The Friends of All Saints' Wytham (FAS) was set up in June 2006, with the aim of uniting all those who love and value All Saints' church and its role as a hub in the community.
The Friends endeavour to:
- Encourage fellowship amongst individuals from the wider community of Wytham, Wolvercote and the surrounding areas.
- Support the work of the church in the broader community
- Help in the care and development of the church as a focal point of the village
- Assist in preserving the building and its contents for posterity and for active use by future generations.
The Friends are consituted as a sub-committee of the Parochial Church Council (PCC). However the Friends organising committee is independent of the PCC. The Friends section of the church accounts is presented annually at the Friends AGM, usually held in June or July.
The Friends committee is a maximum of nine, four of whom must be members of the PCC. The Committee are elected by and from subscribing members each year at the AGM. The majority of the Committee are also PCC members but we actively encourage participation from the wider community.
Each year the Friends organise a variety of events to encourage fellowship amongst the community and also to raise funds to improve the fabric of the church and broaden its appeal.
What have we achieved thus far?
Our current major focus is to support the PCC in its project to refurbish the church organ, which was originally built and installed in the church around 1899, and despite being lovingly cared for many generations, is now in need of major works to secure its voice for the future.
Over recent years monies raised by FAS, together with various grants, donations and sponsorships, have paid for the restoration of the church roof, internal redecoration, creation of a more efficient servery space, and installation of toilet facilities, as well as renovation of internal woodworks and many other smaller projects. However the church is over 200 years old and is in need of constant attention to preserve it for the future - so our work to raise funds is on-going!
Many local people and organisations already help support our cause - the Wytham Woods team, Wytham Village Hall, Cricket Club, Wytham Village Stores, and The Hill End Centre to name but a few - without them all we could not achieve many of the things we do - a big "Thank You" goes to everyone who helps - we are truly very grateful for everything you do for us.
Some of our activities have included:
- Private guided visits to a variety of places including cathedrals, tours of local historic properties and gardens, and specialist viewings led by experts at Oxford Colleges and other places of interest.
- "Raise the Roof" - a special rock & roll night, with lively entertainment by local band The Crimps
- Support for the annual Wolvercote & Wytham Summer Festival, hosting concerts and art shows in the church
- Many formal and informal social get-togethers, often with short talks and including cream teas held in village gardens and "fizz" receptions generously hosted by FAS members.
We have a rolling programme of social events and outings and are happy to take on board ideas for more - we are always glad of help with organising too! You can find information on our events schedule under the "Regular services and special events " tab in the menu on this website.
Joining the Friends of All Saints'
New members are always welcome. The membership subscription is currently £12.00 per annum. If you are able to make use of Gift Aid then the £12.00 is worth £15.00 to the Friends, at no additional cost to you.
You can pick up a copy of the application form in the church or download it here http://wytham-church.org.uk/joining_FAS.pdf
This download also has a Gift Aid form, a form for instructing a standing order should you wish to set up a regular subscription payment for us and a copy of our Data Privacy Notice, which we would like you to read.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thank you for all your support!