HRGB South West Region

It is HRGB policy to ensure that young people and adults at risk who attend HRGB events are safeguarded. To this end the South West Regional Safeguarding Officers are:

• Diane Holt - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Deputy – Paul Scoble This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The main roles of the Regional Safeguarding Officers are

1. to promote the Safeguarding policy to HRGB members,
2. to be accessible to Event Safeguarding Leads in case they need support and advice,
3. be the involved in the decision to contact the relevant Safeguarding and Child Protection authority following an incident, if appropriate,
4. keep brief confidential records of safeguarding and child protection issues.
5. make contact after the event with those who have been affected by an incident to check that they are ok,
6. stay aware of relevant changes in legislation and in local (Council) arrangements for safeguarding and child protection and bring these to the notice of their Regional Committee and the NEC as they may require changes to our policy or procedures, and
7. to ensure that details of the appropriate Safeguarding and Child Protection authorities for their region are posted on the region’s website.

As you will see from our events page we are a very active region. Over the years we have taken the ringing to the ringers by holding numerous area (or mini) rallies. We have prepared a quantity of Massed Ringing books - unmarked, marked with coloured circles or in number format - which can be used on the day and all we ask you to do is to find a venue, provide tea and coffee during the day and we'll do the rest!

For more information on Ringing Round The Region please contact Jane Willis on (01837) 52565 or write to us at:

Lyndhurst, Prospect, Okehampton,Devon, EX20 1JD

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What is the Young Ringer Fund?

It is a fund set up by SW Region to provide financial support to young ringers from the Region who wish to attend National – or perhaps even International – handbell events.

Read more: SW Young Ringer Fund

This is a list of HRGB Registered Teams in South West Region. Some are school teams or otherwise affiliated to a particular church or organisation. Not all are active and may not be available for events etc. If no contact details given please email the Regional Secretary who will advise on the best way of contacting the team.

Bristol

AXBRIDGE
BARN BELLS
DECIBELLS
IRON ACTON CofE SCHOOL
SODBURY RINGERS www.sites.google.com/site/sodburyringers/
WINTERBOURNE ST MICHAELS www.winterbourne.freeuk.com/handbells.html 

Cornwall

147 CAMBORNE & DIST ATC
HEYL HANDBELLS
ILLOGAN HR
K.N. RINGERS
PERRAN REBELLS
PERRAN-AR-WORTHAL HR
PILLATON & ST MELLION
ST BREWARD HR
ST KEA BELLRINGERS
ST MARWENNE HR
ST PETROC'S CHURCH HR BODMIN
TRESMEER SIDWELL
WILCOVE HR

Devon

ASHREIGNEY HR
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Okehampton)
BLACK SWAN RINGERS (Dawlish)
DART VALLEY HB
ESTUARY BELLS (Teignmouth)
HARBOUR BELLS (Torquay)
HEAVITREE HR (Exeter)
LAMERTON ASSN OF HR
LIFTON HR
MANATON MADHATTERS
OCKMENT VALLEY RINGERS (Okehampton)
OTTERY ST MARY HR
SANDFORD HR
ST MARY'S RUBY RINGERS (Black Torrington)
THE JOLLY JINGLERS (Modbury)
THE PHOENIX RINGERS (Chudleigh)
THE SOU'WESTERS (Regional Team)
TOR BELLS (Okehampton) https://www.facebook.com/torbells/
WESTMINSTER CHIMES (Chudleigh)

Dorset

BOURNEMOUTH YOUTH www.byht-handbells.co.uk
CLAPPER CHAOS (Poole) www.sites.google.com/site/clapperchaos/home
CROSSWAYS VILLAGE HR
LADY ST MARY HR (Wareham) www.ladyebayhandbellringers.weebly.com 
SYMONDSBURY HR

Herefordshire

BURGHILL & TILLINGTON
TINTINNABULIS

Gloucester

BELL-TIDE (Stroud)
BLOCKLEY HR (Moreton in Mash)
FROME VALLEY HR

Jersey

CAESAREAN HR

Somerset

ASH PRIORS HR
BELLEHARMONY (Wellington)
BERROW HR
BRING ME SUNSHINE (Taunton)
CHEDDAR VALLEY U3A
JOY BELLS (Taunton)
KINGSTON ST MARY HR
LADYE BAY HR
MARTOCK BELLES
MINEHEAD HR
NEROCHE HR
ST MARY'S (Bawdrip)
STOGUMBER HR
THE DOWLISH WAKE RINGERS
TRINITY HANDBELLS OF STREET
WEST BUCKLAND W.I.
WINCANTATA (Wincanton)
WOOLAVINGTON HR

South Wales

OLD NEWTONIANS (Porthcawl)
ST MARY'S TENBY HR
ST CADOC'S MILLENNIUM CHIMES
SWANSEA ST MARY'S BELLRINGERS

Wiltshire

BROCKLEAZE BELLS
CRUDWELL HR
MARDEN VALE HANDBELLS
MERE MELODIES
MERRIBELLS (Swindon)
PEARTREE PEALERS
PEWSEY VALE
RAINBOW RINGERS (Swindon)
SALISBURY METHODIST CHURCH BELLETONES
URCHFONT HANDBELLS
WANBOROUGH HR

Worcestershire

ST BARTHOLEMEW< ARLEY KINGS

Ensemble Information

Who are they?

