As we reach the end of 2025 I would like to, as Chairman of the Norfolk Churches Trust, thank every one of you for your continued support.
The Trust is delighted to have welcomed over one hundred new members this year; we are so pleased to have you on board. Even more encouraging is the record-breaking number of new under-25 members, a truly heartening reflection of the shared commitment to safeguarding our heritage.
I hope that you were able to enjoy our outstanding events. From the wonderful Holkham Operas to inspiring church lectures from John Vigar and Justin Nolan; fascinating book launches with Justine Picardie and Justin Morozzi, and of course, the extraordinarily successful Stately Car Boot Sale, which alone raised over £100,000 thanks to the generosity and help of so many incredibly kind volunteers.
These remarkable events have helped us provide grants totalling £189,912.88 this year.
Sadly, many of our remarkable churches remain in urgent need of care. In Norfolk alone, almost sixty churches are currently on the Heritage at Risk Register. This makes our work more important than ever. As we move into next year and prepare to celebrate our 50th anniversary, we reflect with pride on what the Trust has achieved: from our very first grant of £41 in 1976, long before the National Lottery Fund was conceived, to one of our most recent grants last November of £10,000 to Wramplingham, St Peter & St Paul.
Over the decades, we have given more than £7 million to protect and restore Norfolk’s historic churches, part of the greatest concentration of medieval churches anywhere in the world.
These buildings connect us to our past, anchor our communities and deserve to be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Our anniversary year will be full of wonderful events and opportunities to celebrate the extraordinary work of the Trust. Please do keep an eye on our website for details. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the year ahead.
Finally, may I personally wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and thank you once again for supporting the Norfolk Churches Trust.
With Best Wishes
Rosabelle Batt
Chairman
