Painting and prepping for the Parish Ale beer festival

GoodGym Merton volunteers help repaint and tidy the bell tower ringing chamber ahead of St John the Divine's Parish Ale beer festival fundraiser.

GoodGym Merton is running a volunteer session to help the Merton Priory Ringers prepare St John the Divine's bell tower for the Parish Ale beer festival fundraiser at the end of October. The main job is repainting the lower part of the ringing chamber, where recent electrical work has exposed older wall surfaces, plus dusting and vacuuming the chamber, staircase and access routes. Depending on progress, volunteers may also help move equipment and pews around the church. Participants meet at the bell tower's north-west corner and should wear old clothes and footwear they don't mind getting dusty or paint-splashed; access involves a narrow spiral staircase.