A LOCAL community is springing into action to raise funds for their best-known local landmark with a new fund-raising event.
The Friends of Christ Church are organising its first spring tabletop sale at Lower Broadheath Village Hall on Saturday, March 25 and have been overwhelmed by the speed with which spaces were soon fully booked up by local craftspeople selling spring décor and Easter gifts as well as local households looking to sell bric-a-brac and pre-loved bargains.
Most of the sellers on the day are villagers or Broadheath-based craft businesses. Father-and-son Mark and Matthew Powell will be selling their range of birdboxes, bug hotels, homes for hedgehogs and garden goods, all of which they make from creatively recycled wooden pallets.
Jackie Hawkins of Stardust Glass Fusing will be selling her handmade window charms, beaded jewellery and Dorset button brooches.
Handmade cards, crocheted characters, dog bows and bandanas and new children’s books will also be for sale, as well as vintage and retro homeware, houseplants and handbags, toys and clothing, bargains for baby. In short, lots of calorie-free Easter gifts as well as pre-loved bargains galore.
“You don’t need to be a regular churchgoer to want to keep our village church going,” said Simon Hodgetts, the charity’s chairman.
“Whether they listen out for the chimes of the restored church clock, pass with their dog, look out for the illuminated tower on dark winter nights or leave flowers on a loved one’s memorial, many locals couldn’t imagine our village without it.”
“The Parochial Church Council and the congregation have always covered the running costs and taken care of the church’s general upkeep.
“As an independent registered charity, ‘The Friends’ raises funds to support special projects and to help to keep our village church and its grounds in fine fettle for the future.”
The Lower Broadheath-based charity’s treasurer Margaret Sealey said the charity’s income had traditionally come mainly in the form of annual donations from a core group of supporters and from skittles evenings at The Bell Inn.
With Lower Broadheath’s newly refurbished playground, a multi-use games area, new car parking, a playing field and Christ Church itself just next door, if the weather is fine there will be plenty of scope for families to make this a trip rather than just coming for a quick visit.
E-mail [email protected] or call 01905 641531 for further information.
