Ringing Forums

I have just asked this on FB as well but value the more considered discussion that happens in these forums!

I am interested in getting help from anyone who has had a successful fundraising where the work done was to replace some bells, rather than complete rehanging or augmentation, where the sole aim is to make a ring easier to handle, easier to strike accurately, and sound better.

This is to do with a project at St Anne's Moseley where we are relacing the front three bells, which are a bit small for the ring, tricky to handle, and make the whole ring really quite challenging to ring well (and hence for the band to make progress). We're getting three bells which are a much better match for the back three.

So it is arguments used for making good ringing easier, making a better sound outside, being able to learn more effectively. In terms of the sound outside, they are not out of tune, but ringing is never great because they are so difficult to strike. I can't believe the general public can't tell! I can't use the argument that it will make teaching easier or teaching youngster easier because I teach of the easier bells, but it will make making further progress in change ringing much easier.

So I am looking for examples of successful funding bids which have used those sorts of arguments, and which funders came up trumps.