The Friends of Sherborne Abbey can claim to be one of the oldest such organisations in the country, having been founded as long ago as 1930 ‘to bind together all those who love Sherborne Abbey in their desire to take part in preserving it for posterity’. Members can be found all over the country, drawn to join by their love of this loveliest of buildings.
For over 75 years, therefore, the Friends have been staunch supporters of every major project for the repair and restoration of the Abbey fabric. In this century alone, they have made a major contribution to the appeal to repair and strengthen the tower vault, and restore the Quire. They have paid for roof safety equipment, a fire detection system and the ramping of the main porch for disabled access. They were the principal benefactors of the rebuilding of the main organ and gave the new John Hayward window in the south aisle to commemorate the visit of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince Philip in 1998.
In short, they are vital to the present and the future of this great House of God, by their subscriptions, donations and bequests. I would warmly invite you to become a Friend of Sherborne Abbey, to help take our work and ministry into the fourteenth century of our life as the Mother Church of West Wessex.
For further, please information contact the Membership Secretary using the link below:
The parish gives away ten percent of its giving and investment income to good causes. These include local organisations or individuals, and Christian organisations working at national or international level. We also respond to specific appeals. Our aim is to work in partnership with organisations both at home and overseas and establish personal links where possible.
FIAC
FIAC members come from all our churches and have a range of backgrounds and experience. We each take responsibility for links with one of our major partners. We are always looking for new members. For further details or enquiries about donations please contact the Parish Office: 01935 713777 or email parishsecretary@sherborneabbey.com
Local charities including the Green Shed, Rendezvous and Future Roots.
Sudan Update – 1 Year On
April 2024
On 15 April 2023 fighting broke out between the Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF) and the Sudan Government Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). They had previously been working together but then disagreed over how quickly the military should hand over to a civilian government. The violence has been most intense in the capital, Khartoum and in Darfur in the west of the country but has reached everywhere except some parts of the north and east, including Port Sudan, where the government is now based. Nearly 15,000 people are known to have been killed.
For the first four days of the violence Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo, his Cathedral and Provincial Office staff and his family were trapped in the All Saints Cathedral compound in Khartoum. The RSF then broke in and looted the offices, the Archbishop’s house, vehicles and ECS records and took over the Cathedral to accommodate its fighters. Forty-three people escaped from the compound and the Archbishop hid in a house in Khartoum with fifteen other people and very little food or water for six weeks before he managed to get to Port Sudan. There he was welcomed by the Bishop of Port Sudan and offered space to set up his Provincial Office. The Sherborne Parish Faith in Action Committee approved a grant of £5,000 for the office equipment and furniture and a contribution to the cost of a replacement vehicle. “We thank God for our friends and partners for providing funds necessary to set up this office in terms of furniture, equipment and stationeries in addition to accommodation.”
From Port Sudan the Provincial Staff have been distributing to diocesan clergy and staff donations received into the ECS Provincial Emergency Fund from ECS supporters including Salisbury Diocese. ECS clergy have been killed and churches, colleges and offices destroyed and looted but the Archbishop has made long pastoral visits to near the fighting in the north and east of the country, holding services with congregations displaced by the violence.
Of a population of 51 million over 8 million people have been displaced within Sudan or to other countries (500,000 in South Sudan), nearly 25 million need humanitarian aid and, although some aid has reached 2.3 million people since January, one in three is acutely short of food with 230,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers likely to die of hunger. 70%-80% of health facilities are not functioning and 19 million children are out of school. (UN, April 2024)
In 2024 we raised an amazing £4,500.00 for our Church Mission Society’s Mission Partner, Sam Malish (Sam works in a refugee camp bringing Christ’s peace to traumatised refugees displaced from South Sudan) and Sherborne Food Bank (our local food bank, entirely volunteer-run, supporting those in deep poverty who cannot meet all their needs; providing free emergency food deliveries and working with others to ensure nobody in our community needs to go hungry). Our charities were delighted with our prayer support, our interest and of course our generosity.
This year (2025) through our prayers, interest and gifts, we are supporting the work of:
Confident Children out of Conflict: CCC runs a home for orphaned and abandoned children and young people in Juba, South Sudan, which has seen much conflict over recent years. CCC provides community outreach, education support, skills development and residential care without discrimination and in partnership with other stakeholders. Our support will help provide much needed equipment and the further development of their new site.
Hilfield Friary (Anglican Franciscan Friary in rural Dorset): Hilfield is an open and inclusive community following Christ in the way of St Francis. It is a place of calm and recollection where the community live simply and thankfully, caring for the land with which they have been entrusted and welcoming all people, especially the poor and marginalised of our society. We will support their environmental and hospitality work.
The FIAC has chosen these causes carefully. In each case, we are reaching some of the most needy people in their communities. We choose small charities with whom we have links and for whom our funding can make a real difference.
I hope very much we can match this again this year. The whole charity sector is greatly stretched by a combination of rising costs AND increased demand for their services.
