Press Releases

NATIONAL BILINGUAL PRESS RELEASE: Friday 7th September 2007
A national charity with a unique Welsh emphasis celebrates its 50th anniversary in Wales at St David's Cathedral on Friday 28th September 2007

Local release: Friday 7th September 2007
Celebrate with the Friends of Friendless Churches at St Peter's Church, Wolfhamcote

Friday, 6th July 2007
Celebrate at a 'Festival for the Friends' (release issued to local press in the region of each service held to celebrate the Friends 50th anniversary)

Thursday 12th April 2007
Celebrations for the Conservation of a Unique Welsh Masterpiece
A celebration to mark the completion of the conservation of a unique Welsh art work in memory of Lord Jenkins of Hillhead at St Mary's Church, Llanfair Kilgeddin near Usk, Monmouthshire

Monday 29th January 2007
'Starring Role May Assist Conservation of Historic Church' by the Friends of Wood Walton

In the Press...

A cover and three page feature in the Church Times w/c 15th June 2007

'Friends take 39th step to save ancient Churches'...On Monday 9th April the Friends were featured in The Times in an article by Marcus Binney, click here to read the article.

Notes for Editors

- The Friends of Friendless Churches was established in 1957 as a registered charity to save ancient and beautiful churches from demolition and decay.

- The Society was initially founded to campaign for, and grant aid, redundant churches or those facing closure. In the 1970's however the Friends amended their Constitution to allow them to go one step further and save threatened churches by taking direct ownership of them.

- The charity now owns 39 Grade II* or Grade I listed churches, including three private chapels and one Non-Conformist chapel, that would otherwise have been demolished, destroyed or inappropriately converted.

- Half of their vestings are in England and half in Wales.

- In Wales the work of the Friends is supported by Cadw and the Church in Wales, but in England, although the Friends have been fortunate in the past to receive grant aid for individual churches from English Heritage, this is by no means guaranteed.

-The Friends of Friendless Churches is a very small charity with no paid staff in England and works in partnership with the Ancient Monuments Society. It relies on donations, subscriptions and bequests to continue its work.

Friends of Friendless Churches is a company limited by guarantee
Company No: 1119137, registered in England and Wales.

Registered Office: St Ann's Vestry Hall, 2 Church Entry, London EC4V 5HB. Registered Charity No: 1113097.