If you have a moment I would be grateful if you could go to the following ‘Just Giving’ website page and read my request to help get Cherry Hinton Tower, Cambridge, hand bells restored. You will find the page at: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/louise-dobson

I have only until 22nd March to accept donations to this site. A few pounds donation will make a big difference.

As I look back over the last six months I am not quite sure how it happened. About a year ago a Sunday school teacher approached me to advise that she and some of the children wanted to learn to ring. Being a bell ringer of limited capability, Surprise methods are still a mystery to me, I had for some time wanted to teach bell handling.

Last October I attended the M1 and M2 courses, I obtained permission from the PCC to teach children, sorted out where we stood insurance wise as the learners would not automatically become members of the Ely Diocesan Association, arranged for teachers to be DBS checked and on the 31st October the first class was held.

Having six children, not all from Sunday School, and two adult learners, I realised that we needed more than the tower bells and cake to keep everyone occupied. We had hand bells but they were in desperate need of repair. Thankfully another tower loaned their hand bells temporarily to give me time to raise money to get the Cherry Hinton hand bells restored.

The children can ring rounds on Tower bells but on hand bells they can ring plain hunt and are about to start learning Plain Bob Minor. For the smaller children hand bells provide something they can do as easily as the older children. I believe hand bells are a great tool in learning to ring and strike well. In any event they make a beautiful sound. Thank you for your help.