One of the joys of representing this wonderful part of the world is the heritage of our churches in almost every town and village.
Over the course of the last 11 years, I’d like to think I have visited most in my area and I am always impressed by their beauty and the commitment of so many people to maintain them at the centre of the communities.
It is true that there might not be as many worshippers at services as was once the case. But many churches are finding ways to make themselves relevant to and cherished by those who might not attend regularly.
At the heart of our churches’ enduring value is the sound of their bells. I love to be in Northallerton on a Sunday morning to hear the evocative sound of All Saints’ ten bells being rung.
Recently, during visits to the churches at Melsonby and Askrigg, I have learnt a lot more about the unique history of English bell-ringing.
The complex peals of bells we now hear – with individual bells sounding in a different order – is a style that developed in England in the 16th and 17th centuries and is – as a member of the Melsonby team of bellringers memorably described to me – the very sound of England.
But looking after these bells – some of them hundreds of years old – and the towers that house them is not an easy or inexpensive task.
Which is why when I was in Government I was pleased to continue support for a programme called the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), a scheme which allowed listed places of worship (of all faiths) across the UK to reclaim the VAT that they pay on repairs.
It was LPWGS that was used for the renovation of the tower at St Oswald’s, Askrigg, last year. The £40,000 the church was able to reclaim made a significant difference to the project.
I called in just after the work was completed. I know there were some with doubts about the brightness of the tower’s new render but, as promised, it has weathered and the repairs are now protecting St Oswald’s bells which, because of damp, would have become unringable if the repairs had not been carried out.
Earlier this year, the current Government halved the amount of money available through LPWGS and then scrapped it. A replacement scheme is promised but we have no details about how that will operate.
The situation has left the Melsonby Bells Restoration project in a difficult place. The team behind it had raised £170,000 toward the cost of replacing some worn out bells and the fittings they sit in. The sudden scrapping of the scheme left them £30,000 short.
When I went up the tower with the team to see the state of the bells, it is fair to say they were deflated by the prospect of additional fundraising to complete the works.
I have been in touch with the relevant Government department about the Melsonby situation and have asked for a swift announcement about the details of the new scheme. As things stand the Melsonby bells project and hundreds of others around the country are in limbo.
We all want to continue hearing the bells of St James the Great ringing out across the village – keeping this great English tradition alive.
