Ringing Forums

There is this guidance on planning an outing which largely translates to organising quarter peals too: https://runningatower.cccbr.org.uk/docs/buildingateam/outing/
I agree with Philip and John that finding the ringers available on a given date, suitable for a chosen method, often comes first and finding the tower follows.

If your friend is struggling to organise there could be two main reasons:
Some people don’t find it easy to plan ahead and need a pretend deadline to force themselves to get organised in advance
If your friend is trying to arrange more challenging quarter peals they might struggle to get people to say yes because people will worry that the band will not be able to manage the chosen method (or perhaps the chosen bells)
Ask your friend why they think they struggle, consider splitting the responsibility in a different way so that one of you finds the ringers and the other finds the tower and collects the tower donation, you could alternate responsibilities on different quarters.
Consider whether someone else who regularly rings with you would like to sometimes be the organiser, to share the workload.
If someone isn’t able to organise that doesn’t mean you need to exclude them from ringing in the quarters but I can understand that relying on them to organise and then having a last minute cancellation is frustrating.

Next Ringing Recruitment Network event: Sun 19th July – Catch them young – recruiting new ringers through After School Clubs.

Join us at 8 pm UK time for this open on-line meeting of the Ringing Recruitment Network – anyone with an interest in recruiting new and returning ringers is welcome to attend.

This session will feature a talk from Adam Greenley (Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild) on recruitment of Young Ringers. The talk will be followed by Q&A and discussion.

Register for the event here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mWk2Jf70QQCNz8AGZ0jpPg (you’ll receive an automated email with the joining instructions)

Sign up for the Ringing Recruitment Network mailing list: https://cccbr.info/recruitmentnetwork

Looking forward to the discussions! If you have suggestions for a speaker or topic, feel free to get in touch (rrratcccbrdotorgdotuk).

On behalf of the CCCBR Recruit, Regain, Retain subgroup of the Ringing 2030 Recruitment & Development workgroup

Next Ringing Recruitment Network event: Sun 19th July – Catch them young – recruiting new ringers through After School Clubs.

Join us at 8 pm UK time for this open on-line meeting of the Ringing Recruitment Network – anyone with an interest in recruiting new and returning ringers is welcome to attend.

This session will feature a talk from Adam Greenley (Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild) on recruitment of Young Ringers. The talk will be followed by Q&A and discussion.

Register for the event here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mWk2Jf70QQCNz8AGZ0jpPg (you’ll receive an automated email with the joining instructions)

Sign up for the Ringing Recruitment Network mailing list: https://cccbr.info/recruitmentnetwork

Looking forward to the discussions! If you have suggestions for a speaker or topic, feel free to get in touch (rrratcccbrdotorgdotuk).

On behalf of the CCCBR Recruit, Regain, Retain subgroup of the Ringing 2030 Recruitment & Development workgroup

I agree that there are times when I would like to be able to ‘thumbs up’ a post to show that I agree with their point without having to reply and create a post to say so.
A relatively small number of people in the forum regularly reply to posts and I get that the point is to encourage discussion but enabling people to easily show support for a view expressed or for an idea posted could be helpful.

Yes! In the small world of ringing the General Secretary has asked me (and a couple of others) for some background and as this is a situation I know reasonably well we will see whether it can be resolved.
I have never heard of it being about a local complaint and I think it had more to do with the ringers not being part of the congregation (from my experience with this vicar and a local ringer who wanted to try to get ringing going again) but let’s see whether a two year gap since the last try brings a new opportunity.

Most Associations have someone in an Officer role who can help a tower captain to talk to a vicar about handling noise complaints. It’s useful to have an Officer of the Association to support because that keeps it relatively objective (rather than locally emotional) and demonstrates the level of organisation in ringing which aims to keep bells ringing without unduly upsetting the neighbours. So my first suggestion for your friend would be to talk to a district or Association officer and ask for support to set up a meeting with the vicar to discuss the complaint and the impact on ringing. There are some helpful guidelines on the cccbr website (https://cccbr.org.uk/resources/stewardship-and-management/dealing-with-complaints/ ) which can also help but if the current position is a kind of stand off with a lack of communication then it makes sense to bring in someone more objective if they want to re-open the discussion.

