| Patron |
The Duke of Grafton |
| Vice Patrons |
The Bishop of Norwich The Viscountess Knollys Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market The Dean of St Albans The Wymondham Town Mayor |
| Vicar and Chairman |
The Vicar - The Revd. Canon Christopher Davies |
The Friends of Wymondham Abbey is a Registered Charity (No. 1064418) and
provides a means by which people near and far can have a particular involvement
in the life of the Abbey. The Friends assist in the enhancement of the fabric
and furnishings as well as worship, which gives the place purpose and meaning.
Members pay an annual subscription and receive a twice-yearly newsletter. Many
attend the Friends Annual General Meeting and occasional activities that are
organised. The minimum annual subscription is £7.50 for individuals, £10 for
couples and a minimum of £25 for corporate members.
Full details and a membership application form is available from :
The Hon. Treasurer, The Friends of Wymondham Abbey,
c/o 2 Downham Crescent, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0SF, England.
or you can print out a
membership application form and send this with your first annual
subscription.
The Friends as a society became established in 1977; in 1997 it became a
Registered Charity (No.1064418).
The Constitution of the Friends states the objects as: 'to maintain,
repair, restore, preserve, improve, beautify and reconstruct to the benefit of
the public the fabric of Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk, its monuments, fixtures,
fittings and furniture'.
The Patron is: The Duke of Grafton.
Vice-Patrons are: The Bishop of Norwich, The Viscountess Knollys, Lord
MacGregor of Pulham Market, The Dean of St Albans, The Wymondham Town Mayor.
The Trustees are: The Vicar (chairman) and the Churchwardens - Barry Johnson,
Lynn Chapman, Bruce Wilson and Paul Wood.
The Council of Management consists of: The Vicar (chairman) and
Churchwardens (ex-officio), together with elected members: Mrs Zorina Bell, Mrs Phyllidia Buxton,
Mr Paul Cattermole, Mr Thomas Cross, Mrs Susan Gooch, Mr
Kenneth Baker and Mrs Morwenna Thomas. The Abbey Architect, Mr Neil Birdsall, acts as Consultant to the
Council.
The Secretary is: Mrs Zorina Bell, 50 Tuttles Lane West, Wymondham,
Norfolk, NR18 0DS
The Treasurer is: Mr Kenneth Baker, to whom membership enquiries and
floodlighting sponsorship requests should be made, at: 2 Downham Crescent,
Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0SF (Telephone: 01953 604665).
The Abbey Website is:
www.wymondhamabbey.nildram.co.uk
The Friends provide a Sponsorship Scheme for the Floodlighting of the Abbey.
To mark a family birthday, anniversary or special occasion, you can sponsor the
Floodlighting of this historic Abbey church for only £10 an evening, from
sunset.
Please write to The Hon. Treasurer at the above address giving your name and
address and the date or dates you wish to sponsor the floodlighting and enclose
a cheque made payable to "Friends of Wymondham Abbey" or bank draft for £10 for each evening to be sponsored. Please give
alternative dates in case the date or dates you have asked for are already
booked.
Miss Monica Martin-Jones, who died on 23 October 2003, has left a legacy of £1,000 to the Friends. In her life-time she had always been a generous supporter of the Abbey; she was a daughter of the Reverend Samuel Martin-Jones, Vicar of Wymondham from 1911 to 1931, in whose time the great Ninian Comper altar screen came about.
Fr David Hunter generously left a legacy of £1000 to the
Friends.
Following the AGM on 14 June 2004, Mr Anthony Barnes, FSA, gave
an interesting lecture on 'The Great Restoration of Wymondham Abbey 1901-08'.
The text of the lecture is now available as No.6 in the series of booklets
published by the Friends, price £2 (plus postage) and available from the Abbey
Shop, or from the Secretary.
Following the AGM on 2nd July 2005, Mr Bruce Wilson, churchwarden, who now lives in a house in Wymondham formerly built by the Revd William Papillon in the 18th century, and whose papers he has been researching, gave an interesting lecture entitled: 'The contribution to Wymondham Abbey by the Revd Papillon'. The text of the lecture is now available as No.7 in the Friends series of booklets, price £2 (plus postage) from the Abbey Shop.
Following the AGM on 10 June 2006 when the Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2005 were duly approved, Mrs Ann Shopland gave an interesting lecture on 'William d'Aubigny, pincerma; Founder and Benefactor'. The text of the lecture will become available as No. 8 in the Friends series of booklets.
A fifty-evening sponsorship of the Abbey's outside
floodlighting has been taken up by Hi Span Ltd of Wymondham, for
which we are very grateful. Sponsorship of more evenings in the year by
individuals and organisations to mark a very special occasion or an anniversary
would be welcome. Contact Ken Baker (tel: 01953-604665) for available dates in
the year at £10 an evening.
Wooden Processional Cross.
Copies of 'New English Praise' for the choir.
Muniment Room equipment.
Chandelier hoist mechanism (half cost).