You will remember the Central Council for Church Bell Ringers launched the ‘Ring for the King’ (RFTK) campaign in late 2022. Although most enquiries within our own diocese were handled by the Guild, nationally ART managed all enquiries that the Central Council received related to learning to ring. In all they handled 2,049 requests from November 2022 to May 2023. A survey sent to individuals who made enquiries received 598 valid responses, which are analysed in this report.
Key findings
- Challenges in contacting local towers: 41% of respondents who didn’t visit a local tower struggled to make contact or were discouraged by local responses. Issues included non-responses, lack of information, and miscommunication about the campaign.
- Engagement after initial visit: Of the 349 who visited a local tower, 314 went on to take lessons, with 208 participating in the RFTK event. Approximately 52% of those who started were still ringing a year later.
- Reasons for dropping out: 131 of the 314 individuals who started lessons stopped due to factors like health issues, slow progress, lack of personalised practice, and unsatisfactory tower conditions. Some also cited a lack of social engagement and poor organization.
- Retention factors: Among those still ringing, positive factors included warm welcomes, good teaching, social interaction, and a sense of progress in their training. ART’s Learning the Ropes (LtR) scheme was particularly appreciated.
Conclusions and recommendations
- Improving communication: A significant number of people struggled with contacting local towers or received unwelcoming responses. Efforts should be made to ensure accurate, up-to-date contact information and a friendly reception.
- Managing expectations: A large number of individuals dropped out due to the high commitment required. Future campaigns should clearly communicate the time and effort needed to learn bellringing.
- Target audience and health considerations: Given the demographic of older participants, health-related dropouts suggest a need to consider these factors in recruitment efforts.
- Retention strategies: Success in retaining new ringers is largely linked to warm hospitality, effective teaching, quick progress, and social connections. Future campaigns should emphasise these elements to enhance long-term engagement.
Although not directly relevant to our own Guild, the report does provide key insights which are in line with revelations in our own recent survey about factors influencing recruitment and retention.
You can find the full report on the ART website, here.
