Arden DFAS Volunteers

Arts Education and Heritage Conservation

Arts Education, including inspiring young people to develop an interest in the arts, and Heritage Conservation are the charitable aims of NADFAS. We in Arden are proud of the fact that we play a substantial part in achieving these aims through our Young Arts Programme, which encourages young people to participate in the creative arts, the conservation projects undertaken by our Heritage Volunteers Group and our participation in the making of Church Records and young people's Church trails as part of the national initiatives.

Church Recording: for many years, Arden DFAS volunteers have worked in association with Solihull DFAS to make accurate records of the contents of local churches - memorials, metalwork, textiles, windows, woodwork etc. Records have been made of 13 local churches, including St Alphege and Knowle Parish Church, as well as some smaller, but no less important, churches. These records are thorough, detailed, professional, illustrated documents. A record is therefore a reliable and valuable resource for the church, researchers and other interested bodies. It is also a means by which the huge artistic heritage held by our national churches can be preserved and brought to the attention of others.

Currently, the group is preparing a record of its 14th church, Castle Bromwich Parish Church, adjacent to Castle Bromwich Gardens which many of you will know. The final record will give a very detailed verbal description of the hundreds of items to be found in the church including the fine 18th century altar rail which is complete with the Royal Coat of Arms and one of only two examples of its type in the country.

click here for a detailed article on Church Recording.

Church Trail: this project was started in 2010 and Arden DFAS was one of the first societies to take part in this initiative. A Trail is an illustrated questionnaire of between 12 - 14 questions which are intended to guide young people, aged between 8 and 12 years approximately, around the church and draw their attention to the architecture, the furnishings, the history etc. A Trail is designed to encourage children and the adults accompanying them, to explore the building, to learn about it and its part in our national heritage and we hope, make them want to visit other churches - there are a good number of NADFAS Trails around the country each with a carefully researched set of answers for the adults.
In 2011, we completed a Trail for the church at Temple Balsall and presented it to the church. Trail sheets and answers are now available to pick up as you enter the building. With the Christmas holiday almost upon us. You might like to take the younger members of the family to Temple Balsall and try it for yourself. It is a stunning building in a beautiful setting and there are things to interest everybody.

You might also like to know that the group has embarked on its second Trail - at Knowle Parish church. We'll keep you posted about our progress.

SW, November 2011

click here for a list of projects.