3. The Founders Prizes - Central Council of Church Bell Ringers

The Founders Prizes
3.
The Founders Prizes
The Founders Livery Company from the City of London have generously supported Ringing
Centres since the year 2000. They gave a grant of £50,000 which has enabled many new Ringing
Centres to establish themselves, with grants towards equipment and training of instructors.
This programme has now come to an end, but the Livery Company still gives two annual prizes,
which are awarded in the spring of each year.
The first prize is awarded to the Ringing Centre which has done the most to advance the teaching
of ringers in the previous year. Winners have been:
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Keele
Docklands
Fire Ring and Marches Teaching Belfry
Hailsham
Gwennap
Cinque Ports
Shiplake
A second prize has also been established, for the greatest contribution to the teaching of young
people. This second prize is open to any tower, whether a Ringing Centre or not. Winners have
been:
2004 Finchingfield
2005 kids.ring.out
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The Founders Prizes – Cinque Ports (Dover)
Cinque Ports Ringing Centre, Dover, Kent
The Cinque Ports Ringing Centre serves the Canterbury District of the Kent County Association,
with 52 rings of five or more bells, some 20 towers in the Ashford District, and the Eastern tip of
the Rochester District.
With support from the KCA, the Centre ran a public relations exercise during the weekend of the
annual Dover Regatta in 2004. Five quarters were rung at the Centre and one on the Lichfield
Diocesan Belfry, a major attraction on the sea front. Of the estimated twenty thousand people at
the Regatta, over five hundred visited the mobile belfry.
The Centre ran three pre-booked courses, in Kaleidoscope Ringing, Stedman, and Surprise
respectively. The latter was held at Lyminge, the first use of a tower other than Dover.
Weekly “clinics” in basic skills began in January and continued throughout the year. Only five
Saturday mornings were missed, for church festivals and other events. 45 students representing
16 towers from four of the six districts in the County benefited from these sessions. The 20
tutors and helpers came from 9 different towers, although on occasions it was difficult to draw a
distinction between student and helper. Students at earlier sessions sometimes come as helpers.
These clinics enabled the band at St Peter-in-Thanet to move on to standard methods.
Comparatively new ideas such as kaleidoscope, and better learning strategies, are filtering
through to other towers. The Centre has assisted in establishing a new band at Walmer.
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The Founders Prizes – Cinque Ports (Dover)
Repertoire of our own courses:
•
Elementary - Rounds & Call Changes and Plain Hunt
•
Kaleidoscope Techniques
•
Plain and Little Bob
•
Acquiring Ropesight
•
Introduction to Stedman
•
First Steps in Treble Bob
•
First Steps in Surprise
The Centre has been "sub-contracted" to run KCA Courses and District "Ringing Schools" that
include the following:
•
Learning to Listen
•
Plain Hunting
•
Putting in the Bobs
•
Grandsire
Drop in Clinics
Since the middle of January 2004 the Centre has been running weekly “clinics” on Saturday
mornings, from 10 to 12. These address problems with basic skills such as bell handling, raising
and lowering, and striking. The simulator is used for a variety of exercises designed to improve
bell control, and for foundation work in learning methods.
For a beginner, the thought of visiting a different tower can be quite daunting, but learning at
these sessions takes place in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that helps to boost
confidence. Experienced ringers are very welcome to accompany learners from their own tower;
their help will be very much appreciated.
Booking is not necessary, but it is advisable to telephone before coming, particularly if help with
methods beyond Plain Hunt is wanted - 01304 823217.