We (Middlesex) moved to MemberMojo three years ago and knew that one risk was that people would not renew when an email is asking them rather than a tower captain that they see face to face. Actually we’ve had very little drop off, at least partly because we had emails for 90% of people so could upload the existing members to start with. We have still encourage tower captains to remind people that it is renewal time and we download a report so each tower contact gets a list of who has renewed in their tower after the deadline but before the last chance for the annual report and that seems to help.
One big decision is whether emails about branch practices, etc are then only sent to members or whether you maintain email lists for interested ringers separately. In Middlesex we chose to keep out Google group for emails about practices, weddings, quarters, etc whilst Surrey chose to only email members. There are pros and cons to both approaches when it comes to creating ringing opportunities for engaged and willing to travel ringers.

They are on the cccbr website, in the briefings tab of the workgroup page: https://cccbr.org.uk/about/workgroups/recruitment-and-development/

Next Ringing Recruitment Network event: Sun 31 May - integrating ringing into the local community

Join us at 8 pm UK time for this open meeting of the Ringing Recruitment Network - anyone with an interest in recruiting new and returning ringers is welcome to attend.
This session will feature a talk from Dave Cropp (Worcester & Districts Guild) on recruitment through integrating ringing into the local community. The talk will be followed by Q&A and discussion.

Register for the event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_N1WQ9nuT2mss2DCCXoxIg (you'll receive an automated email with the joining instructions)

Sign up for the Ringing Recruitment Network mailing list: https://cccbr.info/recruitmentnetwork

Looking forward to the discussions! If you have suggestions for a speaker or topic, feel free to get in touch (rrratcccbrdotorgdotuk).

Next Ringing Recruitment Network event: Sun 31 May- integrating ringing into the local community

Join us at 8 pm UK time for this open meeting of the Ringing Recruitment Network - anyone with an interest in recruiting new and returning ringers is welcome to attend.
This session will feature a talk from Dave Cropp (Worcester & Districts Guild) on recruitment through integrating ringing into the local community. The talk will be followed by Q&A and discussion.

Register for the event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_N1WQ9nuT2mss2DCCXoxIg (you'll receive an automated email with the joining instructions)

Sign up for the Ringing Recruitment Network mailing list: https://cccbr.info/recruitmentnetwork

Looking forward to the discussions! If you have suggestions for a speaker or topic, feel free to get in touch (rrratcccbrdotorgdotuk).

I agree that smaller groups tend to take more active responsibility in making decisions than big groups.
Roger talked about having workshops on a topic instead of business meetings (at Guild level) and this would also, probably, be more productive as a use of face to face time when people have travelled especially.

@Robert Brown - “if you take the cost of sending multiple reps to a meeting which could be done on line and used that money differently you could fund a lot more grass roots activity.”

I think that generally in ringing money is not the issue and what prevents more activity being offered (at any level, grass roots or centrally) is people’s willingness to invest time.
I like that people can now choose to be part of a workgroup and therefore aim to make some impact without needing to also be an elected rep for their Association or Guild but I do also see that this leaves some reps ‘only’ turning up once a year to represent and not actively contributing or questioning what’s being done.
We see that in many areas the enthusiasm of new ringers is being funnelled into activity which helps to grow ringing opportunities for everyone and this is definitely a good model which can support re-vitalisation of ringing but it does depend (usually) on good support and encouragement from more experienced ringers.
I think the big challenge with the demographic change in ringers across the years is the availability of free time and the willingness to invest time in organising ringing opportunities, including supporting less experienced ringers.

