St Wulstan’s Church in Little Malvern is continuing its fundraising efforts for a second year by offering Christmas cards for sale which feature the beautiful stained glass window of The Nativity, designed by Birmingham-based Hardman Studios between 1882 and 1892.

The Christmas cards last year raised almost £2,500 for the organ restoration project, but another £90,000 is still needed for necessary repairs to the fabric of the building.

St Wulstan’s Church, in the heart of England, where Sir Edward Elgar and members of his family are buried, serves the local community with dedication and commitment.

It’s a well-respected registered charity* and now needs more help with some vital restoration work.

This idyllically situated church, with its fine baptistery and stained glass windows, is in a wonderful pastoral setting and deserves to be maintained for future generations.

Work has begun on the west front, which is visibly cleaner already. Some glass lights in the beautiful rose window have been replaced and the cleaning work has commenced.

Damaged stonework needs to be made good, including the red pillars which form the decoration by the entrance.
Finally, the whole front will be repointed with the approved lime-mix mortar.

However, once the scaffolding has been removed, the façade will be properly appreciated, at Christmas and Easter, weddings, baptisms, funerals and other important occasions of worship, by local residents with their families and friends, as well as by visitors to the Elgar graves, many of whom come from further afield.

This year the Christmas cards are available in five colourways (white is a new addition to the range for 2018).

Local parishioner Charlotte Carver is again organising this year’s sale of cards.

“We were so pleased with the feedback we received last year and are delighted to have taken delivery of this year’s stock,” said Charlotte.

The cards can be purchased through the Church after Sunday morning Mass, or via local retailers and charity card stockists, as well as at the Welland Christmas Fair and coffee morning on Wednesday 28th November.

The Christmas cards are available now and can be found on the dedicated website here

* Archdiocese of Birmingham, Registered Charity No.234216

Picture caption: Fr Edward Crouzet with this year's Christmas card selection