Richard and Rebecca Steele are amongst the five members of the Steele family who have learnt to ring relatively recently. They have given talks to community groups and created a variety of promotional material (digital, written/printed) to raise the ringing profile for the Wealden area of Kent and surrounding towers.
Mainly through digital media (Facebook and Instagram) but also “hard copy” of bright and colourful posters, video clips of ringing, Richard and Rebecca produce an ever-changing stream of articles about ringing activities, ringing achievements and links to national events. Links have been established to and from the Ringing Facebook Pages to other Community Facebook Pages to “push” ringing messages with frequent invitations to the general public to visit them.
Three members of the Steele family have undertaken the ART M1 Teacher Training course to enable them to teach any new learners who come forward, including weekly after-school ringing teaching sessions exclusively for DofE students. The Steele family also supports local practices, district meetings and the Kent Young Ringers events.
Richard put together a Simulator Scheme for Frittenden Bells to be installed as a teaching aid. Fund-raising activities have raised the local profile of ringers for example, Richard’s own apples were juiced and bottled to sell at local craft fairs with specially-designed labels referencing Frittenden Bell Ringers.
Links to the digital platforms set up and run by Richard and Rebecca:
- https://www.facebook.com/FrittendenBellRingers/
- https://www.facebook.com/StaplehurstBellRingers/
- https://www.facebook.com/WealdofKentBellRingers/
- https://www.facebook.com/GoudhurstBellRingers/
- https://www.facebook.com/BenendenBellRingers/
- https://www.facebook.com/BrabourneBellRingers/
- https://www.facebook.com/BethersdenBellRingers/
- https://www.instagram.com/FrittendenBellRingers/
- https://www.instagram.com/StaplehurstBellRingers/
- https://www.instagram.com/WealdofKentBellRingers/
- https://www.instagram.com/GoudhurstBellRingers/
- https://www.instagram.com/BenendenBellRingers/
- https://www.instagram.com/BethersdenBellRingers/
Examples of the Parish Magazine Articles written by Rebecca (often adapted for and published in other Parishes too) can be found at:
This entry was written in July 2023
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