If you know us or are part of the congregation you will know us to be a vibrant & active church.
We gather regularly, we are connected to each other as well as to our village. Our vision is to live grateful lives; helping parents connect with each other as they raise their children; helping and supporting one another as we work out our faith together; helping everyone play an active part in the community we love. We’re courageous in sharing our faith, in making a difference in the Horsleys and beyond, in playing our part in demonstrating God's love.
Our Lovely (old) Building and our Duty
Our primary focus will always be on the people we serve but at the same time we have an extraordinary church building and have a duty to look after it ...
The foundations of our church were built in the year 1030 and its history is quite something: some parts of the Saxon building do still exist. The village of West Horsley was burned down by William the Conqueror but the churches were not destroyed, so there is a great deal here to show you. Historians can see an outline here. We're hoping those of you who treasure our heritage and history will pledge your $upport for this project and we have some fab rewards for you (look right!).
Our Challenge and the Opportunity (why we are crowdfunding).
Sir Hugh de Windsor (the second) was both priest and later, Lord of the Manor when his elder brother was killed at the Crusades. He spent a great deal of his money on the church fabric including a 13 foot wall painting of St. Christopher and the Passion Cycle. The paintings once extended all round the church and date from about 1200. Time and Nature have taken their toll and we need to preserve the remaining portion of the wall paintings...now.
In the words of English Heritage "the damp British climate and flawed restoration attempts threatened these artworks, some of which were older than the Sistine Chapel" (ours certainly is!).
English medieval church painting which has survived is a rare treasure and while there has been a revival of interest, there is no official body to protect them: it is left to the individual churches (us) to raise money for conservation. These precious artefacts have significance in their own right, and importance for their contribution to art, history, sociology and teaching, as well as their powerful spiritual aspect.
Progress already made
We have secured a grant of £6,000 towards the total cost of £12,000 to carry out conservation work needed on the most vulnerable areas of the paintings, and are now looking to fundraise the shortfall. So our first target is £3000. If we can raise that - or more - through this all-or-nothing crowdfunder we'll focus on the other £3k next!
Why would you contribute...
We believe (and hope) that we can reach enough people who care about St Mary's and these wall paintings to make a pledge, help us spread the word or contribute something that we can use as a reward to encourage others to pledge.
These are just some of the people we hope to reach and ask to support this crowdfunder - if you are amongst them please do get involved. If you can think of others we should reach out to please let us know.
If you would like to learn more of the history of St. Mary’s, and to view the unique medieval wall paintings, there are lovely opportunities coming up in September and October - have a look at the rewards.
Every donation, large or small will help us towards this conservation - thank you. If you'd rather donate a reward than cash please make contact (there's a link towards the top of this page).
P.S. About Rewards & About Us...
Crowdfunder is a rewards-based platform. The idea is that you contribute money to help us with the conservation of the wall paintings - and get something in return (if you choose). It makes it much more of a win-win-win and those who contribute rewards get a bit of recognition too!
If you have a reward you can offer please make contact (the option is towards the top of the page). Thank you in advance!
Proviso - We're a community church, committed to loving God and loving our neighbours - that does mean there are some things we can't align ourselves with or be seen to support or endorse. If that's the case and we can't accept your money or can't offer you a 'shout out' (for example) we'll be clear about it and trust you'll understand.
If you want to know more about what we DO stand for please visit the 'About Us' section of our website : stmaryswesthorsley.co.uk/aboutus