(These weekly Saturday "clinics" still operate, even on the morning of the Roadshow! - PTD)
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The Founders Prizes – Shiplake
Shiplake Ringing Centre
May Bank Holiday Monday this year was a special day for Shiplake Ringing Centre. A phone
call brought the news that the Centre had won the prestigious Worshipful Company of Founders
Ringing Centre Award for 2005. The Award was announced at the Central Council Annual
General Meeting. The team at Shiplake were delighted
The aims at Shiplake are probably similar to most other Ringing Centres and can be summarised
as follows:•
To make available a welcoming, well-maintained, safe and comfortable facility for use by
Towers, Branches and the Guild
•
To enable training to take place for extended periods, with the option of using a range of
training aids
•
To enable students to improve their skills and understanding and build their confidence
•
To publicise ringing in the local community at both church and secular events with the added
potential of recruitment
•
To seek to interest, recruit and encourage young ringers
Publicity and Recruitment
In 2005 we ran a range of publicity and recruitment events. A one-day ‘activities’ event for the
top class of the local C of E Primary School with the time divided between ringing and music
modules was held in June. In July we manned a stall at the local village fete with a model bell on
a scaffold tower, handbells, recordings of towers bells, Guild publicity display, etc. (Afterwards
a mature student and two very young ringers came along to learn.) A talk about the history of
bell founding and the ringing of bells with slides, sound recording and video took place in
October and in December a series of presentations were made to students from the adjacent boys
and girls college, resulting in a new group of teenage learners.
Introduction to handbells - lapping
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The Founders Prizes – Shiplake
In the tower – a first introduction to the real thing!
Child Protection
A further three local ringers involved in teaching gained CRB clearance to fully comply with the
guidelines for teaching young people.
Training
Part of our local training focussed on the new recruits from the local college and their interest
was maintained along with a group from the previous year. All the basic training took place at
times other than the normal tower practices, until they had achieved secure handling. However,
all the learners were invited to observe any part of a normal practice and some of the previous
years‘ college recruits joined in these. Additional special focussed practices were run in addition
to the normal weekly session.
Working model bell, mounted on scaffold tower
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The Founders Prizes – Shiplake
Fortnightly Branch training sessions were held throughout the first half of the year addressing
basic skills such as bell handling, ringing up and down solo and in peal. Stedman Doubles also
featured. Shiplake took part in a 3-day Summer School in which one day for each of three groups
was held there, the other days were spent at the Ringing Centre at Shinfield and at Goring. A ‘
Listening and Striking’ Course was held in September and throughout the year the monthly
Advanced Practice was held at the tower.
December saw a day-long Oxford Guild course for new tower captains and those preparing to
teach new ringers. 11 students came from 9 towers across the Guild. Local ringers provided
lunch!
There were other users of the centre. Individual and small group sessions were held throughout
the year with visitors from 7 towers across the Guild; a number made repeat visits.
Into 2006
Many of the activities that took place in 2005 have continued in 2006. Introductory sessions have
been held this year for Beavers, Brownies and Cubs with the possibility of a further Primary
School activities day in a few weeks time.
Several boys from the adjacent college are completing their ‘skills’ module as part of the Duke
of Edinburgh Award scheme. As reported in Ringing World recently, for the first time 8 college
boys rang for their college Ascension Day service this year, so they are on their way to form
their own band to ring for their services, which take place in the church.
Students who rang for Shiplake College Ascension Day Service on 25th May 2006 (6)
L to R Sam Bancroft_Wilson, John Keen, Sean Mongan, Jonny Potts, Robert Hay, Ed Pinker,
Freddie Marriott and Ross McKellar.
Ringing Centres
The Centres have a lot to offer to those who are prepared to venture forth from their own towers.
Most have simulators, so there is little impact on neighbours. Additional training aids such as
video links, action video recording and playbacks, presentation equipment such as sound
recordings and instructional videos, handbells, a syndicate room all contribute towards building a
33
The Founders Prizes – Shiplake
positive and supportive learning environment. Shiplake Ringing Centre operates both as a
location where planned course take place, but also one where visiting groups, with their own
leader, can book and use the facilities to meet their individual needs.
There is little doubt that the annual Ringing Centres Award sponsored by ‘The Worshipful
Company of Founders’ and managed by the Ringing Centres Committee, gives an incentive to
provide modern training facilities to help ringers to achieve their aspirations. We have yet to
decide how the prize will be spent.
