St Julian's Well
Wellow
Bath BA2 8QS
June 2009

Dear Wellow villagers,

Pride in our village and its heritage. A plea for help!

We live in a beautiful village which has a strong community spirit. Central to our heritage is the medieval Church, dominating the eastern end of the village. St Julian's costs approximately £25,000 a year to run, not including major expenditure on the building or fabric. Unfortunately there are at present too few of us to raise this sum and we are some £6,000 p.a short. We are sending this letter to every household in the parish to raise awareness of the situation.

St. Julian's is important to the whole village, and it is not reasonable that the regular members (16) and a few other generous donors should bear the full financial responsibility for the running cost, insurance and maintenance of the church. If we cannot secure substantial increases in regular giving NOW we are faced with the real possibility of closure and the building becoming a decaying, unused, white elephant — no longer there for weddings, christenings, funerals and to lift up and support those parishioners seeking a Christian faith. This is a request for financial help.

What a sad day it would be if a fairly wealthy and beautiful village, such as ours, with some 500 inhabitants, could not find the wherewithal to enable our magnificent Church to remain open.

This is not a plea to attend our regular Sunday services, although we would love more of you to come, but is an urgent request for regular giving to enable the Church to continue to function, serve our community and be maintained for future generations.

Gift Aid and Standing Order forms are available and we urge you complete these, or if you use online banking services the Church Account details are on the Standing Order form, and to give generously, or to increase your present giving as you are able. Please hand the completed forms to Colin or Pauline, or send/deliver them to Colin at St. Julian's Well.

You are invited to discuss the contents of this letter more fully at a meeting which has been arranged for Thursday, 9th July, at 8.00.pm, in the Village Hall, where you will be very welcome.

If this plea falls on deaf ears, as certain as night follows day, we will be facing the prospect of closure, as the present situation cannot continue.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Tremellen	Pauline Preddy
Churchwardens