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Promoting Ringing to Non-Ringers

Information and resources, including downloads and customisable material

Bellringing Derbyshire Portal – share information

NEW Bellringing Derbyshire portal – for non-ringers (and new ringers) in and around Derbyshire: Find out more about ringing and contacts to try ringing: https://bellringingderbyshire.org.uk/

Please share the website link widely, including on your tower/church/community website and social media.
Download the QR code – use it with the URL and/or keep it on your mobile phone, so people can just scan it when you get chatting about ringing – or give them a Business Card!

Social Media – Instagram, Facebook & Nextdoor – share posts

The portal is a partner to Bellringing Derbyshire Instagram and Facebook – Ringing events, news and information for non-ringers:

– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellringingderbyshire
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellringingDerbyshire
– Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.co.uk/page/bellringing-derbyshire

 

Business Cards – for every ringer to carry

NEW business cards – to give to interested non-ringers who would like to find out more and give it a go.

If they have a smartphone, ask them to scan the QR code (and you can save the card for another person!)
Carry a few in your wallet/bag – you never know when you’ll need one!

Outdoor Banners – to borrow

NEW weatherproof banners for hanging outside towers/churchyards.
Contact your District Committee to borrow one when your tower is actively recruiting, or having an open day, etc.

180cm x 90cm with eyelets for hanging with string.
Waterproof and lightweight.
Rolls up for easy storage and carrying.

Flyers – keep a stock for giving to non-ringers

Download Fun Flyers for your tower, church leaflet stand or event:

  • Download this PDF onto your computer: Derbyshire Fun Flyer.
  • Snappy, key points with enough to intrigue.
  • Contacts (local & university) & social media.
  • Points to the Bellringing Derbyshire portal.
  • Makes A5 flyers – Print on one side at a time then turn over the paper and print the same on the reverse and cut in half.

 

Porch Poster – EVERY tower should display one

Download and customise a poster to display in your church porch, external noticeboard or tower door.
It’s available with or without a space to add a QR code to a recording of the bells:

  • Download one of these PDFs onto your computer:
  • Open the PDF, click in each of the 4 sections and type in the details (1: Tower name and/or a short introduction/description; 2: Bell details; 3: Normal ringing times; 4: Contact details ideally a name and phone number plus your tower’s @derbyda.org.uk email address and relevant websites and social media pages).
  • Print and display!

 

 

Advert Posters – for social media & printing

Posters to advertise ringing.
Click to download what you need:

Share on all Social Media that you use – ideally add the URL as a hyperlink or text: www.bellringingderbyshire.org.uk
Share with friends, on community and interest groups.
(Facebook, Instagram, X, Nextdoor, LinkedIn, etc.)
Any extra words you add should be positive and upbeat (not a ‘dying art’!)

Print as Posters & Flyers.
For church, community noticeboards, public places and local businesses.
Leave flyers at church, pubs, local businesses, etc.

It is free for local Magazines and Papers to print.

Play Belfry Beetle Drive

Print/download Belfry Beetle Drive sheets
and have fun at
games nights, youth groups and community social events.

Print/download Belfry Beetle Drive instructions.

Some Ideas and Easy Ways to Promote Ringing at Your Tower – try them

  • Display a notice with ringing times and contact details in the church porch or outside notice board. Download one from the Porch Notice section below.
  • Keep a stock of ringing flyers with your tower contact details on for giving to non-ringers and putting out in church. Download one from the Flyers section below and customise it with your tower’s details and ringing times or contact the Public Relations Officer (Susan Hall).
  • Encourage wedding couples to see what they are paying for after they book the bells for their wedding by inviting them to your practice: explain about ringing and give them a backstroke taster lesson and a flyer. Perhaps arrange it so they can pay the bell fee at the same time.
  • Put a display inside your church about ringing locally: your bells, your ringers and your ringing achievements. Make use of open ground-floor ringing chambers and tower doors as display areas. Put some flyers nearby.
  • Use a colourful display about ringing when you open the tower for visitors or to use when you give a presentation. Download the pages you require from the Displays section below.
  • Send a photograph and short article about your ringing for a special event to local newspapers and magazines. If your article is people-focused and cheerful it is likely to get published.
  • Contact your local radio station about your forthcoming event or ringing achievement to get a mention on the radio.
  • Use the Bellringing Derbyshire Portal, Instagram and Facebook page to promote your ringing and share it with your friends. Use Nextdoor too to target your local community.
  • Ensure that your church website has a bell ringing section with links to and from this website (https://derbyda.org.uk).
  • For further ideas and advice, download the CCCBR Engaging with the Public leaflet, explore CCCBR publicity material, or contact the PRO (Susan Hall).

