The Church is the only one in the country which has the surviving remains of the Kentish Royal family, and one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon saints.
In March 2020, following research by The school of humanities Canterbury Christ Church University, scientific confirmation was received from Queen’s University Belfast, that the remains held in the church are confirmed as those of a young woman (aged 17 -20 when she died) who died after 653AD and that there is little doubt that the bones are those of Eanswythe.
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Volunteers & Contributors
pounds Raised
Our Top Priorities
efficient heating
We all know that churches can be cold places due to the scale of the buildings, but it's not much fun to shiver in! The more efficient and cost-effective the heating system, the warmer we'll be.
the tapestry
The church is full of beautiful and intricate tapestries surviving so much through time and our aim is to make sure that survival is continued for many more visitors to enjoy.
The roof
The roof is obviuosly the most important strucure on the building, protecting all inside. We crucially need to complete all necessary repairs to make this 100% watertight.
Fundraising
Our constant. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to raise money. Join us and be part of the proud team looking after just one piece of Folkestone's heritage.
Events
St Eanswythe Festival
We are delighted to announce that the return of St Eanswythe’s festival in the church, where it filled with local arts and crafts businesses, afternoon teas, musical entertainment, and more. Come and join us for some family fun and fundraising for the church!
14
September
Reverend David Railton M.C. Exhibition
We are delighted to announce that the Friends of St Mary’s and St Eanswythe’s exhibition ‘Reverend David Railton M.C.’ has now transferred into the church where it will remain on an ongoing basis. The iconic image of the Tomb has been recreated, with the kind permission of Westminster Abbey.
2024
Exhibition
Ukrainian Saturdays
Every Saturday, the church hosts an open space for the people of Ukraine to come and spend time together. This is a hugely popular, fun event is well attended, so why not come and join us for coffee, singing, conversation and of course, good company.
2024
Saturdays
We Have the Power to Impact Our Future, and We’re Doing Something About It
Friends of St Mary & St Eanswythe have chosen an innovative approach to our fundraising. Instead of opening up the more traditional Charity Shop in our local high Street we have set up a Just Giving Charity page to allow for one-off donations open to anyone who wishes to help us in our great cause.
The donation will run through Just Giving to provide you with a safe and secure payment facility, all with one quick text message. All contributions received are sent directly to us by Just Giving and will be dedicated solely to our unique goal. Just follow the instructions below…
If you are interested in joining us, subscribe to our list below. If you have any questions , use the form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
All memberships are renewed annually in July.
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Volunteer
£12,391 Raised
Our Art & Antique Auction
In September 2017, we also hosted an extremely successful art and antique auction, raising the fabulous total of £14,032, which any charity would find invaluable. We had prestigeous experts from London hosting the event with us, as well as donating several of their own peices for sale.
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£5010 Raised
Women’s Role in WWI
In the summer of 2017, we also celebrated the role of women in WWI, working alongside the local primary school, St Eanswythe. The children added the project to their curriculum and created fabulous presentations, including letters and drawings, all culminating in an exhibition held at the church. They also had weekly meetings at The Quarterhouse on Tontine Street to practice for their musical play reenacting scenes from WWI. This was hugely successful and the presentation was turned into a book which can now be found in the British Library. The website is still regularly used by schools.
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Join Us...
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We Folkestonians cannot let neglect succeed in destroying our Church - the focal point of the town and it’s history - where fire and wars have failed. Once the Church has gone it will be gone for good. For the love of Folkestone we need to act now.
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who we are
The Friends of St Mary and St Eanswythe Parish Church began on 21st March 2014 and is dedicated to the preservation of St Mary and St Eanswythe’s Church.
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1161358
what we do
Our sole aim is to raise funds all of which will be devoted to the upkeep of the building and to the furthering of public understanding of its history, architecture and significance.
