St Peter & St Pauls Church
Aylesford, Kent.
United Kingdom 

Friends of Aylesford Church 

The Church

 We can’t celebrate our 1000^th birthday because we don’t know exactly when the church was founded.  But we do know that part of the tower is Norman, which means that soon after William the Conqueror came to this country, a church stood on the present site.  Picture the scene: the wide valley of the river Medway, covered in natural fields and woods, with a tiny village at or near the site of the ford (hence “Aylesford”).  And on a rise, overlooking the river and the few huts or houses, a small chapel, allowing travellers to ask God to protect them on their journey.

 From that small beginning has grown the present church, a marvellous, ancient building which welcomes you and humbles you at the same time with its quiet dignity.  For 1000 years people have been coming through its doors, being baptised or married here, celebrating 1000 Christmases and Easters.  Helmets and swords hang on the walls, a brass from 1426 is set in the floor and there are tombs and memorials to many of the local landed families over the centuries.  In the base of the tower there is an old board of benefactors: for example,  Sir William  Sedley gave £3.6s.8d. annually for the poor! 

 Up in the tower the newly refurbished bells ring out over the valley several times a week and in the churchyard many hundreds of local people lie buried, including a village blacksmith who died in 1745 and Arthur Thorndike, father of Dame Sybil, the actress.

The Friends

 There are many, many people in Aylesford and Eccles and much further afield who have a deep affection for the village church and feel a loyalty towards it.  For a variety of reasons they may not attend the church, but they still have a love of the building, the bells and the churchyard and value their place in the village.  You may have brought children here for baptism, been married here or attended weddings; your relatives may be buried in our quiet churchyard, or you may love the history of the place.

 If so, you may wish to express your gratitude by becoming a Friend of the church.  Your membership will enable us to build up a community of people of  goodwill towards the church and will help us to raise funds to assist with the restoration and preservation of the church, tower and churchyard.  It will also assist with any new projects for which the church’s Parochial Council might ask for our support.  We are keen to use the church more for different events, some of them organised by “The Friends”, and members of “The Friends” are kept regularly in touch and are given news about imaginative social and fund-raising events which “The Friends” committee organises. 

 To help up us promote “The Friends” we have some high profile Patrons: the Earl of Aylesford, and Diana Devlin, great granddaughter of Arthur Thorndike, a former vicar of this church.  His daughter (Diana’s grandmother) was Dame Sybil, the famous actress, who started her acting career in the vicarage garden.

 “The Friends” has got off to a great start since its launch in June 2008. Events organised have included a guided walk round historic Aylesford, a tour of the church, a huge garden safari round the village, a jazz concert, champagne teas at a private house, talks and teas; and funds raised have been used to buy folding tables and chairs as well as milk jugs and cutlery for use in the church. They have already been used for many events.

 You are warmly invited to join us in this exciting venture by completing and returning the application form in this leaflet.

 
Corporate Membership

 We are very keen to encourage links with local business.  Businesses applying for corporate membership as Friends are asked to contribute £50 or more per year.  Corporate membership offers :-

·         The right to publicise their membership of “The Friends” e.g. in company newsletters.

·         Private tours round the church.

·         Availability of photo-shoots, outside the church.

·         The inclusion of their company in a list of corporate “Friends” publicised at least once a year in the Parish Magazine or in “Friends” literature.

APPLICATION FORM

Please print off this form, complete it and  return it to:

            The Membership Secretary

            Friends of Aylesford Church

            c/o The Vicarage

            Vicarage Close

            Aylesford

            Kent ME20 7BB

Full Name:     _________________________

Address:  ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________

                ____________________________

                ____________________________

Telephone:   _________________________

E Mail:       __________________________

Annual Subscription:   (please tick)

Single                                                   £  10

Family                                                  £  15

Senior Citizen or under 18                   £    5

Life Member                                        £250

Corporate member: minimum per year £50                      (minimum per year)

Please enclose your subscription – cheques should be made payable to Friends of Aylesford Church.

I am a UK tax payer and I wish

      you to treat this and all future donations

      as a Gift Aid Donation. 

      Please tick box if appropriate

Signature……………………………………

Date: ___________________           

If you have queries about the site contact the Site Webmaster  here.