New
Building
In 2008 mains water was installed, our first step towards
the provision of much needed toilet facilities in the
Church for children and adults. The proposed building
would provide for this, together with a meeting room,
a kitchen and necessary additional storage space.
The meeting room would provide a space for young children
during services giving families the chance to belong and
contribute to church life; enable the congregation to
meet informally after services for tea and coffee with
newcomers and visitors and allow small groups to meet
in a beautiful environment.
Some may not use the church very often – maybe not
at all. But this historic Grade 1 listed church has stood
in Apuldram for around 900 years and it is an important
part of the village scene, making an impressive and attractive
contribution to our landscape. Apuldram without its church
just wouldn’t be Apuldram.
The
meeting room and its facilities would be available for
community use and to the many visitors who contribute
to the upkeep of the church. It would allow more events
to be held at the church and would be a practical way
to ensure that St Mary’s remained an open church
and not a redundant church.
Above
all, the meeting room and its facilities would be available
to the wider community, in particular as a Heritage Centre.
Being situated in an Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB)
we have many visitors to our historic church. We plan
to create opportunities for these visitors, for the community
and for local schools to learn about the heritage of the
area. Working with the Education Centre of the Chichester
Harbour Conservancy we plan to promote and hold heritage
exhibitions, arrange and run sessions for visiting schoolchildren
and create and promote a heritage trail. The Chichester
Museum has agreed to loan items of local social and historical
interest to support these events. Local historians would
be invited to give talks and run local history workshops.
Copies
of St Mary’s church records would be held at the
Centre for research into family and local history. Our
aim is to help present and future generations to appreciate
and therefore conserve their heritage in this historic
area.
Report
following the open meeting of 9 September 2008
The Proposed Church Building was discussed at the meeting
on Tuesday 9 September, held at St Mary’s. The parishioners
enjoyed a glass of wine while Clive Ashley welcomed them
to the meeting and explained the reasons for the much
needed new building. Douglas Briggs, the church architect,
said that the plans, which had been prepared in conjunction
with the sub-committee, would benefit not only the parishioners
but also the community, and would ensure that St Mary's
remained an open church.
It became clear as a result of suggestions from the floor
that the plans needed some amendments, and these will
be incorporated prior to applying for Planning permission
to Chichester District Council at the end of the year.
It was estimated that the project will cost about £100,000,
and Graham Pound explained that it was planned to set
up a charity, Friends of St Mary's Church, Apuldram, to
raise funds for the building and also to offer support
in other ways. A letter had been sent to Apuldram Parish
asking for a grant towards the project, and once the plans
were approved numerous other sources of funds would be
explored. Graham said that he would welcome any suggestions
as to sources of funding.
Apuldram
Parish Meeting 27 November 2008
Following discussion at the Parish Meeting it was agreed
that a letter should be circulated to all residents of
Apuldram asking whether they considered the Apuldram Parish
Meeting should agree to support the proposed building.
January
2009
Following the consultation the majority of residents were
in favour of supporting the proposed building and the
Parish Meeting will in due course make a limited grant
towards the proposed building in order to assist the fund
raising from outside sources. In the meantime the Architects
are looking at the possible need for an arboreal survey
prior to submitting the agreed plans to the Council for
Planning permission. Obtaining permission is likely to
take about three months and then approval will be sought
from the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
April
2009
In order to ensure that building work would not damage
the root system of a lime tree, an arboreal survey has
been carried out. Some pruning is required, after which
plans will be submitted to Chichester District Council.
September
2009
Prior to lodging the application for Planning Consent
with Chichester District Countil, the architects have
submitted pre-application enquiries with Chichester Harbour
Conservancy, WSCC Hightways, Chichester District Council
and English Heritage. Once responses from these third
parties have been received and any issues "ironed-out"
planning consent will be applied for.
December
2009
At the end of the month the application for the building
was lodged by the architects with Chichester District
Council. A decision is expected to be reached within 8
weeks.
December
2010
In the spring planning permission was granted by Chichester
District Council. Following this, work started on sourcing
funding for the project, at the same time as finalising
details for the setting up of The Friends of St Mary’s.
A fundraising launch will take place on 10th March 2011
with a concert at the church, attended by the Patron,
The Very Reverend Nicholas Frayling, Dean of Chichester
and the three vice-presidents.
December
2011
The Friends was launched in March this year for the purpose
of raising the £200,000 needed for the new facilities
at St Mary’s with a very enjoyable Baroque concert
in the Church conducted by Christopher Gayford and the
evening was rounded off with champagne and canapés
at Rymans hosted by Suzanna Gayford, and her daughter
Nicola Horlick who is one of our Vice Presidents.
We decided to continue the fundraising
with another concert, and we were very fortunate to get
the University of Chichester Chamber Orchestra to perform
for us, this time in St Paul’s Church. An exciting
programme of music from Handel, Ireland, Bach and Haydn
was selected by Crispin Ward, the conductor, for this
event which was the inaugural concert of the Chamber Orchestra,
and what an outstanding evening it was. The gentlemen
wore tails and the ladies were very elegant in their long
dresses donated by Mousetrap.
Lewis Brownlee, Chartered Accountants, agreed to sponsor
the champagne and Chidmere Farm donated their Apple Juice.
In the interval Students at Chichester College on the
Events Management Course served the champagne and the
canapés that they had made earlier.
We were so lucky to have heard this superb
young orchestra in which one of the highlights was the
outstanding Oboe solo by Suzie Shrubb. They received a
standing ovation and so many people have contacted us
to say how much they enjoyed it.
We are very much indebted to the University
Chamber Orchestra and Crispin Ward for a memorable evening
which with 140 people attending raised about £1,500.
The Friends are hoping to arrange a similar event this
time next year and I strongly advise those who didn’t
attend last time to go next time
The Friends are also planning to arrange
two other events in 2012 as part of the fundraising programme.
We are hoping that our Patron, the Dean of Chichester,
will give an organ recital in the church and also that
Apuldram Roses will give a talk on roses with a tour of
the rose field. Full details will be in future issues
of the magazine.
