The joy of giving
The world seems to be divided into givers and takers.
Christians are givers. In the UK they give on average 5.3 per cent of their income, or £124 a month in charitable donations, according to the 2026 Generosity Report of the philanthropy charity Stewardship. Committed Christians – those who attend Church and read the Bible at least once a week – give £314 a month on average, equivalent to 11.2 per cent of their income. This is more than four times the average UK donation to charity.
It appears that bell ringing is also divided into givers and takers. Givers ring on Sundays. The takers usually do not. Speaking as a clergyman I can say that there are some good reasons for not ringing on a Sunday. Leading public worship is one of them.
Takers treat Sunday morning as a lie in followed by shopping.
Sunday ringing is important. A priest I know of was ill in bed, feeling low on a Sunday morning until he heard the bells of the church he led. It lifted his spirit to know that the bells were announcing that worship was happening in church and that it did not depend on him.
Givers go on courses and teach learners to ring. Givers struggle through Bob Doubles and Plain Hunt patiently. (We were all learners. Someone had patience with us when we were ringing plain courses of Grandsire Doubles by numbers.) Givers become tower captains and go on Safeguarding courses. They provide leadership. No band flourishes without energy being put into leadership. Givers become Association officers to encourage ringing in their area. Givers give significant money to bell restorations.
Takers do none of these things. So, there is a question to be answered. As a bell ringer am I a giver or a taker? Is ringing my service or just my pleasure?
Dale Barton