| The Friends of St. Nicholas’ Church, Pyrford
The Friends of St. Nicholas’ Church, Pyrford, a trust registered with the Charity Commissioners, was established in 1995 to help in the preservation of St. Nicholas' Church both as a place of public worship and for its historical interest and charm.
Built around 1140, St. Nicholas’ is one of the oldest parish churches in Surrey that stands as a complete building of one period. The church, a Grade 1 listed building, has been used as a regular place of worship for over 850 years and continues to be so. The church's attraction was well set out by the distinguished Victorian architect Sir Thomas Jackson who wrote: "Humble and modest as the church is, it has always seemed to me the very model of a small English church. Nothing could be happier than the site chosen for it on the brow of a steep slope overlooking the broad meadows through which winds the River Wey with Newark Priory in the middle distance and the chalk hills beyond."
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The cost of keeping St. Nicholas' in the state and standard of repair and attention that a church of this importance requires, falls upon the parishioners of the Parish of Wisley with Pyrford, the majority of whom worship at the daughter Church of the Good Shepherd. In addition, the Parish comprises a third church at Wisley whose upkeep also falls upon the parishioners. We are aware, however, that many friends and visitors to St. Nicholas', both from within the Parish and from wider areas, have a great affection for this historic building and would wish to assist in its continued maintenance at its present level. In addition, periodic fund raising events and the sale of Christmas cards contribute to our reserves.
The aim of the Trustees is to provide a fund to help with the upkeep of the church and with any additional projects that arise from time to time. In co-operation with the Parochial Church Council of Wisley with Pyrford, and in accordance with the Trust Deed, the funds are applied solely for the purpose of assisting with the repair, maintenance and improvement of the fabric, contents and equipment of St. Nicholas’ Church and the old churchyard.
We invite you to help in meeting these costs by becoming a Friend of St. Nicholas’ Church and contributing either by way of an annual or single payment donation, or by leaving the Friends a legacy. In return, you will help to ensure the future of this lovely church. You will also receive annual accounts and newsletters which will keep you informed of progress and forthcoming events.
Trustees of the Friends of St Nicholas’ are:
Revd Nicholas Aiken (Chairman)
David Pollard (Treasurer and Churchwarden of St Nicholas’)
Lesley Labram (Secretary)
Gill Ankers
Ian Howell
Duncan Preston
Eldon Sandys
If you wish to become a Friend of St. Nicholas’ Church please contact David Pollard pmpdrp@talktalk.net, or telephone 01932 342343.
 Each year we produce a Christmas card and the 2010 card features a dramatic night-time photograph of St Nicholas’ under a clear moonlit winter sky. It is strikingly different from any of the previous Friends' Christmas cards and affords a view of the church that is perhaps rarely seen. The photograph was taken by Justin Cliffe.
The new card received a very positive reception at the Pyrford Flower Show in July 2010. Many people remarked how attractive and evocative it was, especially by those who had moved away from Pyrford and for whom it brought back memories of the village.
The 2010 card is on sale at the Parish Office and from St. Nicholas’ church. A pack of 10 cards with envelopes costs just £4.50 To avoid disappointment we encourage you to buy your cards early!
Friends of St Nicholas Flower Festival in June 2009
In 2007, our fund raising consisted of a number of events. In March, David Whiter (a former Trustee) donated £245 as a result of selling Hellebores which he had cultivated. In May we held a concert at the Church of the Good Shepherd, with the Denise Lawrence Band (the UK's top jazz, blues and gospel singer and her band), and this gave a fresh approach to the 'Great American Songbook'; the concert raised just over £1,260. In July, for the second year running at the Pyrford Flower show, we ran a burger and hot dog stall which raised just over £600.
In 2008, we held an open gardens afternoon on Sunday 6th July. We were most grateful to the six owners who worked so hard over many months to get their gardens looking beautiful for what turned out to be a most enjoyable afternoon - the rain even stopped just as the first visitors arrived! At the end of the afternoon we had raised just under £1,300, which is a wonderful result for a day when the weather did not bode well.
During August and September 2008, St Nicholas’ Church was closed whilst extensive internal restoration work took place; the Church reopened for services on Sunday 5th October. The Trustees decided it was appropriate to pay for the majority of the work, as since 2004 there had been no suitable projects which we could help fund. St Nicholas’ has now been redecorated and the plasterwork made good in areas where it had deteriorated. Work was also carried out on the pews, as there had been some insect infestation and rot. The Church now looks absolutely splendid and we hope you will agree.
Our major fund raising event for 2009 was the Flower Festival held from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st June 2009. This was to celebrate the redecoration of the church, and proved a most enjoyable and successful event. The 24 floral displays (on the theme 'Jesus Christ - the way, the truth, the life') were simply stunning. We welcomed almost 800 people over the three days to view the displays, and many also took advantage of the excellent tea and cakes on offer. The Festival raised just over £4,000, which was an absolutely splendid result; the Trustees are most grateful to all those who worked so hard to put on the Festival. The Festival ended with a 'Songs of Praise' service at St Nicholas' in the evening, with some 80 people attending on a lovely summer evening and with the added bonus of a glass of wine afterwards.
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