34
The Founders Prizes – Finchingfield
Founders' Prize for the encouragement of young ringers
2004 Finchingfield by Roy Threadgold
Tucked away on the back page it was - RW October 29th, 2004 - could even have been one of
those oddities used to fill an empty column. The Worshipful Company of Founders was
offering a £500 prize for "the group of ringers judged to have made the greatest
contribution to the encouragement of young people in ringing". Let's enter we said nothing to lose.
"We" are Nick and Sarah Holland from Finchingfield and Roy and Cherry Threadgold from
Wethersfield, Essex. We had been organising young ringers' events in the district since 2003,
each one attracting between twelve and twenty youngsters aged 9 to 16, so maybe we had some
small story to tell.
The History
Roy has been Tower Captain for many a year at Wethersfield, where there has always been a
youthful element in the band. This peaked in the 70's, and even today the National 12
Bell Competition is seldom without ex-Wethersfield ringers from that era.
The formation of the joint benefice with Shalford in 1977 introduced the, mainly elderly,
band there into the equation. These members passed on or moved away in subsequent years,
leaving only one resident Shalford ringer. Finchingfield joined the benefice in 1994 having
had no band at all for several years.
Roy and Cherry set about training a new band at Finchingfield with the knowledge that
the Millennium midday ringing would require 21 ringers if we were to man all three towers
simultaneously from our own resources (in the event we raised 25!). All the new learners at
Finchingfield were mature beginners.
In 2002 two experienced ringers, Nick and Sarah Holland, joined Finchingfield and the band
was able to operate independently for the first time. Shortly before this, the local Cub pack
had asked to see the bells, and they were given a tour of the tower, walked some changes and
each had a short pull on the treble. This timing was fortuitous as one of the Cubs
subsequently presented himself for training, followed during the next few months by several
other youngsters.
Freed of the responsibility of keeping Finchingfield going, Roy and Cherry set about
training a band at Shalford and soon had a regular practice there with parents learning with
their children.
We use the Sherbourne "Bell Club" scheme at all three towers with great success. Time between
ringing sessions is now often filled with discussions on bobs and singles rather than the latest
chart entries and boyfriends!
The Young Ringers Group
It was evident that both the Hollands and Threadgolds shared the same views on young ringers,
recognising them as essential to the future wellbeing of the Exercise. We were also concerned
for young ringers in the other towers of the District (Essex Association, Northern) as
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The Founders Prizes – Finchingfield
some of these, being the only young person in the band, might very well think that they were
the only ringer under 40.
After some discussion, we decided, in the summer of 2003, to organise a youth practice at
Wethersfield as a trial. Those welcome would be the under 20's, with their parents and/or
tutors, but no one else (this was to prevent the gatherings deteriorating into District practices/
Tower Grabs). The objective of the evening was to have fun, to get to know each other, to
have fun, to practice ringing and to have fun.
The first evening was attended by around a dozen young people, and its success prompted further
evening gatherings.
During the February half-term 2004 we arranged an outing, with ringing at two towers
and a footpath walk between them, followed by ten-pin bowling. This outing format
(without the bowling) has become the norm and has been repeated several times.
The towpath walk
Getting to know each other
The walks and associated picnics have helped the youngsters get to know each other much
better than is possible during a more normal practice evening.
Three of our older, more experienced young ringers have now taken over the
organisation of these outings and also take their turn as Ringing Master, while the tutors take
a back seat as far as is possible, consistent with safety and a reasonable standard of
ringing. We feel it important that the young people feel it is "their" event, and not something
with which they are spoonfed. We also breed good habits from the start, in that everyone is
expected to donate 50p to the towers visited.
The Christmas gathering
To date, we have held 16 young ringers' events and visited at 17 different towers (thank
you to all the towers who have let us ring your bells!).
A recent development is the young folk themselves arranging quarter peals, two having
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The Founders Prizes – Finchingfield
been scored at the time of writing, each with only one adult on Tenor behind. The second
was rung on the evening of the Founders' Prize Presentation as a celebration (details follow
this article). The target of an all-youth quarter is now firmly in the sights!
