Celebrating Your Outstanding Contributions in 2024
Every year CCT recognises the incredible support and outstanding contributions of the community supporters and volunteers who help to care for our churches at the Community Supporter and Volunteer Evening culminating in the Community Supporter and Volunteer of the Year Awards. Generously supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, the event took place on 5th June, to coincide with Volunteers’ Week. To enable an accessible event, it was held virtually over Zoom.
The host for the evening was Simon Wiles, Head of Region, South East, who took everybody through a jampacked evening. The evening began with a welcome speech by our Chair of the Board of Trustees, Liz Peace CBE.
Trustee Dr Emma Wells gave a short talk about “naughty” things in churches, and there were break-out rooms to share ideas around matters like maintenance, fundraising and guided walks.
Chief Executive Greg Pickup gave a brief overview of the past year and looked forward to the involvement of volunteers and community supporters with the new strategy.
The highlight of the evening was of course the announcements of the Marsh Charitable Trust Community Supporter and Volunteer of the Year Awards winners for each of the seven categories, as presented by Marsh ambassador Sinead O’Haire.
Community Supporter and Volunteer of the Year Awards 2024 Winners:
Digital Initiative
Dark Alchemy
Dark Alchemy is a media group and Ellen and Tom have used their local CCT churches in Bristol to run music events, sharing their content on social media and raising awareness of these unique spaces. Their recordings and live-streams have brought new audiences into the churches and have raised much needed funds for the CCT. Ellen and Tom are amazing supporters of the CCT and are passionate about promoting these special buildings to the wider community and exploring new ways to use them.
Fundraising Achievement
York Holy Trinity Team
Holy Trinity, York, North Yorkshire
The volunteers at York Holy Trinity have ensured that their church is open every day, welcoming thousands of visitors of all ages and interests and raising much needed funds for the CCT. They have stewarded over 50 events and have publicised all activities at the church to engage as wide an audience as possible. The volunteers have risen to every fundraising challenge presented to them and have easily surpassed their fundraising target of £30,000. Their consistent dedication and commitment has been key to their unrivalled success.
Achieving Impact
Team of St John the Baptist in Yarburgh
St John the Baptist, Yarburgh, Lincolnshire
St John the Baptist had been closed to the public for many years before the team got involved. It is now open every day allowing people from near and far to enjoy, and this is all thanks to the volunteers. They have been instrumental in the continued maintenance of the church and ensure that both the interior and exterior are well kept. The church has come alive again, the volunteers decorate it for Easter and Christmas and secured the first carol concert for the church in 12 years!
Team of the Year
Volunteer Team Idminston at All Saints’ Church
All Saint’s Church, Idminston, Wiltshire
Team Idmiston are an exemplar for community engagement, working closely as a team, with each member playing to their strengths. The immediate community around the church is small, but the team have managed to run a number of successful events over the past year – more than they had originally planned in fact. The team have also dealt well with adversity, when an attempt was made to strip the roof of its lead. The volunteers rallied around to deal with the leaks caused by the damage until funds could be raised for the repairs. They have shown true passion and commitment to their church.
Supporter of the Year - North
Victoria Keiller
Milton Mausoleum, Milton, Nottinghamshire
Victoria has been a long-time supporter of Milton Mausoleum and recently joined the Friends Committee, bringing with her a new eye and new ideas to help raise awareness of the building in the local community. She has recently run a fundraising ‘Eurovision’ night and has produced an information leaflet to be shared in the community and help encourage new visitors to the Mausoleum. The whole team have benefited greatly from her hard work and dynamic approach.
Supporter of the Year - South East
Chad Brown
Chad has been capturing the transformation of his local CCT church into a community arts centre for everyone to enjoy through his photography. He has volunteered weekly for the past 18 months documenting the regeneration of Sudbury Arts Centre, scooting up scaffolding and rolling in the dirt to capture the transformation of this historic building. His collection of pictures will be an archive for future generations to enjoy and have been a way of keeping the community up to date with the project while the building work has been taking place.
Supporter of the Year - West
Peter Thorn
St Bartholomew’s, Lower Basildon
Peter has been a supporter of St Bartholomew’s for many years and has gone above and beyond to keep his local church running smoothly and open for visitors. He has looked after the churchyard for many years, keeping the pathways clear and liaising with contractors where needed. Peter is keyholder of the church and has been called upon many times to ensure repairs by contractors are successful. He has also been the ‘star’ of the roof fundraising appeal and is a passionate, all-round solid supporter of the CCT.
Thank you to all who attended the evening, and to all our community supporters and volunteers who support their local churches, without whom this work would not be possible.
If you are looking for the 2023 case studies: CCTdigital.