Tower Stewardship and Safeguarding

Welcome to the Tower Stewardship and Safeguarding website of the Hereford Diocesan Guild of Bellringers.

Subjects under this heading are

      • Insurance
      • Complaints about noise
      • Tower management
      • Safeguarding of young people and vulnerable adults
      • Health & Safety
      • Fire risk assessment
      • Church law.

Following research and liaison with the Bishop’s Adviser for Child Protection, the Central Council of Church Bellringers (CCCBR), the West Mercia Police and Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, the Guild produced and published a Manual, a hard copy of which was delivered in 2010 to every tower affiliated to the HDGB. The Manual consists of a title/contents page followed by eleven separate sections of guidance and advice comprising a summary followed by ten subject-specific documents of which eight were of CCCBR authorship. The Precept on the title/contents page of the Manual is drawn to the attention of Tower Captains and all who take charge of or teach tower bell ringing.

Ringing Masters and Tower Captains are recommended to read all of the documents in the Manual and to use the information as the basis for a proportionate, pro-active, “best practice” approach to both Health & Safety risk assessment and Safeguarding procedures in all ringing activities.

Updates of Diocese of Hereford and CCCBR documents are not issued by the Guild in hard-copy format and reference should be made on all stewardship and safeguarding matters directly to the Diocese website at https://www.hereford.anglican.org/safeguarding/ and the CCBR website at https://cccbr.org.uk/resources/stewardship-and-management/ and at https://cccbr.org.uk/safeguarding/.

Reference should, however be made to the HDGB “Tower Stewardship: Summary Advice to Tower Captains” document which is regularly updated in digital form: the current version can be downloaded from here: HDGB.07G~Tower Stewardship Summary Advice to Tower Captains (Rev 08 04 2024)

Reference should also be made to the relevant section of the current individual church insurance policy and all conditions relating to bell ringing noted and acted upon: a typical such policy document can be downloaded from here: Insurance – Conditions of use applying to change-ringing bells

It is the Diocese of Hereford policy that all newly appointed Tower Captains (who will continue usually to be elected by a formal meeting of the local band of ringers who are fully paid-up members of the HDGB) shall complete an Application Form for Work with Children and Young People (download from here) and return it to the local PCC Safeguarding Officer. The appointment shall not take effect unless and until the Application Form is counter-signed by the Incumbent or an officer of the PCC.

Please see the Diocese webpage for up to date detail.

For further information contact the Tower Stewardship Adviser:
Alan Reade
Jasmine Cottage,
2 Church Terrace, Claverley,
Shropshire WV5 7DS
01746 710593
areade@readeburay.co.uk