Bell ringing centre wins 2007 NEWS & FEATURES Founders’ Prize Some years ago, the Worshipful Company of Please get in touch with Good News stories from Founders funded a programme to establish your Church community! Call 01392 294915, Ringing Centres throughout the UK. These email [email protected] or centres are intended to provide a focus for the write to Diocesan Magazine, The Old Deanery, training and development of bell-ringers and Exeter EX1 1HS. ringing in their area. The Troyte Ringing Centre, which is based within the towers of Bampton and Huntsham was a beneficiary of one of these Founders’ Company grants and has been recognised as a Ringing Centre by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Ringing Centres Committee since 2004. The Troyte Ringing Centre is named after Charles Troyte of Huntsham Court, who was the first president of the Guild of Devonshire Ringers which was established in 1874. Charles Troyte wrote the first introduction to the early stages of change ringing in 1869, and it is therefore entirely fitting that a modern Ringing Centre, based within Charles Troyte’s own tower should include his name within its title. The Centre concentrates on the recruitment and training of ringers within the deaneries of Cullompton and Tiverton and works in close collaboration with local ringers through the 01398 331843, or visit our website North East Branch of the Guild of Devonshire www.troyteringingcentre.org.uk Ringers. It was therefore with astonishment and delight that we were recently informed that the Devon has more church bells than any other Troyte Ringing Centre had won the Founders’ county in the United Kingdom. Church bells prize for 2007 as the Ringing Centre which had require people to ring them and these people made the greatest contribution to the teaching need to be trained. Most towers in Devon of ringing at all levels during the year. A formal require more bell ringers and a crude estimate presentation will take place later in the year. So suggests that we need at least a thousand new if you know of anyone who wishes to learn to ringers within the next ten years to reverse the ring and is within striking distance of Huntsham decline we are already experiencing just within or Bampton, contact Pat or Mike Hatchett on the Exeter Diocese. SK

The Beginning Experience …is a ministry to those who have lost a partner through bereavement, separation or divorce, by a team of trained volunteers who bring the best help of all, the benefit of shared experience. All the volunteers have suffered the pain of loss of a partner. Weekends are held, enabling people to deal with the natural processes of grief and loneliness. This is no quick-fix solution, but offers the beginning of transformation of hopelessness into renewed life. Although the Beginning Experience is rooted in the Catholic Church, its open, ecumenical spirit serves those of all faiths. A parishioner from Kingskerswell Parish Church writes: “My husband left me after 36 years of marriage. That day my world fell apart. The Beginning Experience was to be my life-line, my turning point, where I realised there is life for living after such a traumatic experience.” Weekends will be held at St Rita’s Centre in Honiton 28th–30th September 2007, 4th–6th April 2008, and 26th–28th September 2008.Please contact Rachel on 01803 872757 or Helen on 01626 777225. Maggie King

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