Friends of St Mary’s Church

The Friends of St Mary’s Church exist to support both the fabric and life of the church. In recent years they have made substantial contributions towards renovation funds, making the building more adaptable for a variety of activities. The Friends helped raise the money required to install temporary heaters that warmed congregations during the winter months. (A new environmentally friendly system is to be installed in 2025. Read more here.)

Income for the account comes partly from subscriptions (£15 a year, though some generous souls give more) but mainly from activities organised by a core group of Friends. These include very popular Come and Sing events, and also Coffee and Cake days - weekly in the summer months, and monthly during the winter. The Friends also serve refreshments during the church’s August Festival. Head over to our Events Page for further details.

Raising Funds and Growing the Friends Network

Currently, in the period leading up to June 2024, our focus is on fundraising for the church’s Reordering Project. For this, St Mary’s is applying for a National Heritage Lottery grant. If successful this will provide 60% of the project’s total cost; to qualify for this we need to show we are on the way to finding the other 40%. But even if the bid is not successful this time the installation of new heating and other elements will go ahead after Christmas. And all money raised this year will be spent in the coming eighteen months.

St Mary’s is already one of the most popular venues in Totnes for concerts and other performances. The plan is to make the church more comfortable and convenient for these and a variety of other activities. For example, we currently cannot accommodate the Torbay Orchestra - who would love to play in Totnes. When the seating is re-ordered - and new loos are provided - we will welcome the Orchestra and many other large groups.

We want the Totnes community to feel ‘ownership’ of this historic and beautiful building. And what better way to feel connected to St Mary’s than joining us and bringing your skills and knowledge to our team? Being a Christian is not a requirement either. Faith is a huge part of our Three Fundamental Purposes but it’s only a part of what we stand for.

By joining the Friends you can help ensure the church remains in good repair for a few more centuries to come. Contact us today for a friendly chat about how you can contribute and we can’t wait to hear from you.