Our magnificent tower, a landmark in the Heaton Community since 1899,  was built for a peal of bells which for whatever reason didn’t happen.  We have been offered a ring of 8 bells from a disused chapel in Wales. These bells were cast in 1893 and are of exceptional quality. We would like to have 4 additional bells cast (including one cast from scrapped bells from a closed church in Darlington) to make a complete ring of 12.

Our Parochial Church Council has accepted this offer, subject to a faculty (Church of England planning permission) and fundraising for bell refurbishment, building work and soundproofing.

We need your help. Please consider being a part of this once-in-lifetime project. By sponsoring one of the 12 bells, you would leave a legacy and inscription that will literally last for centuries. you may choose to do this in remembrance of a loved one or to give thanks for a marriage, birth, anniversary, success or celebration. 

Each bell will be inscribed with the name(s) of the sponsor(s) and the dedication. It will be heard across the local area before services and to mark national events. 

An individual, family or group of people could sponsor a bell together. Each bell is priced at £12,500. 

The art of Bellringing is a unique aspect of our cultral heritage. You could become a bellringer at St Gabriel’s and help keep this tradition alive! 

Thank you for considering donating to this exciting project!

Donations can be made via Bank Transfer

 Account Name:  St Gabriel’s PCC
Sort Code: 30 91 50
Account Number: 00569227

Reference “Bells (and then your surname)”

 Or we can accept cash / cheques (made payable to St Gabriel’s PCC) at the Parish Office.  If you are a UK taxpayer, you are able to increase the value of your donation by 25p for every £1 you donate. By completing the form overleaf, Gabriel’s Church, Heaton will be able to reclaim gift aid on your donation.

Alternatively you can dontae online Via Stewardship.

We pay a small processing fee per transaction on Stewardship donations. To ensure your whole donation goes to the Bells Project, please donate via Bank Transfer (BACS) if possible. Thank you.

Summer 2026 update. 

We have continued to make progress towards our vision of a ring of twelve bells installed in our magnificent tower and regularly rung from there, with appropriate and effective soundproofing in place. I am grateful to the other members of our small Bells Committee for their hard work, help and support as we continue to meet regularly and move forwards.

A very detailed faculty (Church of England planning permission) application was submitted to the Diocesan Advisory Committee in time for its 4th June meeting and initial feedback from it was favourable. A six week consultation period followed when all interested bodies, organisations and associations had an opportunity to comment. No comments were received. A period of public consultation followed and as I write, we are optimistic that a faculty will be granted soon.

Eleven of our twelve bells have now been fully funded, and we have unconfirmed interest from a potential 12 th donor. We were grateful to receive a donation from Ringtons, a very highly regarded business with a long and historic link to St Gabriel’s. Ringtons have also generously offered to provide refreshments for our inaugural event although this is currently some way off!

In order to raise the remaining 49% of the total budget, to cover all the structural work, scaffolding, soundproofing, bells refurbishment, casting and engraving, then transporting and installing them, we continue to welcome every donation large or small. We shall also be applying to foundations, trusts and organisations for additional funding.

One such organisation is the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Association of Bellringers which is soon celebrating its 150 th birthday. We are confident we shall meet the aims of the Association which are
-  promoting the ringing of bells for Christian worship and on other appropriate occasions
 – recruiting and training ringers
 – encouraging the art of change ringing
 – helping ringers to improve the standard of their ringing
 – the care and restoration of bells and their fittings

We have also recently launched a Major Donor scheme. Anyone able to donate £5,000 or more towards the undertaking will be named on an honours-type board in the Ringing Room and in an illustrated book we are creating about the whole project. We are most grateful to our first three Major Donors. However, we are also very appreciative of every single pound which edges us towards our goal, so please pick up an Appeals Leaflet from the display at the back of Church, look on the
Church website, or talk to me anytime if you feel you might be able to contribute.

Anne Pickering
Lead – The Bells Committee, on behalf of the PCC (Parochial Church Council)