In May, a BBC film crew came to Finchingfield at the invitation of one of the group's young
bellringers, Poppy Crooks. They filmed as she explained ringing to the CBBC presenter/actor
Devon Anderson. The filming took nearly all day and all the young ringers that took part in
the group ringing, had a great day with the film crew. This is 11 yearold Poppy's account of
her day:
"On Saturday 7th May CBBC presenter and actor Devon Andseron (Taj in Kerching!) and the
CBBC film crew came to Finchingfield church to film the bellringing and for Devon to learn
the ropes with me (Poppy Crooks) teaching him. It was a very enjoyable day for everybody who
took part and finally our little church is famous. Afterwards Devon told me that he really
enjoyed it and I think he was really fun to teach and made me laugh all the time."
The resulting 2 minute programme, has already had at least four screenings in the "By Invitation
Only" series.
In addition to these youth activities, we try to reinforce the development the young ringers
are getting in their home towers by encouraging their involvement in wider District
events. Indeed, a young ringers' band was entered in the recent Northern Essex district 6bell striking competition where they put on a very creditable performance.
It was in April that we heard to our delight that we had won the Founders' Prize for the
encouragement of young people in ringing, and Saturday 18th June was subsequently set for
the prize presentation.
The Christmas gathering - front row (I-r): Toby (Finchingfield), April (Finchingfield),
Esther (Wethersfield), Bradley (Braintree), Ashley (Braintree), Eleanor (Wethersfield), Sarah
(Wethersfield), Sydney (Wethersfield); back row (1-r): Poppy (Finchingfield), Laura
(Finchingfield), Terri (Finchingfield), Sarah (Shalford), Lucy (Wethersfield), Matthew
(Wethersfield), Jake (Witham), Sam (Shalford), James (Witham), Ben (Shalford)
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The Founders Prizes – Finchingfield
The Presentation Day
There was an air of excitement at the church hall in Wethersfield as the preparations got
under way. We decided to provide a lunch in the traditional ringing style - everyone
bringing a plate of food! Some of the young ringers proved they were good cooks as well
as ringers, as they brought along their own home-made contributions.
Around fifty people were present for the lunch, including the representatives from the
Founders' Company and the Central Council.
A highlight after lunch was a screening of Poppy's television appearance.
Watching Poppy's show
We then all moved over to the Parish Church where the young ringers showed off their
ringing skills as parents, parishioners and local ringers gathered for the presentation. Musical
interludes were provided by Upbeat - a local music group led by Jessie Threadgold, daughter of
Roy and Cherry, to which many of the young ringers also belong.
MC for the presentation ceremony was Mrs Christine Baldock, deputising for Gail Cater of the
Central Council's Ringing Centres Committee, with Mr. Christopher Rogers in his capacity as
Under-Warden, representing the Worshipful Company of Founders. The Essex Association's
Ringing Master, Steve Nash and Alistair Donaldson, Essex Northern District Master also took
part.
After welcomes from the churchwardens and Association Master, Christine gave a brief
explanation of the prize from the CC viewpoint. Christopher then presented the cheque for
f500 to Sarah, and Roy replied on behalf of the group.
The Essex Northern District Master then presented the Bell Club Gold award to Dan Smith
(16) of Pebmarsh and Quarter Peal certificates to Bradley Hill (10) and Sarah Cavendish
(13).
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The Founders Prizes – Finchingfield
Left to right: Cherry and Roy Threadgold, Nick and Sarah Holland,
Steve Nash, Christine Baldock, Christopher Rogers
The formal part of the day was brought to a close with more music from "Upbeat", and there
was more ringing by the young ringers. Everyone then ventured to Roy and Cherry's farm,
where there was a BBQ and a mini-ring for everyone to try their hand at.
The mini-ring at the farm
The Future
The Young Ringers' Group will continue to meet every six to eight weeks for evening
practices and outings.
We intend to use the Founders' prize money to help fund more costly group activities,
for example we're currently planning a trip to the Loughborough bell foundry which will
incorporate a tour of the works, the museum, and ringing the foundry bells. We also want
to purchase a trophy to be awarded annually to a young ringer in the group that has achieved
the most over the past year.
