The Friends of St James’ fund has been set up as a dedicated account which is reserved solely for the purpose of funding projects that help maintain this historic church building which is such an iconic building in Clapham and to develop its wider use.

The grade 2 listed Church has a long history going back to 1160 with the existing building having a tower added in the 15th century with further extensions in the early 1800’s. The bell tower holds 6 bells that are rung regularly by both our local bell ringers and visiting teams.

As time moves on the interior of the church building needs to be adapted to make seating more flexible so it can be used for many other occasions beyond its original purpose (film shows, music, theatre, exhibitions, village fete etc). It is extremely important for historic, cultural and social reasons that it remains in good repair and that modifications are able to be carried out; funds need to be readily available for structural projects: these are not funded by the Diocese.

Importantly, the fund is segregated from the church’s main account, which pays for general running costs of oil, electricity, cleaning, and general maintenance. The fund is overseen by Helen Rollinson Treasurer of the PCC and the Friends.

All those who sign up to Friends will be kept well informed via email about projects and developments proposed by the PCC.

How can you help?

Annual donations. Please use the Church’s bank details below to set up an annual direct debit with your bank, any amount will help. Please also fill in the enclosed form and return it to Helen Rollinson so that gift aid can be claimed and your contact details can be recorded.

Legacies in your will: There is another important box to tick if you feel so inclined and that is about making legacies in your will. If you tick that box you will receive further information about how to proceed. This is a great way of making a tax free donation to the fund and help with longer term funding.

If you feel you can support the future of our Church building: Thank you. Please can you complete the form which is available to pick up directly from the back of the church, or downloadable from this page, or contact Helen Rollinson at Clapham shop.

Philip Farrer (Chair of Friends of St James’)
Helen Rollinson (Treasurer PCC)