Since 2006, Ringers from all over the South West Region have meet just 6 times each year to practise pieces to perform at the Regional Rally and Christmas Prelude (or whatever it is called that year!)

Where do they meet? 

In Staplegrove Village Hall (just outside Taunton) as Taunton has always been identified as the centre of the region with respect to travel times.

What do they ring?

Big Pieces! Not the usual music most SW handbell teams could ring. The aim is to stretch the ringers and help to improve musicality and ringing techniques.

How many bells?

No Idea! There are the 4½ octaves of Shea Bells, 4 of Bampton bells, 4 octaves of Freeman Bells and 3 octaves of Schulmerich bells. We also use 3 octaves of Schulmerich chimes. So I suppose about 200 give-or-take the odd extra thrown in to augment some sets.

What have been the best performances yet?

Bodmin in 2011: Fantastic! Firefest Polka was amazing and received a huge round of applause. The Holly and the Ivy went better than last year – when so many ringers got snowed in and flu’d off – and Fantasy on Kingsfold was mysterious and dramatic. Thanks to Robyn Spooner (10) for playing the anvil part in Firefest Polka (which involved hitting seven shades out of a bracket from a marquee with a wooden spoon) and to Mum, Tamsyn (totally mad) Spooner for driving down to Bodmin from Wareham in Dorset less than 48 hours after giving birth to baby Gethin!

Creech St Michael 2014: The ensemble played Ding Dong! Merrily on High, Were You There on That Christmas Night? and Fantasia on Forest Green. Ding Dong and Were You There went really well and Forest Green was mostly good with the ensemble finishing within 4 beats of each other... just not necessarily in the same place.

In 2019 the Sou'westers gave a full concert at the McMillan Theatre in Bridgwater to a packed audience.

What does it cost?

There is an annual membership of £25 (£5 for junior ringers) paid in January which goes toward hire of the hall and the music costs. The Region buys the music and loans it to the ringers.

How do I join? 

Well... space is limited so please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible and we can get some music out to you to mark up (if you need to). You will only have 3 rehearsals before the Regional Rally.

Am I good enough? 

HRGB has never come up with a grading system for handbell ringers so that’s a tricky question. You certainly need to be a reasonably good music reader (you can mark up your own pieces in advance) and you need to be able to ring two bells plus their accidentals. You may have to change bells quickly and, if you are a treble ringer, recognise when you need to ring octaves above yours (called Shelleying) by picking up your home bell AND the octave above and ringing them together. Please talk to us if you are unsure.

Is there any homework involved?

Yes! Absolutely! Indeed! Definitely! Ensemble ringers are expected to study their music between sessions and practise the motions of ringing (salt and pepper shakers work quite well but can be a bit messy!) Ringers can make a single copy of their music to mark up. When a piece is finished with, the copy must be destroyed.

What happens if I don’t practise my music?

Nobody’s found out yet… (But it won’t be pretty – Ed)

Role of Honour

Recipients of the SW Region Honoured Member Award (and the date and event where awarded)

• Don Bedford (March 2012 AGM)
• John Willis (March 2012 AGM)
• Richard and Sue Page (December 2012 Christmas Festival)
• Janet Thomas (April 2013 Cornish Rally)
• Adrian Foss (May 2013 Wincanton Mini-Rally)
• Robert Willis (March 2014 AGM)
• Jane Willis (November 2015 Autumn Rally)
• Geoff Hill (October 2016)
• Alex Freeman (April 2017)
• Paul Scoble (April 2018)
• Cathy Beeby (December 2019)

Don Bedford	John Willis	Richard and Sue Page
Janet Thomas	Robert Willis	Adrian Page
Jane Willis	Geoff Hill	Alex Freeman
Paul Scoble

Background

Several  Regions  have  adopted  an ‘Honoured  Member’  scheme  to recognise  people  who  have  done much  to  help  their  Region  but  who have not merited being proposed for Honorary Life Membership of HRGB – which  is  specifically  for  service  at  a National level. Typically, the award might recognise one or more of the following:

• Outstanding involvement in the development  and  promotion  of handbell ringing in the Region
• Regular or frequent organisation of ringing events
• Presenting workshops to enable ringers to improve their ringing  or  learn  new techniques
• Taking handbell ringing into the wider community
• involving non-ringers
• Representing the Region at  a  national  or international level
• Raising significant money for donation to charities (using handbells)
• Regular or long term service to the Region
• Donation  of  equipment  (bells, music etc) for Regional use
• Regular work with young ringers

This is not an exhaustive list and all nominations  will  be  carefully considered.

Would you like to nominate someone in our Region for this recognition?

Nominations  should  be  sent  to  the Regional  Secretary  and  must  include the name of the member and team(s) together  with  background information (no more than half an A4 sheet)  and  reasons  why  the nomination is being put forward.

South West, National and International Events

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for booking forms.