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Welcome to the home page for the Friends of St Mary's Church, Wivenhoe, Essex The church of St Mary's is located
in the heart of lower Wivenhoe and is valued both as
a building and a centre of worship for the community. The Friends of St
Mary's comprises a diverse group of residents and non residents, not all church goers, all of
whom are dedicated to preserving this historic building for today and
future generations.
FOSM is affiliated to St Mary's Church, registered charity no.249505. FOSM was formed in 1993 to help raise money to support various projects associated with St Mary's Church building and fabric. FOSM has a membership of approximately 100 households. It puts on events such as coffee mornings and the Wivenhoe Watercolour Challenge. It publishes Wivenhoe News and produces and sells a range of items under the banner of Wivenhoe Designs. Membership of the Friends of St Mary’s The yearly subscription to the Friends of St Mary’s is a minimum donation of £5 per person, per year. Corporate membership £20 p.a., Life membership £100, Joint Life membership £150. Members receive a free copy of our quarterly Wivenhoe News. To obtain a membership form, including standing order and gift aid declaration, please contact: Elisabeth Baines, FOSM Membership Secretary, 37 Valley Road, Wivenhoe CO7 9LZ 01206 823523 or email: abaines@talk21.com We welcome new members. The funds and how they are spent To the end of 2008 the total given to St Mary’s since the founding of FOSM in 1993 is £36,342. In addition agreement has been given for window repairs to be done early in 2009 bringing the total to £40,207. The list of items is too long to include here but ranges from regular payments for electricity for floodlighting to major expenses for repairs to the buttresses, guttering, and the organ bellows. Most recently, the carpets were replaced and the floodlights also to give a more efficient use of electricity. The money is generated by subscriptions, donations, the Co-op dividend card scheme, running Water Colour Challenge and an Autumn Fayre, the sale of Wivenhoe News, and having a stall selling Wivenhoe Designs at virtually every event in Wivenhoe and of course all those at St Mary’s. The donations in 2008 included a legacy of £21,371.19 from the estate of Mrs Dorothy Moss, for which we are very grateful. Co-op dividend card scheme If you would like to know more about the above scheme and how you can help FOSM please contact Maureen Smith 825653. Click here for the St Mary's Church Guide Click here for details of 10th Water Colour Challenge 2009 |
