Victoria Keiller, Chad Brown and Peter Thorn
North
Victoria Keiller, Milton Mausoleum
Victoria has been a long time supporter of Milton Mausoleum and recently joined the Friends Committee, brining a new eye and some new ideas. Her recent efforts have included a successful Eurovision themed fundraising evening, which encouraged Ukrainian members of the community to engage with the Mausoleum and raised almost £2,000 in funds for the CCT. Victoria has also produced a leaflet about the building and some of its more famous inhabitants, which has been distributed to local hotels, guest houses, Air BnBs, visitor centres and tourist information points. It is hoped that these leaflets will encourage new audiences to the Mausoleum, bringing in tourists and raising awareness of the building. The team at Milton Maueoleum have always been enthusiastic about their building, but Victoria’s hard work and dynamic approach has given them a new lease of life.
South East
Chad Brown, Sudbury
Chad has worked diligently to capture imagery of the transformation of St Peter’s Church in Sudbury into a community arts centre for everyone to enjoy, in doing so, creating a comprehensive archival collection. He has been all over the site through the building work, scaling scaffolding and the like to capture the story of the transformation of the building, which can be enjoyed for generations to come. Chad is an antiques dealer by trade, and took up photography during the pandemic where he created a photo project of families in Sudbury, showcasing them on their doorsteps when they were on lockdown. For St Peter’s, Chad has taken over 2,000 images which he has shared with the community throughout the transformation of the building so that they can stay informed. His photos showcase the church as a vibrant hub to bring the community together through the arts and they have been a way to keep the community up to date with the project as it happens.
West
Peter Thorn, St Bartholomew’s, Lower Basildon
Peter has been a member of the Friends of St Bartholomew’s Church for many years, going above and beyond to keep the church running smoothly and open for visitors to Berkshire to enjoy. He has looked after the churchyard for many years, keeping the pathways clear, planting wildflowers and liaising with contractors when urgent jobs need to be done. When damage to the roof caused the church to be closed temporarily, Peter acted as keyholder and liaised with the contactors completing the repairs, ensuring that the church was safe at all times. He has been instrumental in raising awareness of the fundraising campaign for the roof, even featuring in the video that was produced! Peter is a solid, all-round volunteer who is a passionate advocate for St Bartholomew’s and can always be relied upon to do what is best for the building.