Newsletter - Summer 2024
Chair’s Report
by Rolline Frewen
Welcome to another year of fun filled activities and friendship at Marrick Priory. The 450 year old building has an endless programme of maintenance tasks to ensure it is safe and water tight for our visitors and staff. The Prioress’s House roof was renewed just in time for the very wet winter.
During the year the board were delighted to agree a 5 year strategy, which can be found on our website. The Values are an important part of our thinking and drives many of our decisions. They are;
- Trust
- Integrity
- Inclusivity
- Respect
- Kindness
Our newest activity, paddle boarding, is now one of our most popular. Many thanks to the Friends for their support in buying much of the equipment. The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme is also a popular activity, particularly for our local schools.
The Friends are doing wonderful work through their events and donating much needed money for the bursary fund, which is busier than ever, as expected. Many young people would never get to enjoy the magic of Marrick Priory if wasn’t for the Friends and their supporters. A hearty well done and thank you to all of you.
I look forward to seeing you at the many Friends events and wish you all a happy, healthy and fun filled year ahead.
Climbing Wall
One of our guests in June 2024
Friends of Marrick Priory
by Cathy Trewby
It is a while since we have sent a newsletter and there have been some changes.
In the Spring Judith retired as Chair after many years. She remains a Friend and a Trustee. I have stepped into her shoes and hope to be able to live up to her high standards.
Val Darwin has agreed to continue as Treasurer.
Peggy Purver died last year. She was a strong supporter of Marrick as a Trustee and Friend. We relied on her wisdom and knowledge of Swaledale and her practical skills: booking the tents for the cake stall at Reeth and Strawberry Tea not to mention providing sausage rolls! We will miss her. Several of us attended her funeral at Muker.
Chris and Vanessa Hunter have joined us having moved to Low Row from the South. Vanessa is our Expert on Gluten free baking and they provided stunning looking cakes for the cake stall last year.
We are a small friendly band and would always welcome new members on the committee to help raise the profile of, and money for, Marrick Priory towards bursaries for children to come and extra equipment.
Please contact me at cathytrewby@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.
Domestic Staff - Hilde
Hilde, a member of our domestic staff, has recently completed the Arctic Circle Race - ACR in Sismiut, Greenland. This is acknowledged as the world’s most challenging and awe-inspiring cross-country skiing competition. The 3-day event covers 160km with over 150 participants taking on the challenge. Congratulations Hilde on such a fantastic achievement!
Spending
Bursary Fund and Equipment
We gave £6,000 in 2023 and £2,500 so far this year to the bursary fund.
In addition, we gave £4,000 for paddle boards, £430 for duvets and pillows and £160 for maps.
Future Events
3pm – Sunday 21st July 2024
Strawberry Tea at the Priory with the Reeth Brass Band. Delicious tea in a unique setting. Exciting children’s activities and raffle. Free admission with donations welcome. A fun afternoon for all the family. Return transport from Grinton Field from 3pm.
Friday 26th July 2024
Cake Stall on Reeth Green
Friday 25th October 2024
Quiz and Curry Night Reeth Memorial Hall
Sunday 1st December 2024
Christmas at Marrick with Marske Choir
Find out more…
If you have any questions about the events please contact me at cathytrewby@hotmail.co.uk. Our events and news page is updated throughout the year with all the latest information.
Paddle Boarding
Our Head of Centre, Jim, paddle boarding with a group at Ellerton Lake
Previous Events
July 2023
Strawberry Tea at Marrick Priory. We raised £323.50 in donations and a raffle.
French Evening – August 2023
We had a French themed evening at Reeth Memorial Hall with Music provided by Colin Bailey and a Cassoulet supper. It was well attended and raised £965.
Quiz and Curry – October 2023
We raised £794 at our Quiz and Curry evening. Derek Pollard has travelled to act as Quiz Master for us since 2016. It has been a fantastic fund raiser and always enjoyed. He sadly feels unable to return this year because of ill health. I rang to thank him and he said he would be happy to provide us with questions!
Staff Christmas Party – December 2023
Marrick Priory staff enjoyed their staff party at Rafael’o Italian in Richmond on Friday evening. A great night of eating, drinking and friendship was had by all. Merry Christmas everyone!
Quiz and Curry
Quizzers at Marrick Priory
Christmas Soup and Puds – December 2023
We welcomed Wensleydale Rotary, Leyburn Arts, Reeth Ramblers, Leyburn Cyclists, Northdale Nursery PLC, Coverdale Walkers, Leyburn U3A, Bedale U3A, Hudson House, Bellerby Study Group and Community Centre at The Old School House and other friends to our Christmas soups and puds days. One of our instructors, Luke, especially enjoyed welcoming Archie, one of the Ramblers’ dogs!
Thank you everyone for your donations to our bursary fund – we raised a total of £3512. A huge thank you to all who supported the events and all the staff who worked so hard to make them so successful. Our bursary fund helps young people visit us from families who are experiencing financial difficulties so they too can benefit from a residential stay at Marrick Priory.
Soup and Puds
Guests ready to be served
Soup and Puds
Leyburn Cyclists and other guests
Christmas at Marrick – December 2023
Unfortunately, Christmas at Marrick had to be cancelled due to snow.
Blues Night – May 2024
The last Friday of May was not a Blue Moon, but in Reeth it was certainly a Blues Night!
The event began with everyone enjoying plates of pies and mushy peas, then the entertainment started. Drystone Blues Collective covered a wide variety of styles and eras with their music, so there was certainly something for everyone.
The evening passed and ended with some interesting ‘shapes’ being ‘thrown’ on the dance floor! It really was an event to be remembered.
The event raised £355.
Blues Night
Drystone Blues Collective
Talk – Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – June 2024
Mid-summer brought a fascinating talk on a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Steve Hall explained how he had been drawn to the arduous route, walked by pilgrims for hundreds of years. While walking Steve took a variety of photographs, charting not only the route and the varying terrain but also the other pilgrims. The resulting conversations explained the reasons for their determination to complete the route. The reasons were different in every case but equally as important to each individual, often with deeply emotional causes.
The photographs formed the basis of the slides to accompany the talk and helped to give life to the characters themselves, as well as images of the type of land walked, portraying the challenging journey.
The presentation was full of the echoes of people encountered, the various levels of accommodation, and the personal recollections along with a lively sprinkling of humour giving a wonderfully individual slant on the journey, and the eventual arrival in Santiago.
The talk certainly provided much food for thought, and the personal touches gave a unique insight into every aspect of the Pilgrimage.
Thank you to those who attended, we raised £220.