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The Founders Prizes – Finchingfield
Our thanks to all those who helped us get the prize and make the Presentation Day such an
enjoyable and unforgettable occasion. But especially we wish to record our most grateful
thanks to the Worshipful Company of Founders for their generous award and their continued
support of the Exercise.
Comment from the young ringers:
"I like ringing because of all the new challenges that it brings. I find ringing outings equally
enjoyable, this is because we get to ring different methods but also get to meet and make new
friends; it is especially good for the new learners and people who come from towers with only
one learner.
"The presentation was interesting with the founders' thoughts on our achievement and the
presence of the District and Association masters. The ceremony started and ended with the
Upbeat band (as I was also in Upbeat I was running between final band rehearsals and
ringing!) In the middle our tutors were presented with the cheque which we hope they will
spend on something for us rather than alcohol to recover from teaching us for the last few
years!" Lucy (15)
"I really enjoy bell ringing and lots of my friends go. It is now my favourite hobby. I now
feel very at home in the bell tower and everyone is very encouraging, helpful and
friendly." Laura (11)
"I started bell ringing after I went with the Cubs and I really liked it. I like the outings and
walking between towers because I like long walks." Toby (12)
"I like ringing because it is a time when I can socialise with different friends and chill out. I also
like ringing because I can have the ability to learn a skill which most other children can't do.
Bellringing is also fun because I know I am doing something to help the village. The outings
are fun because I get the chance to ring at other churches and compare them with the
church that I ring weekly at which is Wethersfield church." Sydney (11)
"I like ringing because it is a totally different sport. You get to meet different people. You ring
as part of a band but it is up to you individually how much effort you put in. I find
it an exciting challenge." Bradley (10)
"I like going on all the outings with my friends and ringing at different towers. I also like
ringing because I get to see my friends from
school and make new friends." Eleanor (9)
"I like ringing because it is fun and very enjoyable." Sarah (10)
"On Saturday we were given a prize for being the best district that involved young
ringers. After a buffet lunch we rang bells before and after the presentation before going
of to Boydells Dairy Farm for a BBQ and
mini ring. It was a great day." Matthew (12)
"I like the young ringers gatherings because it's fun and we get to ring at other churches. On
our last outing we went to Maldon and then Great Totham. Maldon is the only church in the
country with a triangular tower and you don't often have to go down to ring. Great Totham
was my favourite because the bells were easier to control." Esther (10)
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The Founders Prizes – kids.ring.out
KIDS.RING.OUT.
Bringing young ringers into the tower
The story behind the group that won the 2005 Founders' Prize
The idea was hatched one warm summer's evening over a glass of beer in a pub garden after
ringing. Suddenly all these kids aged mostly between 10 and 12 years had popped up in several
local towers. We wanted to encourage them and to keep them ringing. So we planned a mini-tour
on 1st January 2004. We visited three local towers and then went to a pub for supper and
skittles. 17 youngsters and 20 adult helpers participated.
The most advanced youngster was ringing Plain Hunt, but most were ringing rounds and call
changes, or "wobbly" rounds. To keep them occupied when they were not ringing we had two
quizzes. Books were awarded to the winners. However, every participant received a copy of Pam
Copson's Ringers' Exercise Book.
The event was considered a success, and we decided to continue to offer events designed
especially for the young ringers. KIDS.RING.OUT was born.
Objective
KIDS.RING.OUT has a four-fold objective. To gather young ringers from the Association
together to allow them to develop a social life within ringing; to develop their ringing
skills; to broaden their horizons; and to have fun. We actively seek towers where kids have
just started ringing, and try to get them involved.
The group photo was taken outside Batheaston church on our Easter Tour
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The Founders Prizes – kids.ring.out
Communication
We have a group email list to aid communication, and emails go to individual youngsters,
parents, tower captains and all regular helpers. There are nearly 50 on its roll. Organising kids is not
easy, and has been compared locally to attempting to herd cats.
