The clock on the Church of the Ascension in Wall Heath stopped working last Spring! The clock is prominently displayed on the church which is positioned at the end of the main high street and can be clearly seen by those visiting the local shops and businesses.
In a bid to raise the £960 needed for repairs, the church launched a crowdfunding campaign in September that quickly gained momentum. The church’s new Operations Manager, Grace, reached out to local businesses, community organisations, and schools, through visits, leaflets, and social media, and the response from the local community was overwhelming!
In just three weeks, the campaign raised £1,500 – more than enough to get the clock fixed. What’s more, the church received donations from well beyond the local area, with contributions even coming from as far as the United States!
"We were really pleased with how the community came together and rallied round to provide assistance with this," said Grace. "It means so much to know that the Wall Heath community see Church of the Ascension as their church and feel its important everything is in working order! It was an amazing response and is a true reflection of how strong the community spirit is here. We’re happy to report the clock has now been fixed!”
The church’s appeal also led to another generous offer; the Wall Heath Parks Committee decided to donate their surplus of £276 to the church as well. This has now been used to replace some of the fencing around the church grounds.
"We are truly grateful for this additional support," Grace added. "The donation from the Parks Committee has helped us improve the grounds and make them safer for our children’s groups that sometimes utilise that space, especially in the summer. All this is a wonderful example of how local collaboration can improve an area, and we’re very grateful!”