There are other threads in ringing forums which have discussed how to create more opportunities, what we learnt from Ring for the King as a big recruitment campaign with insufficient teachers available and much much more but I don’t think the cost of getting to the Central Council weekend is a significant factor in ringing opportunities for local ringers development around the branches and districts of associations and guilds which are affiliated.

Our next Recruitment and Development workgroup briefing is on Sunday 17th May (also 8pm UK time) and will focus on Leadership and how we can support ringers to volunteer for responsibility with confidence.

We now have a mailing list so anyone who has previously asked to receive the invitation will receive the invitation again but you can be added to the mailing list by going to https://cccbr.info/rdbriefings
The Teams link will be sent on 3rd May to everyone in the mailing list.

The briefing will again be recorded so that slides and recording can both be found on the website afterwards.

“We’ve consulted all towers by conducting a baseline survey of the state of ringing in our District, and conducted a well-attended consultation evening, where there was constructive discussion and everyone put their suggestions down on post-it notes.”

I think this specific kind of consultation has a better chance of engagement than the general meeting which often has a running order of going through the motions and little to be discussed.
I agree that you have more chance of engaging members if you can provide information about what you want to discuss, the issue to be addressed, and then people will come to talk about it.

Lynne and Barry from St Clements Cambridge came to talk to the Essex Course a couple of weeks ago and I think that was a really good way to get enthusiastic ringers, new or more experienced, talking about how a ringing centre could help to develop ringers all year round.

You theoretically could but there are probably better systems to enable votes on multiple topics to be anonymous even though each person should only be allowed to vote once on each topic.
With the MemberMojo store the administrator would see who ‘bought’ each vote so you would have to trust this person to keep it confidential.

A Google form could be sent out using MemberMojo to email only members and can stop the same email address being used twice and is easy for most people to use on phone or computer web browsers with anonymous results but I don’t know whether it can stop people forwarding the link to an alternative email address to gain more voters.

The workgroup briefings are available as a video to watch or slides to scan through on the briefings tab of the website here: https://cccbr.org.uk/about/workgroups/recruitment-and-development/ if you were unable to join but are interested in the content.
Discussion ranged from how best to connect potential recruits with teaching towers from guild websites to the need for short videos to attract younger recruits and the importance of welcoming returning ringers who may be ‘rusty ringers’.

A quick reminder that if you would like to see best practice Association websites for recruiting new ringers or learn top tips for regaining past ringers and have the chance to join the Recruitment Network then email Paul for the link to the next Recruitment and Development workgroup briefing…
Sunday 8th Feb from 20:00 UK time
RDLeadatcccbrdotorgdotuk

Here’s one link which might help: https://www.whitingsociety.org.uk/old-ringing-books/ellacombe-bells-somerset.html
I’ve definitely read articles on this topic in the Ringing World so it would be worth searching their archives and I think John Harrison will have some advice on sources.

The next Recruitment and Development Ringing 2030 Workgroup briefing will be on Sunday 8th February: R&DBriefingFeb2026
Request the meeting link from RDLeadatcccbrdotorgdotuk if you are interested in how your Association website can help with recruitment AND how to attract lapsed / resting ringers back to ringing.

It sounds like you are being respectful of the band, with their current experience, when suggesting how to work to improve and I think that is also ‘normal’. Ignoring bad striking or giving up trying to teach people how to improve how they ring (as well as what they ring) might feel like a standard experience in your tower but there are lots of towers (including many in Kent I expect) who are always encouraging listening and learning and discussion about the tweaks which can lead to improvements.
I think the difficulty is that many ringers don’t go outside their own tower so if a tower doesn’t have someone willing and able to lead this focus then the band don’t know what they are missing.
In a volunteer led set up it is hard to know how this can be changed as there is lots of information available but no route to ‘manage’ the capabilities of tower captains or ringing masters except district / branch involvement and that depends on volunteers time and capacity as well.
I’m glad you are making a difference to the band you ring with. If you shared your thoughts with the district or branch ringing master or training Officer do you think they would be interested in suggesting following a similar model to other towers who might benefit?