Friends Page

The Friends of St Margaret's Church

This 12th Century Church of St Margaret's at Cliffe stands on an earlier Saxon site and may have been built by the same artisans who constructed the Priory of St Martin in Dover.

The Friends hve charitable status, and were formed to assist in raising funds for the preservation and maintenance of the church's ancient fabric.

Over time, each generation has made its own contribution to this fine Norman building, so that it still remains available to us all to appreciate and enjoy, whether it be for regular worship, weddings, christenings, remembrabces or celebrations.

Now it falls to us to ensure that this 800 year old ancient building is preserved for future generations to enjoy. These buildings require constant restoration and repair, and this is where The Friends of St Margaret's Church help.

Whatever your interest, we invite you to become a Friend and make a regular payment to this worthy cause. Whether you are a local who was born, married or christened here, or a visitor enjoying the beauty of the church and its surrounding area, there are many reasons to join.

Throughout the year, The Friends organise a number of fundraising events for the village enjoyment, which are designed to embrace everyone and all ages of the community. Suitable live music events are held in the church, whilst the Village Hall has been the venue for bands, suppers and dances.

This invitation is open to individuals, families, companies and organisations.

If you would like to know more about The Friends, you can telephone either David Benton (Chairman) on 01304 852261, Muriel Lewis on 01304 852236 or Brenda Paul (Hon. Treasurer) on 01304 852084.

For those who would like to join or donate, please click on the Application form link below:

Application Form

Here is a the latest newsletter from The Friends:-

Newsletter to 'The Friends' of St Margaret’s, January 2012

Dear ‘Friend’,

The Committee would like to thank members very much for their kind contributions to The Friends over the last year.

It's worth repeating here that, as most people know, St Margaret's church is a Grade 1 Listed Building and an historic monument as well as a village church serving the local community. As such, any form of restoration, repair or maintenance is governed by strict regulations and results in much higher cost than one might expect. The Friends' fund-raising is therefore vital to the upkeep of the church.

As you know, the purpose of our recent fund-raising has been to help to finance the restoration of the architrave above the West Door of the church. As a result, The Friends were able to donate £7,250 to this project. This amount was raised by support at the events organised by the Committee and by the annual subscriptions and generous donations to The Friends.

PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THE NEXT FRIENDS EVENT, WHICH PROMISES TO BE AN EXTRA SPECIAL ONE:

                                     The Canterbury Cathedral Choir
                                              Saturday 26th May
                                           7.30pm in our Church
                         Programme to include two organ recitals by David Flood
                Tickets £10.00 including wine and light refreshments (on sale in March)

Other events will also be advertised on this website, so please watch this space (and the Events page).

Again, the Committee thanks all Friends members and we look forward to your continued support in 2012.

Yours sincerely,

David Benton,

Chairman

The principal objective of The Friends is to beautify and assist in the maintenance of the fabric of the Parish Church of St Margaret of Antioch, St Margaret's at Cliffe, in the Diocese of Canterbury, and preserve and protect it as a place of Christian Worship.