March 2011 saw the launch of a new group called Friends of St Mary’s (FOSM), which is dedicated to preserving and maintaining the beautiful and ancient church of St Mary’s in Bramshott.

St Mary’s is now approaching its 800th birthday, having originally been built as a private chapel for Bramshott Manor in 1220. To put this in its historical context, the church was started during the reign of Henry III, the same year in which Salisbury Cathedral and York Minster began to be rebuilt in the Gothic style.

The church has a fascinating history and has many stories to tell. For instance, in the 1960’s it became the local church for William Henry Pratt, better known as the Hollywood star of Frankenstein, Boris Karloff. This served to enhance Bramshott’s reputation as rather a ghostly village.

Maintaining this ancient building is a huge commitment for a small church congregation. It is particularly challenging today, as we have to carry out major roof and gutter renovations in 2012.

The roof is already leaking and the work needs to be completed urgently to minimise damage to other parts of the church.

We have just 12 months to raise £125,000 to pay for this work. The parish does not receive any central church or government funding for the maintenance of such an important building, so we need to raise most of the money locally. FOSM aims to energise local people to save St Mary’s from falling into more serious disrepair. Whether or not you are a regular attender at St Mary’s, I am sure you would agree it would be a tragedy to lose this beautiful old building.

FOSM is planning an interesting and varied series of fundraising events over the coming year. We need volunteers to help with these, to contribute fresh ideas, and to coordinate our exciting membership scheme. We are encouraging everyone in the area to become a Friend of St Mary’s.

For more details in PDF format, follow this link.

We urgently need local companies and businesses to adopt St Mary's Bramshott as their charity. Our Benefactor Scheme offers a number of benefits to help provide a return on your investment. Follow this link to learn more.

If you are interested in becoming a member of FOSM, helping out with events or providing financial assistance, please contact the FOSM Chairman, Andrew Kinniburgh, on abkinniburgh@gmail.com