PRIORY SCHOOL, LEWES MEMORIAL CHAPEL
NEWS AND EVENTS
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ORGAN BURSARIES
Ongoing Organ Bursary. Following initial success with the first scholar and reviewing costs, a second scholarship was added. Following the 2017 reunion and a generous donation, a third scholar has been added to the programme. The programme is a rolling ongoing one with new scholars being inducted as the older ones leave school. This is a tremendous programme and owes its inception to the idea and financial support of Charles Whitham, a former pupil of Lewes County Grammar School for Boys.
NEW SIGNS FOR THE CHAPEL
Sept 2016 - Information boards commissioned and installed with
the official unveiling at the 3/11/16 Remembrance Day service.
BUILDING SURVEY
The Trustees received the results of the building survey they commissioned. The building is in reasonable condition but there are areas of maintenance that will need to be addressed over the next 10 years amounting to approx £150,000 at today's prices. Initial discussions have been held with Priory School to establish what parts of this maintenance programme would be covered by the School and to identify areas that may fall outside that which the School deemed necessary and essential. As discussed on the Building Appeal page, initial funds have been raised and projects to repair/replace a number of doors and to repair/refinish the flooring along with external cleaning have been completed.
The next stage is repairs to the windows.
NEWS AND EVENTS - CONTINUED
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JUNIOR TRUSTEES
The Chapel Trustees sought Junior Trustees from the Priory School pupils to foster involvement of current generations in the Chapel story and to seek the ideas of a younger generation. The Junior Trustees have the opportunity to see how the Trust works, to identify specific projects of their own (for which they have a modest budget if needed) and to work together to bring these to fruition. To date, the Junior Trustees have designed a Trust logo based on one of the stained glass windows in the Chapel, conducted video interviews with some of the Trustees (now available on this site) and are currently working on creation of a Chapel Display Board for the School, a Junior Trustees Notice Board for the School and also an article to be published in the Sussex Express newspaper. They are also hoping to set up a Facebook page for the Chapel during this academic year.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Starting in 2018, the Trustees have been supporting prizes/awards to Key Stage 3 pupils and also Sporting Awards at Priory School.
The Trustees have also agreed to support an annual World War One battlefields trip that the school normally organises. The intention was to extend access to a foreign trip that some pupils might not otherwise be able to attend. In 2019 as it was not be possible to organise the battlefields trip, the Trustees agreed to support a visit to the Imperial War Museum. It is hoped the battlefield trip can be re-instated from 2020.
The Trust is also funding the award of the Edgar Povey Trophy, a prize regularly awarded at the Lewes County Grammar School for Boys. a silver chalice with the names of the winners engraved is kept at Priory School. The award is for exceptional service.
THE 55 - A STORY SET IN STONE
Noted Lewes author and journalist and current Chapel Trustee, David Arnold has produced a new book bringing together all the historic material on the Chapel and updated it with new research into the lives the of some of the 55. This was a major work and having been launched in 2018 at the Lewes History Society, is still being promoted to new audiences to increase knowledge of the Chapel and the Trust.
Recently Completed Projects
The Trust awarded a contract for restoration of the bell to Nicholson Engineering, bell hangers of Bridport. Work commenced in July 2020 and was completed 11th August 2020. With the Covid restrictions, the annual Remembrance Day Service couldn't be held but the bell was rung 55 times on 11th November. Several people local to the area came and stood in social isolation and in silence. The event was filmed by BBC South East Today and broadcast at 6.30 p.m. on 11th November. It was particularly poignant as one of the major sponsors of the bell restoration, Ray Moore brother of Fred Moore one of the 55, was able to hear the bell tolling from his home in Cheshire by the use of mobile phone. The coverage by the BBC and in the Sussex Express was also transmitted to him.
Thanks must also go to Lewes Scaffolding Ltd who provided all necessary scaffolding.
As reported on the Building Appeal page, the exterior of the building has been cleaned (summer 2022), the lobby floor has been carpeted (summer 2022) and the cork tiling to the chapel refurbished (summer 2022). Our thanks to Image Flooring Ltd, for the lobby flooring, S&P Flooring for the cork tile refurbishment and to Heritage Blast Cleaning Co for the external cleaning.