Help us buy Court Orchard Field – for the village, for good, for ever!
We are currently fundraising to support our bid to buy a 2.45 acre field adjoining the church grounds.
Why?
• To secure vital green space at the heart of the village with charity ownership;
• To protect and enhance a priceless church that is meaningful to us all, whether we are churchgoers or not;
• To continue and improve wildlife-friendly management of hedges and pasture;
• To provide an outdoor space for village and church use;
• To encourage other uses in line with our charitable objectives.
Court Orchard Field lies within a Conservation Area, as designated in 1993 and extended in 2010. Among key features of the village, the Conservation Area appraisal refers to “central open space and fields underpinning the country setting of the church and contributing to rural character.”
The same document continues, referring specifically to Court Orchard Field: “Ryall Road travels downhill providing clear views of the church or glimpses of it through the occasional interruption in a boundary. As the road bends to the south, it widens and a gateway into a field provides even greater views of the church. The contribution of this field is significant, as it helps underpin the church’s prominence and country setting (a local name for the church is Cathedral of the Vale), establishes a sense of openness and allows a visual connection to the wider countryside.”
We feel that the very character of the village – a rural community built around a unique, ancient place of worship and shrine – depends on this special space remaining a field in perpetuity. If we can also make it available for occasional use by the community, as an extension of what the church building itself provides, this will bring an additional benefit.
The full Conservation Area appraisal document is available online here (links to Dorset Council website).
How?
Please donate to The Friends of St Candida’s bid for the field by Wednesday 14th May. We need to raise in excess of £50,000 to succeed. We don’t have long! Please join us in making this happen for everyone.
Please note: Donations will be refunded if we fail to buy the field (minus any third-party transaction fees).
Ways to donate
1. You can donate to our online crowdfunding appeal at gofund.me/ad2172b3.
2. You can donate into our bank account, either online or in a branch:
The Friends of St Candida | TSB Bank
Sort code 77 50 35 | Account number 19449760
3. You can send a cheque, payable to ‘The Friends of St Candida’, to FoSC, West Field, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset DT6 6RF. Please mark the back of your envelope ‘Court Orchard Field Appeal’.
If you are a UK taxpayer, and will pay income and/or capital gains tax in the current tax year amounting to 25% of your donation or more, please contact us and we will send you a Gift Aid form. This will allow us to reclaim the basic rate tax you have paid, adding an extra 25p to every £1 you donate.