The autumn sunshine glinting on the clock of St George’s Colegate in Norwich welcomed those who attended The Norfolk Churches Trust’s 49th AGM on Thursday 11th September.
Lord Dannatt, President of the Trust opened the meeting by welcoming the assembled Trustees, Advisory Council and NCT Trust Members before inviting, Rosabelle Batt, current Chairman, to present her Annual Report for the year ended 31st March.
She stated that it was both a privilege and an honour to take on the chairmanship of The Norfolk Churches Trust. She added that faced with rising repair costs and declining congregations the future of our churches is, without doubt, the UK’s single greatest heritage challenge.
Over the past year, the Trust has provided support to thirty-three churches across Norfolk, distributing a total of £182,713 in grants. With our investment portfolio continuing to perform reasonably well, and thanks to several generous legacies and grants, the Trust is now able to address some of the repair liabilities associated with the thirteen redundant leased churches in our care.
As ever, the Trust hosted a rich and varied year of events, including book launches, talks, a summer picnic accompanied by Gypsy Swing, our annual presence at the Royal Norfolk Show and the two major highlights: the House by the Church and the Holkham Operas, both of which were very popular and well supported. Every pound raised goes directly to supporting the restoration and preservation of churches in Norfolk, and these events remain a vital source of income for the Trust.
The Bike Ride was blessed with glorious sunshine, and it was wonderful to see so many people taking part, with the event raising the impressive sum of £122,105.
Rosabelle expressed her sincere thanks to the Trustees, Advisory Council members, the admin team and the hard-working volunteers, without whom these events and their fantastic fundraising income would not be possible.
In November we said farewell to our long-standing Secretary, Scilla Latham, who retired after more than ten years of dedicated service in the role. We thank her sincerely and wish her every happiness in retirement. We are delighted to welcome our new Secretary, Linda Joel, to the team. Linda joins us from Ely Cathedral, where she was responsible for managing events and she brings with her a wealth of experience in finance and administration.
As we look ahead to the 50th anniversary of the Norfolk Churches Trust in 2026, we began 2025 with a strategic planning session, affectionately referred to as our Deep Dive Day. The session proved highly productive, allowing us to reflect on how the Trust can adapt and thrive in the years ahead. What is sadly clear is that more support will be needed in the future to maintain these incredible historic monuments for generations to come. But she remains optimistic. With the strength of our membership, the dedication of our volunteers and supporters, and the growing awareness of the importance of our church heritage, we are well placed to meet the challenge.
Following the official business of the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer’s Report and the election and, or re-election of Trustees and Advisory Council Members the meeting closed.
Dr John Maddison, Trustee and Chair of the NCT Grants Committee gave a very interesting talk on the history of our venue for the evening, St George’s Colegate. There is much of historical and cultural significance within the building, including some wonderful monuments, ledger stones, wall painting, brasses, architectural details and the fascinating histories associated with them.
Unfortunately, the church cannot currently be open daily. Last year one of the corbels supporting the roof structure was found to be broken, other corbels were seen to have moved so protective scaffolding was installed in the nave to prevent the corbel and wall post falling on to the pews below. The Trust was pleased to support the church with a grant towards these emergency repairs, however, it is anticipated that further work will be required and a major project is anticipated once the extent of the problem is known.
The Trust exists to support churches such as St George’s, so to highlight the closing remarks of the Chairman’s Annual Report, ‘please help us by encouraging friends, family and colleagues to become members of The Norfolk Churches Trust. With your support, we can continue to care for these remarkable Norfolk treasures — not just for today, but for future generations to enjoy’.
Delicious refreshments followed Dr Maddison’s talk, leaving time to mingle and for discussion about the work of the Trust.
The sound of the fine organ, which dates back to 1802, signalled the commencement of Evensong, taken by The Revd Canon Alaric Mark Lewis, Rector of Colegate and Tombland.
To read our full Annual Report click here.