Tours
We have a tour every school holiday. We ring in three towers, two with 6 bells and one with 8,
and then go to a pub for lunch. We try to choose light easy-going rings, as many of the
youngsters will be ringing for the very first time on bells other than their own. Ground floor rings
are particularly suitable. A tower fee is charged: depending on numbers, it is between f3 and
0.50 per ringer. With any profit made, books are bought and the youngsters can choose
one free book each per tour. So far we have visited Herefordshire twice, the Vale of Glamorgan
twice, and the Forest of Dean, as well as local towers. Our most recent outing, at Easter, was to
the Bath area where we walked between towers, over fields, beside a river, a canal, and a weir, not
to mention the children's playground, which seemed to prove just as popular with the "big"
kids.
Plain Bob course
Courses and workshops
During our first year we had workshops on rope-splicing (which was extremely popular);
ringing up and down; calling changes on hand bells; bell-control work; and ringing with a
simulator. In 2005 we held workshops that were targeted at various groups. We held a Plain
Hunt Day, with some theory, ringing in two towers and lunch in a pub. Next there was a Plain
Bob Day, the theory section being run in a church hall by Peter S. Bennett, who included
place notation in his presentation. The kids loved it, and spent time in the pub at lunchtime
writing out methods from place notation. There were two practical sessions in local towers,
and at the end of the day each youngster was presented with a Diagrams book. This session
was a great success. A couple of the youngsters really took off after it, some of them aiming
to do more learning, and some to focus more closely on their striking.
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The Founders Prizes – kids.ring.out
Fun Ringing session with a simulator
On four Saturday mornings in the summer holidays we held "Fun Ringing" sessions, ringing
with a simulator. These consisted of bell handling, ringing up and down, kaleidoscope
ringing, learning to lead on handbells, tune-ringing (things such as 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star') and writing out call changes. These sessions really are fun: they improve performance
and, with that, confidence, in front of your eyes.
Place notation and quizzes in the pub at lunchtime
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The Founders Prizes – kids.ring.out
Learning to lead on hand bells
Outings
There was a trip to Taylor's Bell Foundry in August 2005, where we had a tour of the
museum and saw three bells being cast, before ringing on the Foundry 10. This trip proved
popular with adults and kids alike. On the way home, supper at The Navigation Inn, Wootton
Wawen, on the canal bank, followed a ring on the easy-going 6 in the village.
Each summer we have had a beach BBQ. This seems to be the most popular event of the year.
We ring at two towers on the way to the beach, and in 2005 18 youngsters turned up to ring on the
light 6 at Sully. That kept the organisers on their toes. However, as the level of ringing improved,
more advanced helpers were required. We were grateful to the Stedman Triples support
band, even if some helpers avoided the beach!
Watching a bell being cast at Taylor's Bell Foundry
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The Founders Prizes – kids.ring.out
Striking Competition
Youngsters in the Llandaff and Monmouth DACBR were justifiably delighted with the
results of the Monmouth Branch Striking competition on 21st May 2005. In the call
changes section, into which five bands had entered, the KIDS.RING.OUT. under-l6-yearold
band was judged to have the second least number of faults and the KIDS.RING.OUT. under13-year-olds the third least. The bands could not be given the formal places of second and third as
there were scratch bands made up of ringers from various towers. This did nothing to
dampen their spirits before or after the event, and in 2006 we will attempt to enter a
KIDS.RING.OUT. band into the method-ringing section.
Marathon ring for Charity
In August 2004 KIDS.RING.OUT held a sponsored non-stop 3-hour Ringing Marathon
during which we raised £350 for charities chosen by the youngsters. The 3 hours started with
an attempt at a quarter of Grandsire Doubles with a 12-year-old on the treble and a 15-yearold on the tenor. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful, but Grandsire was rung for 45 minutes. It
ended with a successful quarter of Bob Doubles with one youngster on the treble and one
inside. Between the quarters, each of the other youngsters were allotted two five-minute
slots, catering for their individual abilities which varied from Plain Hunt, through call
changes to rounds and "wobbly" rounds. Each "wobbly"-rounds ringer was given a
personal tutor for the afternoon.
