Friends of St Mary's Church
Old Basing

In the last decade of the last century, it became clear that this beautiful old building needed much more than tender loving care.  In 1991 the church was seen to be in such dire need of structural attention and renovation that a restoration appeal was launched to raise the substantial funds required for the necessary work, the financial burden of which would fall heavily on the Church Council. 

To relieve them of this, at the close of the appeal in 1996, The Friends of St Mary’s was formed as a registered charity under the inspired Chairmanship of Mrs Betty Holmes MBE, with the express purpose of raising funds to pay for the extensive work by teams of specialists.

The Friends was instituted with a management committee of eighteen members, including the Vicar and two Churchwardens acting as the trustees. 

Membership is open to everyone for a small subscription.  The aim of The Friends is to have a programme of fund raising events throughout the year, so that funds build up to assist the Church Council in the maintenance and beautification of St Mary’s and to help with specific projects, be they unseen and boring (electrics for the kitchen in 2005, drains and gutters in 2008) or causing great interest (as in the restoration of the Bevington Organ in 2004 and the old church clock in 2005).

The amount of funds raised, and spent, exceeds £500,000 to date.