The Heart of Henley - St Mary's Conservation Fund
For centuries, St Mary's Church has stood at the heart of Henley, providing a beautiful and instantly recognisable landmark for visitors and residents alike. The church and the adjoining Chantry House also sit at the heart of Henley's community - providing venues for worship, concerts, exhibitions, new baby and toddler groups, Sunday teas, celebrations and parties. Generations of Henley townspeople have passed through its doors - to be baptised, married and buried, or simply to worship and reflect.
Urgent and costly work is needed on the roofs and drainage to preserve the church building. The lighting and flooring need improvement and the external brick work and monuments will soon need restoration. The preservation of these ancient and much-loved buildings requires continuous effort and considerable sums of money. The church receives no state funding so we rely on the generosity of individuals, companies and trusts to provide the necessary financial support.
St Mary's truly sits at the heart of Henley and it vital that these beautiful and historic buildings are not irreparably damaged or lost. Please help us to protect this piece of Henley's wonderful heritage for generations to come.
Balloon Race - 7 February to 7 March 2010
To launch our fund raising campaign, 300 balloons were released from outside St Mary's Church on 7 February 2010. Every balloon had an owner and their names were on a ticket attached to their balloon. The owners of the two balloons which travelled the farthest and had their tickets returned by 7 March were the winners.
The winning child was 13 year old Daniel Field from Oxford whose balloon made is as far as Couesmes in the Pays de la Loire region of France - travelling an impressive 214 miles as the crow flies.
The winning adult was Hilary Tavinor of Holyport, whose ticket was returned from East Wittering, having travelled about 53 miles due south.
The Balloon Race raised over £400.
The Heart of Henley Hike - 17 May to 21 May 2010
On 17 May 2010, Father Martyn donned his walking boots and hiked 80 miles along the Thames Path from Henley to the Thames Barrier. He completed the walk, accompanied by some hardy parishioners, over 5 consecutive days, and is now planning next year's walk from the Source of the Thames to Henley. There are more details of the journey here.
Making a donation
To make a donation please contact the Parish Office or send a cheque, made payable to "Friends of St Mary's", to:
The Friends of St Mary's
c/o The Rectory
Hart Street
Henley-on-Thames
RG9 2AU
Urgent and costly work is needed on the roofs and drainage to preserve the church building. The lighting and flooring need improvement and the external brick work and monuments will soon need restoration. The preservation of these ancient and much-loved buildings requires continuous effort and considerable sums of money. The church receives no state funding so we rely on the generosity of individuals, companies and trusts to provide the necessary financial support.
St Mary's truly sits at the heart of Henley and it vital that these beautiful and historic buildings are not irreparably damaged or lost. Please help us to protect this piece of Henley's wonderful heritage for generations to come.
Balloon Race - 7 February to 7 March 2010
To launch our fund raising campaign, 300 balloons were released from outside St Mary's Church on 7 February 2010. Every balloon had an owner and their names were on a ticket attached to their balloon. The owners of the two balloons which travelled the farthest and had their tickets returned by 7 March were the winners.
The winning child was 13 year old Daniel Field from Oxford whose balloon made is as far as Couesmes in the Pays de la Loire region of France - travelling an impressive 214 miles as the crow flies.
The winning adult was Hilary Tavinor of Holyport, whose ticket was returned from East Wittering, having travelled about 53 miles due south.
The Balloon Race raised over £400.
The Heart of Henley Hike - 17 May to 21 May 2010
On 17 May 2010, Father Martyn donned his walking boots and hiked 80 miles along the Thames Path from Henley to the Thames Barrier. He completed the walk, accompanied by some hardy parishioners, over 5 consecutive days, and is now planning next year's walk from the Source of the Thames to Henley. There are more details of the journey here.
Making a donation
To make a donation please contact the Parish Office or send a cheque, made payable to "Friends of St Mary's", to:
The Friends of St Mary's
c/o The Rectory
Hart Street
Henley-on-Thames
RG9 2AU