For further details and our video visit
www.sherborneabbey.com/groups/#faith
(John Crossman, Chair, Faith in Action Committee)
As a Christian organization, CCC commits to fulfil Matthew 25: 35-45 (Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?.. ). It advocates for children’s rights and cares for the most vulnerable children and young people in Juba – a city that has experienced terrible violence and killing since 2013, after South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011.
How is CCC helping?
CCC in Juba provides for 50 orphaned and abandoned children and young people, 32 girls and 18 boys, including 3 under-2-year-olds rescued from the conflict in Sudan, providing residential care, security and protection from abuse, education support, skills development and community outreach, without discrimination.
What is the impact so far?
How are we going to help?
CCC no longer receives funding from the United Nations, even for basic needs. We supported CCC in 2020 and since then it has moved to its new site, and built the girls’ dormitory to which we contributed. South Sudan is an extremely poor country with high inflation and malnutrition and continuing inter-communal violence which orphans many children. We have decided to support some of its poorest, most vulnerable children again because they need us. Our contribution will help with food for the children, school fees and the development of the new site.
Robert Hayward, a member of FIAC commits much time to South Sudan and visited the project for FIAC. His visits will enable us to monitor, record and celebrate progress.
Background
The Franciscan community at Hilfield has been a resource for the local community for over 100 years. We live a simple, disciplined daily life, bearing a specifically Franciscan witness of reconciliation and peace with the whole of creation. The community usually has 4 brothers and 15-20 long term residents who volunteer within the community.
What does the Hilfield Community do?
Our ecological work includes protecting and enhancing the wildlife on our land and in partnership with adjoining estates, creating space for nature. This includes controlling water drainage, reducing flooding, habitat creation, and demonstrating how to reduce our harmful effects on nature, including lowering our carbon footprint and reducing our waste and increasing re-use and recycling.
A vital part of our work is in offering training and experiences to others including school children and other groups to enthuse and encourage them to do similar work.
We are a welcoming community offering respite from the hurly-burly of everyday life. A chance to recover and rebuild in lovely surroundings and wishing to partake in simple worship together and spiritual support and guidance for those in our local area and further abroad.
How are we going to help?
We are focusing our support on the ecological work and spiritual/hospitality support. Our support will be used to support the expenses of the community especially in the areas above, for example, buying equipment and consumables for the ecological work.
https://www.hilfieldfriary.org.uk
Please pray for our two projects:
CONFIDENT CHILDREN OUT OF CONFLICT
HILFIELD FRIARY
And for all charities:
You can give in THREE different ways. Please make sure you give your name if you are registered with us for Gift Aid. (To register use the form on the Abbey website or from the Parish Office).
By cash or cheque (made payable to Sherborne Abbey PCC) in an envelope clearly marked “Lent Project”, and hand in at a service or post to the Parish Office, Abbey Close, Sherborne, DT9 3LQ. Please include your name ON the envelope if you wish us to claim Gift Aid – we can only do that if we hold your enduring Gift Aid Declaration.
Donation by BACS: Please use the account details below:
Account Name: Sherborne PCC
Sort Code: 40-52-40
Account Number: 00008483
Please use the reference: SURNAME followed by LP25 (eg SmithLP)
Donate directly by debit or credit card on the Abbey website: https://www.shcom/donations/
Click on the brown donate box, top right on this website, then the red card and on the next screen, the red “GIVE” button. Either sign in or give as a guest. From the Project Fund drop down menu select ‘Lent Appeal 2025‘, enter the amount and in the message box type LENT2025. You can make your donation anonymously by ticking the bottom box. The following screens process your method of payment and give an option for us to claim the 25% gift aid if you agree.
From your phone: Use the QR code below or on the leaflet to reach the donation page of our website and follow instruction as above.
Sherborne is one of the most beautiful towns in England. With its abundance of mediaeval buildings, superb Abbey, famous schools – both private and state, picturesque Almshouse, two castles, independent shops, supermarkets, antique dealers and small hospital with a minor injuries department, it has much to offer both visitors and residents.
The Sherborne Branch of Mothers’ Union is in the Diocese of Salisbury and is part of the worldwide organization of which there are over four million members. Mothers’ Union was founded in 1876 and exists to share Christ’s love for the world by encouraging, strengthening and supporting marriage & family life. Our particular overseas link is with the MU in Ezo, South Sudan. If you are new to the Sherborne area or have not heard about the work of MU, please come and see what we are about!
Membership is open to all men and women who have been baptised in the name of the Trinity and who support Mothers’ Union aims and objectives.
For more information contact our secretary, Jo Higgs by emailing musecretary@sherborneabbey.com.
4th Friday in the month
Griffiths Room, Digby Memorial Church Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne DT9 3NL
10am for 10.30am (ends 11.45am)
For more details about individual meetings, please see our weekly Pewsheet or monthly Bulletin (which can be found under the Services & Events tab, then click on Pewsheets, on this website).
Thank you for visiting us!
We help in the community:
We help in The Abbey by:
Our fund raising is by subscriptions, donations and special events.
Why not join MU as it offers you a chance to:
