Photo: The FOSM committee taken at the annual garden party at the vicarage in August 2024
Left to right: Tim Lee, Babsi Friksted, Elaine Evans, Roger Graham, Christine Flannery, Jeremy Cooper (Chairman), Chris Northen, Malcolm Kneller
The Friends of St Mildred's pass £200,000 milestone
Report by Jeremy Cooper, Chairman of FOSM 2021-2024
As Chairman of the Committee of the Friends of St Mildred’s (affectionately known as FOSM), I am delighted to report that as we approach the end of the first decade of our existence, FOSM has passed the significant fundraising milestone of £200,000!
All this money, has contributed to the maintenance, restoration and beautification of the parish church of St Mildred’s. By any standards, this is a momentous achievement. It reflects both the dedication and sheer hard work of FOSM Committee members over the past 10 years, and the generosity of Friends and supporters in a variety of settings. Whilst a third of our income is drawn from the subscriptions of Friends (of whom we currently have around 135), it is the combination of the revenue from FOSM events and the generosity of a wide range of doners (often in the form of a legacy) that has driven our annual income ever higher.
Over the years, St Mildred’s has hosted a wide range of events under the oversight of the FOSM team. Operas, chamber music, choral performances, intimate jazz events, and talks by distinguished speakers have regularly drawn large audiences guaranteeing a steady income stream to fund our charitable purposes. Over the course of the past few months we have organized two major jazz events, the first in March by the ever popular Benoit Viellefon Hot Club, and the second to take place in September 2024, featuring the Kate Daniels Sextet or at Webb’s in Tenterden High St. In complete contrast, we have recently been entertained and moved by the superbly talented Polish musicians - pianist Anna Szalucka and violinist Jaga Klimaszewska - and the virtuoso British Dutch harpist Rosanna Rolton.
My term of office as Chairman of FOSM comes to an end in November of this year (2024), and my successor will be appointed at the AGM to be held in St Mildred’s at 11am on Sunday 17th November. I have greatly enjoyed my work with FOSM and am fortunate to be leaving behind me a strong, motivated and buoyant Committee. I much look forward to following the continuing progress of FOSM in the coming years.
If you are not already a Friend, please consider becoming one. The suggested annual sub is only £15, and the more new Friends we recruit, the more we can do to look after the fabric of the beautiful St Mildreds’s Church. For more details, contact our Honorary Secretary, Jill Clark on O7775 677449
Jeremy Cooper, Chairman of FOSM 2021-2024