In 2009 the Friends of Dorchester Abbey will attain their golden jubilee. During those 50 years the Abbey has been cherished with great devotion. Not quite so old is the Preservation Trust, founded in 1978 and subsequently amalgamated with the Friends, but still mostly working separately. Latterly, as well, we have had the Appeal Committee, which raised heroic amounts of money for the heightening of the Abbey's beauty. All these strands have contributed to making Dorchester Abbey the wonderfully welcoming building it is today.

It is a great tradition to carry forward, and in order to do so the trustees are bringing forward proposals for a new framework to the Annual General Meeting of the Friends and Preservation Trust on 9 June that we hope will unite all those who wish to support the Abbey as a Friend. The list of proposals is as follows:

• That the trust (which incorporates the Preservation Trust and the Friends) should be called The Friends of Dorchester Abbey.
• That the Bishop of Dorchester be invited to be president of the trust and asked to nominate the chairman of the trustees in consultation with the ex-officio trustees. It is anticipated that this group would have due consideration to the needs of the trust at any given time in nominating a resident or non-resident chairman.
• That there should be three ex-officio members of the trust-the Rector and Churchwardens. The remaining twelve trustees should be equally split between Dorchester residents and those from the wider county. All trustees would be members of the Friends.
• That there should be a volunteers' committee, chaired by a trustee, who are happy to organize events both in the Abbey and externally (e.g. the annual outing).
• That the trustees (in consultation with the PCC) should select one major project at a time to which Friends' fundraising should be targeted, together with a list of future projects, which would be prioritized by the PCC and the Fabric Committee. A list should also be kept of smaller projects that could be funded by single generous donations.
• That, in principle, 25% of fundraising should go towards maintenance of the Abbey.
• That sub-committees led by trustees be formed to organize particular fund-raising events.
• That, subject to the approval of the trustees, individuals or groups wanting to raise funds for the Abbey be welcomed, encouraged and helped in any way possible.
• That should it be necessary in the future to have an appeal, an Appeal Committee would be set up by the trustees for this purpose.
• That two trustees be nominated to lead the nurture of Friends, manage membership lists, collect subscriptions and send out newsletters.

These proposals have been debated (and much amended) at both the Friends' Committee Meeting and the Preservation Trust Meeting. But they are still not set in stone, so if any brilliant ideas are out there, please get in touch at kelaart@zoom.co.uk. Comments will be most welcome. It is so important that we start our second 50 years with a strong structure so that we can meet the challenges to come with confidence and a united front.

Become a Friend of Dorchester Abbey