Engaging with the Public

Contacting the Media

Contacting the media is much easier than you might think!
Click HERE for a NEW list of contacts for local publications, websites, radio, TV and social media ideas.

Email an upbeat story, ideally with a focus on people, a good cause or public event.
Include colourful photos (be aware of safeguarding). And send it in.

You can often submit your article online.

The easiest way is often to use local social media.
Choose a great photo and add a few words (post as a post or story) or create an event. Then share it widely.

‘Cheat‘ by sharing information, posts, stories and events from:

And, if you have anything you’d like putting on any of the Bellringing Derbyshire platforms, please email the Public Relations Officer.

Experience Vouchers

These vouchers for ringing lessons can be given as prizes or freebies to encourage people to try ringing.

Special Bell Ringing Poster

Download and customise a poster to let people know about special ringing which will take place:

  • Download this PDF onto your computer: Special Bell Ringing Poster.
  • Open the PDF, click in each of the 4 sections and type in the details (1: Tower name/location; 2: Date; 3: Times; 4: What the ringing is for; 5: Contact details and/or more information).
  • Print as many as you need!

Displays – print as much as you need

Here are clear and colourful displays about ringing:

Powerpoint (PPTX), Presentation (ODP) and PDF files are available to download from here: All Display Material in various formats.
Please feel free to use as much material as you would like!

Roller Banner – to borrow

The DDA has one eye-catching, self-supporting roller banner for indoor use (or in a gazebo/tent),
and may be borrowed (subject to availability) for any event within the Derby diocese where ringing is promoted (e.g. tower open days, fêtes, fayes & festivals).
The banner is one of several produced for the CCCBR
and is based on an early design of the Fun Flyer.
For further information, or to borrow the banner, please contact the Public Relations Officer.

Bellringing LogoBellringing Logo

The original Bellringing logo has been improved and is totally free to use as you wish on anything ringing related and with any other branding or logos.
Different colours and options are available to download from here.

 

Future Bellringer Stickers

Sheets of Future Bellringer stickers are available to buy from the CCCBR website under ‘Recruitment Stickers’.
Children enjoy receiving them, so it’s worth keeping a sheet or two in your tower ready for young visitors!

 

CCCBR Bellringing Branding

Information on the branding is available on the CCCBR website, including items to buy.

Wombel – borrow for events

Borrow the DDA’s Wombel, a dumbell which rings like a small tower bell.
More information on the Wombel page.

Fun with Bells – Podcasts

The brilliant Fun with Bells podcasts are aimed at non-ringers and new ringers, with useful hints and tips and interest for experienced ringers too.

One of the first 3 podcasts is with Emily Hall, the founder member of Derbyshire Young Ringers, who started ringing at age 7.
Emily gives lots of interesting tips on how to progress your ringing, and Pip Penny gives further tips at the end of the podcast, so please listen until the end.

Emily also encourages anyone who might be interested in ringing to give it a go, as that is the only way of knowing if it is for you.
Links to this and other episodes are also available via the Bell Ringing Derbyshire Facebook page – please like and share with your friends.

You’ll find all of the episodes on the Fun with Bells website, where there is an option to subscribe to hear about new episodes as they are released, so please sign up.
You can also find Fun with Bells on its own Facebook page – please like and share.

Sharing these podcasts is an easy and entertaining way of explaining to people what ringing is about, so please use them to promote ringing. Let’s get everyone listening to them!

Notes

Much of this is produced by Susan Hall: Sue is happy for anything to be used providing her name is kept on the copy.

Acknowledgement: Some images used in the promotional material have been sourced from the internet.

With grateful thanks to ART and Len Roberts: Sue won the Len Roberts Award for the Promotion of Ringing 2024 following a secret nomination by the DDA Peak District Committee. The prize money was used to:

  • Fund initial hosting of the Bellringing Derbyshire portal.
  • Print business cards with the URL and QR code for the portal.
  • Produce banners matching the business cards.