Welcome to our media friends and newcomers, as well as other interested parties!
The website is undergoing further development, but we hope in the meantime to be able to give you the information and contacts you are looking for.
To give you some context and introduce you to bell ringing, you may find the Change ringing overview and the page for new ringers helpful, including the links at the bottom. About the Council tells you more about us as an organisation, including what our purpose is, and you can refer to the PR Committee page to find your direct contacts within the organisation.
Bell ringing is a wonderfully inclusive activity, which brings people together from very diverse backgrounds, in both a mentally stimulating and social setting. If you ever would like to just attend a practice to see what it’s like, and maybe join us in the pub afterwards for a chat, we can let you know about practice times and a tower near you.
Bells are rung for all sorts of reasons: national occasions, concerts involving bells, weddings, funerals, to test the band’s skills and competence in competitions as well as one-off pieces of ringing, for church services and to fund-raise for a variety of causes.
We have wonderful stories of those who have been affected by bells:
“I was home New Year’s Eve for the first time in some years, and heard the bells ringing next door at the church. It was thrilling. I went outside and stood there listening, in the crisp, cold air, and it was simply magic. My best New Year’s Eve ever!”
“When I first joined my tower I heard a story about a letter which had come in from a woman, to thank the ringers. Her son, who was terminally ill, loved to listen to the bells, and always asked that the windows were opened when the ringing started, so he could hear them well from his bed. At the end, he timed things well, and passed on as the bells were ringing, with a peaceful smile on his face. The lady said she was so grateful for the pleasure and peace her son gained from the ringing of the bells.”
Of course, some people don’t like the sound of the bells, and you can find all sorts of debates online – some saying how their Sunday morning lie-ins are disturbed by the local ringing, and others asking why someone would move to live near a country church with bells if they didn’t like them. But in general bells and people tend to get on OK, – with a little compromise and consideration!
Our latest news, social media activity and press releases are found through our Home page feeds as well as here.
As a facilitating body which promotes the art/sport/mental and spiritual activity of bell ringing, we try to focus centrally on coordinating a few large events per annum, which involve a good proportion of all our bell ringing society affiliates – as opposed to more locally specific events. For these large ‘global’ events we like to work with media to present a coordinated and professional service, to ensure we engage the public in the best possible way.
For more local events, we will support with knowledge, resources and advice, but the engagement with media will be at a local level.
If you have feedback on our website, please contact the Webmaster, and if you would like to discuss a particular press campaign, present or future, please get in touch with the Public Relations Officer who will be delighted to speak with you.
