Eye - 15 February 2013

From hidden treasure to the sound of silence

Hidden treasure

The fledgling Ashburton Meeting hopes that it has found a nest from which to flourish.

A former chapel, tucked down an alleyway in the centre of the town, caught a local Friend’s attention as an excellent potential Meeting house and has inspired a project that has not only drawn Friends together but deepened the life of the Meeting.

Amanda Woolley got in touch with Eye to tell the tale: ‘Passing thought turned into conversation and became inspiration to act adventurously. Even though Ashburton Quaker Meeting was at that time only held once a fortnight midweek, an idea took root. There was a vision and sense of prompting that there would be spiritual seekers and community activities in the town for whom a Quaker base could provide a home…

‘The first local fundraising-come-outreach event last summer packed the town hall to watch Plain Quakers perform Chocolate Paradox. We think it was the topical theme about banking that attracted people and the chocolate goodies for refreshments might have helped too!’

With a small team, they decided that they would only take on fundraising events if they were also fun and reached out to the community.

‘Some of us, fuelled by the urge to recycle and reuse precious “stuff”, decided to hold a Treasure Trove Sale in November. The excitement of the occasion even saw some of us out in the main street festooned with treasures. Three lampshade- and tea-cosy-crowned kings created a surge in customers when they pointed people to the sale! Buoyed up by success in raising £500 to share between the Quaker building and a local youth project we then held “Treasure Trove: The Sequel” in nearby Totnes alongside the Christmas Market.’

The main appeal launches in 2013. So far the project has proven to be about more than the practicalities of creating a Meeting house. As Amanda says, ‘it has become a way to breathe life into the fledgling Ashburton Meeting, build relationships with churches and groups in the town and create bonds with Totnes, our parent Meeting, and with other small Meetings in Devon.’

The sound of silence

If Eye were to ask you to predict the potential sales of a CD consisting entirely of silence, what would your guess be? Would it rival Justin Bieber or Take That?

Perhaps not quite on that scale; however, the lure of peace and quiet has had a surprising effect on fundraising efforts at St Peter’s Church in Seaford, .

An ‘alternative chill-out’ CD, featuring thirty minutes of church silence – complete with squeaking pews, the hum of distant traffic and occasional soft foot-falls – has sold out, with orders being received from as far afield as Germany, Austria and Ghana.

Gordon Steel, of South London Area Meeting, spotted the report in the Metro on 28 January. The CD is part of the fundraising efforts for repairs to the twelfth century church.

A friendly ode

There once was a Friend called Elaine
Who never herself reached Faslane
She heard from a buddy
It was dreadfully muddy
How brave that they stayed in the rain!

Anonymous

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