Each year St Mary’s has to fund its activities and maintain its buildings. Music, Administration and Shop staff, and the Vergers, all have to be paid. The insurance premium for the Church alone is some £33,000. Routine maintenance costs for the Church and other properties are over £30,000 a year, and there are several items of repair which have to be addressed totalling around £750,000. Add to this the heating and lighting bills and the Parish Share we pay to the Diocese and you can see we face a considerable outlay. We need to find £1000 a day to fund our normal expenses. Special projects, such as stone and roof repairs, are extra.