When not ringing there were rope slicing, quizzes and Dance Plain Hunt to keep everyone
occupied. The evening finished with a trip to St Woolos Cathedral, in Newport, where
everyone had a ring, and some rang rounds on 12. They were very impressed with the 3 leads of
Bristol rung by the local band; it was quite an eye-opener.
Personal Achievements
Since we started, six youngsters have rung their first quarter peals and four have rung their
first on inside bells.
Since being awarded The Founders' Prize for the Encouragement of Young Ringers, a peal was
rung to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday on 21st April 2006. 5040 Plain Bob
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The Founders Prizes – How a founders judge reached his decision
How a Founders' Prize judge reached his decision
Is there anything more difficult than successfully attracting, encouraging and retaining young
ringers? Perhaps only having to choose between the different candidates for the 2006 Founders'
Company Prize.
Six judges - Derek Sibson, Stephanie Warboys, Simon Linford, Norman Mattingley, Paul
Hunter and Andrew Gillett (of the Founders' Company) - were all told that unfortunately there
could be only one winner. Which of these worthy and successful projects was just a little bit
better than the others? What a difficult choice!
No conferring among the judges, but try to be consistent. Ignore the quality of the
presentation materials - focus on the content. Consider each entry in terms of:
1. Number of youngsters involved
2. How it encouraged young people
3. Success
4. Future aspirations
Come up with a score for each one out of 100 and show your breakdown (presumably so Uncle
Ernie could weave some statistical magic and iron out any inconsistencies of judgement).
So there I sat on the sofa, with my instructions and four pieces of homework to mark. I read
through each one first of all, to get an idea of the scale of the problem. I determined that the
scale of the problem was large. These were all pretty good, and quite different. We had a
Ringing Centre at Shiplake which has successfully established a relationship with a nearby
school, and we had the Tewkesbury Branch which has an astonishing proportion of young
members and a track record of their progress.
Then there was Bishop Ramsey School, Ruislip, which provides the band to ring at West
Ruislip; and KIDS.RING.OUT, an initiative for young ringers in the geographically challenged
Llandaff & Monmouth.
I was immediately envious and wondering if any of the techniques could be repeated in my local
area. Being near, or having access to, a school seemed as though it gave a bit of a head-start,
but you still have to organise it. I had a gut feel for which of the four submissions was the
winner, but remembering what Uncle Ernie said, I got my pen out and decided to apply some
science to the problem.
Number of youngsters involved - how hard can that be? Not too difficult, although one had to
assess how many youngsters started to learn, stayed ringing, and progressed. What was clear from
all the entries was that successful programmes for young ringers achieve critical mass of
numbers - once the group gets going, the group enjoys the activity. Maybe it becomes "cool". I
put down my scores. The school-based groups are good at getting numbers involved.
How it encourages young people - a bit more difficult to assess. Do the schools have a bit of an
advantage through having access to students? I like the L&M ideas here - good use of the Internet
to link youngsters when they are not ringing. I put down my scores.
Next another vague one: the future aspirations. None of these are short-term, flash-in-thepan initiatives. Are they all future-proof, or do they rely on the enthusiasm of one individual?
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The Founders Prizes – How a founders judge reached his decision
Finally, how do you measure success? Entrants were asked to measure their own success, but
that could never be consistent. For instance, L&M was successful in getting young ringers
together from different towers, whereas Tewkesbury Branch was proving success in
generating good young ringers. Is the absolute measure of success the number of useful Sundayservice ringers generated? That is difficult to assess precisely. Anyway, I have my opinion
and I create my scores.
I had my scores, and I weighted them, normalised them, did all sorts of clever things to
turn them into a score out of 100. I had the KIDS.RING.OUT edging it. I rather suspected
the other judges would, too, but I would have to wait and see. Everyone should have been
a winner - pay tribute to them all.
SIMON LINFORD
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