Flamstead Book Festival

The Flamstead Book Festival “Books in the Belfry” is back this year with a stellar line-up to help raise vital funds for the village church roof and other urgent repairs. HELEN PANKHURST, the great-granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline, headlines...

Matched funding pledges

When the St Leonard’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) submits a first round Heritage Lottery Bid on 25th May, it has to declare the level of funding the community will raise as a contribution to project costs. Heritage Lottery will then require that amount to be...

New thriller raises funds for church

Flamstead author Ian Ridley has swapped the buzz of sports books for the excitement of writing a thriller – and is selling copies in the village shop to help raise money for the St Leonard’s roof appeal. Ian, writer of 12 sports books including Sober, the...

A magical Winter Flower Festival

A small community can easily be daunted by having to raise a massive amount of money to save core heritage – in our case the Norman church at the heart of the conservation area in Flamstead, Hertfordshire. But there are advantages which fundraisers will benefit...

Roaming the rafters

Fund-raising has its occasional advantages – it’s not often you get to roam the rafters in St Leonard’s church and find yourself in company like this! From the temporary scaffold I had a privileged chance to see the wall paintings close up. They are...