This campaign has now closed
This high-achieving amenity society and registered charity needs to safeguard its work for the heritage of a remarkable corner of rural England by creating an endowment fund to underpin its wide range of services.
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Run by 100% voluntary effort, and so with all income dedicated to its work, the Faversham Society has about 1,000 members and exists to care for the Faversham area, consisting of more than 20 parishes, and its many treasures and features of charm and beauty. Faversham, in Kent, is one of Britain's best-conserved historic towns and ports and the surrounding countryside is peaceful and unspoilt. You can learn more of its heritage value on the community-run website www.faversham.org, where the range of the society's work is at 'Faversham Society: overview'. The Faversham Society owns and runs the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre (a fully accredited museum), stages exhibitions at its gallery, opens a former gunpowder building to the public and takes care of two properties for English Heritage. It provides a community hall offering disabled access, holds historic libraries for itself and for other bodies and maintains a photographic archive of 7,500 images. The society researches local history and has printed more than 100 studies. It also increases knowledge of our past with content for the faversham.org community website. Other work includes organising children’s summer holiday activities with a history theme, publishing a monthly newsletter and organising a programme of talks. The society is accepting the advice of a consultant (provided by a charity assisting voluntary groups) that it needs urgently to build an endowment fund to ensure the continuity of its wide range of high-quality work. It is seeking £100,000 for this permanent fund. The society is continuing its normal fundraising through means including an historic properties trail, a second-hand bookshop and social events.