We desperately need help to refurbish the beautiful spire on our church.

OVERVIEW OF REPAIRS TO SPIRE AND ADJOINING ROOF

All Saints’ Church dominates the crosssroads at Rockwell Green on the western side of Wellington, from where it has served local people for 130 years, as a place of worship and for other community activities

The original design had no tower or spire but these were added in 1908. On top of the 60ft tower, the 50ft spire sits and is constructed of a wooden framework clad in 12” x 3” shingles.

Over the years exposure of the spire to the elements, especially winds from the southwest, has taken its toll on the shingles and their fixing to the spire’s wooden framework. Recent inspection by specialist steeplejacks has shown that considerable work is now needed as a matter of urgency to secure the spire’s long-term future.

The recommended work consists of extensive replacement of the shingles, repairing where needed the underlying timber framework, and replacement of frames and glass to 8 Archer windows in the spire. Western Steeplejacks have quoted £18,000 for the works, excluding any repairs to the underlying timbers. Allowing a 10% contingency plus £5,000 (per the Quinquennial 2019 Report) for roof repairs where water is penetrating the ringing chamber and staircase thereto, the total funds required amount to £25,000.

As the estimated cost of £25,000 cannot be met from our limited current resources we are seeking grants and other contributions to the cost from sources both local and further afield.

REGULAR SERVICES

All Saints’ is an anglo-catholic church, the only one between Taunton and Tiverton, thus some of the regular congregation who are anglo-catholics live outside the parish as it is their nearest church offering that tradition.

There is a Sung Eucharist service every Sunday and a mid-week Holy Communion service once a month pre Covid.

BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS

A number of baptisms are held each year, normally into double figures in total. We facilitated a Polish baptism fairly recently.

Only a small number of weddings are held each year, Including In the past a Greek Orthodox wedding where neither bride nor groom were members of the congregation, just residents of Rockwell Green, and an Indian wedding.

Funerals normally run into double figures in total each year. Again, in the past, one has been a Greek Orthodox funeral and one was for one of the people who helped negotiate the "treaty" that founded the state of Israel with someone from the Jewish community taking part of the service plus the Israeli national anthem as the coffin left the church. All Saints’ is also the local preferred church for “Travellers” funerals where the numbers in the congregation can total over 200 with the service being relayed outside.

ROCKWELL GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL (RGS)

RGS is a Church of England Primary School of about 200 pupils. There is a strong link with the school who attend the church 3 times a year for end of term services and at Harvest. All Saints’ provides the school with a part time lay chaplain who arranges a number of “experience days” in the church for the pupils during the year. The churchyard is also the fire/disaster assembly point for the school.

OTHER SERVICES

In recent years

1) We have been hosts on several occasions for the Emergency Workers annual service.

2) We have been the chosen church on at least two occasions for the service to inaugerate the Mayor of Taunton Deane.

3) We have acted as the host church for the annual service for the Bible Society and a Songs of Praise for Churches together in Wellington.

.4) We have hosted Wellington School on several occasions to sing a choral evensong attended by pupils and parents including the provision of food for the choristers.

OUTREACH

Three groups meet once a month in different weeks so that 3 of the 4 weeks each month have a regular event

Knit, Sew and Natter. This is a craft group of 15, a third not being regular congregation. They make teddy bears given to children who are baptised and items for other deserving causes eg Hospisecare.

Soup ‘n Bite. This is a soup lunch group.

Recycled Teenagers. This group have “proper tea” (teapot, sandwiches and cake) and usually have a speaker.

CHURCH HALL KNOWN AS THE LANG ROOM

This facility is let to third parties (Guide Troup, University of the third age, Railway group, felting group, weekly to a craft shop based in Wellington for teaching classes. It is also used by the church for meetings and fundraising events which engage with the general public (eg art exhibitions, quizzes).