RINGING IN THE MILLENNIUM     Press Release      1 February 2000

The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers announces the last five grants (making 150 in total) to individual projects under the Millennium Commission's umbrella scheme, "Ringing in the Millennium".

The churches awarded grants are:

		Up to
KENT	All Saints, Frindsbury	£15,210
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE	St Lawrence, Long Buckby	£16,228
WARWICKSHIRE	St Mary, Halford	£5,198
S YORKSHIRE	St Peter, Barnburgh	£5,863
HEREFORDSHIRE	St Bartholomew, Holmer	£13,970
and not previously announced:
WORCESTERSHIRE	St Michael, Salwarpe	£26,296

Grass roots communities have raised 50% of their costs, which have been matched using £3M of Lottery funding from the Millennium Commission. FIFTY more projects have been funded than originally planned due to the appeal of the sound of bells and the voluntary help and expertise given by so many people. The project has been carried out under the umbrella of The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers with John Cunnington (John Cunnington - Architects, Matlock) as the Project Manager, who is the only paid employee of CCCBR (Millennium Grants) Ltd.

"Ringing in the Millennium" has enabled bells to be restored (some of them have been silent for many years) and millennium bells to be cast by John Taylor Bellfounders Ltd, Loughborough, the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, Ltd, London and Eijsbouts, Asten, Holland. Adding extra, lighter bells can facilitate teaching new ringers, especially young people. To this end, some projects have been designated as Ringing Centres, with special roles in teaching the traditional art of church bell ringing.

Bells have long been rung to commemorate events of local, national and global significance. Thanks to the bell trade and many voluntary helpers, 138 out of 150 projects were ready to "ring in" the Year 2000 and all of them will be able to ring in celebration during this Millennium Year.