with Charity Commission Rules, independently examined accounts are published for the Bell Fund each year. They are provided to the Governing Trustees at the Bell Fund AGM and published for ODG Members to see in Odd Bob. Copies of accounts can be found here 2013. 2014. Management PolicyFor a number of years the Managing Trustees have published an annual Policy setting out how the Fund is being managed with regard to investment strategies; levels of grants; anticipated demands on the Fund and emerging external factors, which are being monitored for their effect on the function and purpose of the Fund. The Trustees receive guidance from the Diocesan Investments Advisor on a regular basis, which guides the decisions on the investment of new monies and the realization and re-investment of capital appreciation. The current Management Policy can be found here. Fund RaisingAll new money raised is used to purchase suitable charitable investments as advised by the official Diocesan Investment Advisor. Interest from the investments is used to fund the grants awarded to eligible schemes. Thus the awarding of grants does not diminish the investments and the increasing capital worth of the scheme has provided considerable protection against the fluctuating market conditions experienced of late. There are a number of sources of new monies raised each year:
The most effective way for tax-payers to make a donation to the Bell Fund is through the Gift Aid scheme. This allows the income tax, which has been paid on the donation to be recovered by the charity. Follow this link to the EBSB Fund Raising Stall Forms for one-off and regular forms of donations with Gift Aid statements can be found here. 2010 Grant Aided WorkClewer
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry were engaged to re-tune the bells and then re-hung in a new frame on one level. Great Brickhill
Whites of Appleton were engaged to renew the frame, to weld the cracked treble, re-tune and rehang the original 6 with two additional trebles to make eight. The re-tuning and casting of the new bells was by Whitechapel. Shiplake
Whites of Appleton were engaged to recast the 8 bells and rehang them in a new frame. Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the new bells. Mapledurham
Whitechapel Bell Foundry were engaged to quarter turn the bells; provide new headstocks, ringing fittings and clapper staples. Peasemore
The bells were rehung with new ringing fittings in the existing frame. Buckland
Whites of Appleton were contracted to strengthen the existing metal frame and rehang the 8 bells. Chalgrove
Major refurbishment of the 8 bells by Whites of Appleton. Bells re-hung with new ringing fittings installed and modifications made to the frame Freeland
Whites of Appleton remodeled the ring around the 5th as the new tenor. Broke up old tenor and 4th and cast 2 new bells and re-tuned the complete ring. Rehung with new fittings in existing frame 2011 Grant Aided WorkEast Ilsley
Whites of Appleton engaged to replace bearings on 2 bells, refurbish clappers and replace ground pulleys. Aldworth
Whites of Appleton contracted to quarter turn and re-hang the 3 bells with new fittings, in existing frame. Oxford, St Giles
Whites of Appleton contracted to re-hang the 8 bells and replace some ringing fittings. To retune the chief harmonics, this element of work by Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Grant Aided Work Currently in ProgressSteeple Aston
Oxford, St Mary the Virgin
Whites of Appleton contracted to re-hang all six bells with new fittings, in the original frame. Completion expected in 2012 Great Shefford
Whites of Appleton engaged to refurbish the bell frame and re-hang the six bells with new fittings. Completion expected in 2012 Cheddington
Whites of Appleton engaged to renew and re-furbish ringing fittings including gudgeons and bearings, clapper staples and pulleys. Completion expected in 2012 Hampstead Norreys
Whites of Appleton contracted to undertake a major refurbishment of the six bells. Completion expected in 2012 High Wycombe
Whites of Appleton are appointed to replace the existing bells and frame with a new ring of 13, hung in a steel and cast iron frame. |
© Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers 2012 -
Site Map
