March 2024_Workshop_Output
Raising General Awareness
Session 1
Having a compelling story
Engaging with local community
Multi-media
Session 2
a multi-pronged media approach
spectacle Event (ringing during village fair, etc)
visibility (mini-ring, handbells, video links, etc)
Recruitment
Session 1
Empathy (understand motivation and learning styles of new ringers)
Infectious Enthusiasm
Asking for help from the ringing community as well as the wider community
Session 2
open days, flower festivals, etc. attracting people to come in, look at the tower and talk to the ringers about ringing.
advertising in terms of a banner outside the church
word of mouth (letting people know in your networks)
Recruitment of young ringers
Session 1
(this was not a group discussion but successful ideas were listed (see photo)
Session 2
Getting to know their parents
encouraging their friends to come along to get a critical mass of youngsters
making it fun
Fundraising
Session 1
Wider community involvement (example was given where it was assumed it would take several months to raise 100k. By involving the whole village (scouts, WI, school, etc) they raised it in 6 weeks
Informing and involving the PCC
Fund-raising among neighbours
Session 2
One was having unique ideas (think out of the box)
Focusing on non ringers as well as ringers
encouraging local community involvement (hitting as many pockets as possible)
Countering Complaints
Session 1
Pre-emptive strike by letting people know in advance about what is happening (especially new neighbours). By also generating lots of likes on Facebook is shows that it is valued by the community and it is harder for someone to complain
Invite person to view the bells and meet the ringers
Be aware of how much ringing is taking place (i.e. don’t ring on too many consecutive days)
Session 2
keeping in with the clergy
be public - The more people are aware of what you're doing, when you're doing it, how long it's going to go on for, the less likely there are to be complaints in the first place
Don’t be unsociable – noise control, use simulator, not too much ringing close together, avoid ringing late in the evening
Other
Session 1
Keep plugging away BUT
Not a hard sell
Ensure participation
Session 2
No group discussion around this topic