2025 AGM: New Officers & Honorary Life Members Elected, and Rules Updated

Details

Published: Saturday, 17 May 2025 20:26

The Eastern District Committee and Eastbourne ringers organised a fantastic day of ringing at all 4 towers in Eastbourne, ringers’ tea (including “Bob’s Buns”!), a service for those who wished to attend, and of course the meeting itself. And they even organised fantastic weather!

New Honorary Life Members elected

Congratulations to Marion Hollands (Eastern District Secretary for 25 years) and Stella Bianco (Library Custodian and then Librarian for 25 years) on being elected Honorary Life Members - very well deserved! 

Officers elected

Congratulations to Richard Neal on being elected Association Master! Thanks to Gareth Higgs for his service as previous Master. Nick Cullen has been elected as Bell Restoration Fund Secretary - thank you! And big thanks to outgoing BRF Secretary Rob Lane for all his work for the Association over the years, in several roles. Our 2 new Trustees are David Hollands and Gareth Higgs (Colin Spencer continues). Thanks to outgoing Trustees Jonathan Franklin and Mark Dawkins.Thank you to Vicky Chase and Janice Crawford for becoming Central Council Reps (myself, Sue Gadd and David Kirkcaldy continue). 

Continuing in post are Sue Gadd (Treasurer), Val Clay (Safeguarding Officer), and Steph Pendlebury (General Secretary).

Rules updated

Some of the Association rules needed updating to reflect changes in Central Council rules, and to clarify some wording. All the proposed changes were carried; the new version of the Rules is now available on the website (under “Resources”), and will be included in the Handbook.

Finally, thank you to everyone who came (over 50 people were in the meeting). And big thanks to Marion Hollands, Steve Pilfold and the Eastbourne ringers and helpers for their fantastic organisation and being brilliant hosts 

Photos of the day are on the Sussex Bellringers Facebook page.

Steph Pendlebury (General Secretary)

AGM at Eastbourne - 10 May 2025

Details

Published: Tuesday, 22 April 2025 18:00

140th Annual General Meeting - ringing, tea, service and meeting: Saturday 10th May 2025, Eastbourne

All welcome at the Association AGM! There will be open ringing (rounds onwards) at four different churches in Eastbourne - with plenty of people to stand behind. If you’re a novice ringer, why not come with your teacher or a more experienced ringer from your tower?

If you plan to come to any part of the day (ringing and/or tea), please fill in this form by Wednesday 7th May.

Apologies for absence and items for AOB to the General Secretary, Steph Pendlebury (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), by Saturday 3rd May, please. 

Programme for the day

10.30 am - ringing at Christ Church (8, 9 cwt, spiral staircase)

11.15 am - ringing at All Saints (8, 16 cwt, spiral staircase)

1.15 pm - ringing at St Saviour & St Peter (10, 24 cwt, spiral staircase)

2.30-3.30 pm - ringing at St Mary the Virgin, Church St/Lawns Ave (8, 15 cwt, spiral staircase)

3.30 pm - service at St Mary's church

4pm ringers’ afternoon tea - Old Parsonage next door to St Mary’s church (names for tea via this form or to Ann via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Wed 7th May, please).

4.45/5 pm - Annual General Meeting (Old Parsonage): come along to have your say about what you think the Association should be doing for its members, and elect the officers. 

We’re particularly keen to hear members’ ideas for how to celebrate this 140th anniversary year of the Association, and also what you think the Association should be aiming to achieve by our 150th year.

Meeting papers

The meeting papers are available online here. Please note that printed copies won’t be provided at the meeting. The papers are as follows:

• Agenda
• 2024 AGM minutes
• 2024 reports
• 2024 accounts
• Proposal for changes to rules
• Proposal for changes to subscription rates

Steph Pendlebury, General Secretary

Ringing Outing to London - 31 May 2025

Details

Published: Wednesday, 16 April 2025 21:30

Let the train take the strain and join the Western District on another Outing to London. This year on Saturday, 31 May we will be going into the East End and visiting towers in the Docklands area. It will, hopefully, include Limehouse, Poplar and the Isle of Dogs.

This will be an all day event, all by public transport!. More details to follow so watch this space!!! If you would like to come along, from whichever District, please let Janice know on 07890804339 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that we can look out for you!!

Full details will be available in due course from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Insurance

Details

Published: Sunday, 12 January 2025 20:57

There seems to be some confusion about what SCACR’s insurance covers. Broadly speaking, it does not provide cover for individual members.

If you are ringing at your own tower, or on an outing organised by your tower, then you should be covered by your PCC insurance (you would need to check). If you visit another tower to ring with that tower's band then you are covered by that Tower's insurance. By allowing you to ring with them that tower captain is in effect accepting you onto their policy.

If a random group of ringers decides to organise its own outing, then (even if all are SCACR members) the Association insurance does not cover them. In order to be covered by SCACR insurance, the event would have to be accepted as an Association event. This means it would have to be open to any member to attend, publicised as an Association event, and an Association risk assessment carried out and approved in advance.

The Association insurance covers the Association, not individual members. SCACR is insured by Ecclesiastical, and the insurance covers Association-organised events only (as has been the case in the past). This provides public liability cover, and death or catastrophic injury cover, for the Association. It covers the Association (not individual members) against claims arising from Association-organised events only. The death and injury benefits compensate the Association for the loss of the services of that member. It is then up to the Trustees whether they would pass that money on to the injured person(s)/deceased's family; that is entirely at the Trustees’ discretion. That is not to say the benefit would not be paid to the member, but they do not have a right to it.

The main benefits of being a member are being part of a ringing community.

If you have further questions relating to SCACR insurance, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..