Charity&CommunityNews

Sussex Snippets

Community news from across the counties

The National Garden Scheme (NGS) doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity, they are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. They also support charities and help community gardening projects. They have donated over £63 million to nursing and health charities and made an annual donation of over £3 million in 2021. Their core beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute. For more information and to view all the open gardens near you, visit www.ngs.org.uk. Nature-friendly road verges are helping pollinators across West Sussex. If you notice a verge with grass that’s longer than you’d expect, it’s likely to have been left to help nature. Inspired by the council’s Pollinator Action Plan, which aims to increase the number of crucial pollinating insects - bees and moths – this has become a much higher priority in recent years. Friends of South Downs are focussed on the pollution caused by plastic tree guards. On 21 May their band of volunteers collected over 700 plastic tree Guards for recycling in Singleton Forest in partnership with Forestry England. Details on: www.friendsofthesouthdowns.org.uk/ban-plastic -tree-guards Sussex Search & Rescue, a team of volunteers that support Sussex Police in searching for vulnerable missing people, has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award that can be given to voluntary groups in the UK. More information on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and all winners can be found at www.gov.uk/queens-award -for-voluntary-service The end-of-life charity Marie Curie is calling on people in Sussex to throw a Blooming Great Tea Party in July to help fund vital care and support for those living with a terminal illness, and their families. Simply set a date and invite family, friends, or colleagues to tuck into a treat and catch-up over a cuppa. Every penny raised will go towards ensuring more people have access to the care and support they need at the end of life. More details at: www.mariecurie.org.uk/ teaparty or contact your local Community Fundraiser Clara Gill on Clara.Gill@mariecurie.org.uk / 07717 480602. Arundel & South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, is leading a bid for West Sussex to pioneer trialling new acoustic cameras to catch anti-social road users in the act. The Department of Transport confirmed it would be trialling four innovative noise cameras across England and Wales. Andrew Griffith MP has joined forces with Sussex Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, West Sussex County Council, Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and local campaign groups, to make the case for a camera to be located on the noise ‘hotspot’ on the A29 at Bury Hill. West Sussex Libraries are looking for volunteers from age 14 up to support children with the Summer Reading Challenge in libraries. The ideal commitment is a minimum of 10 hours from July to September but there can be flexibility in choosing days and times. Young applicants could also use this volunteering opportunity as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award, (must be agreed with the library in advance). For more details and to apply visit www.westsussex.gov.uk and search for ‘Summer Reading Challenge volunteer’. S tu den ts from West Sussex Alternative Provision College (WSAPC) brought a sustainability and recycling stall to the “Goodwoof” dog event at Goodwood recently. Students teamed up to make a range of products from recycled materials, including dog toys, bandanas and waste bag pouches; they raised a total of £2,012 for WSAPC’s College Enterprise Fund. WSAPC delivers the equivalent of 292 full time places for children and young people from West Sussex who have been permanently excluded, those at risk of exclusion and those out of school for medical reasons.

Charity & Community News

Jubilee Market Raises Funds

Storrington Community Market (est. 1943) hosted a special Platinum Jubilee Market on Friday 3rd June, which was a great success. The usual stalls were there with local businesses selling home made cakes, crafts, eggs, locally grown plants, fruit & veg and health and skincare products. The cafe was offering free tea and coffee to celebrate the occasion. Everyone stopped to sing the National Anthem halfway through the morning, led by Royal Opera soprano Jill Arthur. Fundraising stalls including a tombola with dozens of prizes donated by local businesses including Waitrose Storrington and Tesco Pulborough raised a total of £224. This which will be divided between Sussex Homeless and Cancer Research UK charities. Storrington Community Market is held in Storrington Village Hall every Friday morning between 9.45am and 11.15am. Contact Katie Bridge for details 07909 681884. 3 Peak Challenge for Maxwell

Maxwell Smith is an amazing 10 year old boy from Thakeham who suffers from a life limiting condition called mitochondrial disease. He needs a specialist wheelchair to enable him to sit u pright, move in dependently and allow him to lie completely flat for emergency treatment. Maxwell is looking for as many sponsors as possible to make this happen and transform both his own life and his family’s lives. On 8th August, friend Darren Dumigan is taking on the 3 Peaks Challenge to raise money for Maxwell, cycling 450 miles up Ben Nevis, Skafell Pike and Snowdon. A sponsorship page is at www.just giving.com/Darren-dumigan2

Sunflower Memories

Remember your loved ones and support your local hospice

To take part in our Sunflower Memories Appeal, please visit www.stbh.org.uk/sunflower-memories. Alternatively, scan the QR code to find out more about the appeal.

Registered charity number 256789

Charity & Community

Success for Swans Under 12s Freedom Boxes for Ukraine

The Storrington Community U12's boys’ football team began their first competitive season, sharing dreams of winning games - ultimately trophies. Little did they realise just how successful they were going to be.

Storrington Swans squad with their coaches

Their league campaign ended in a share of the Championship with Horsham Herons, both finishing with only one defeat. With the league season over, the squad headed off to Bedford for a whirlwind tour, playing three games in as many days. They beat Bugbrooke St. Michaels FC 8-3 on Friday night, then drew 1-1 with County Cup winners Wellingborough Whitworth FC on Saturday morning. Football then took a back seat in favour of afternoon antics for all on the inflatable obstacle course back at Wyboston Lakes Hotel. After a rest the team finished the tour on Sunday morning with an impressive 2-0 victory over a very strong Bedford Town side. The weekend ended with a session of Bubble Football on the way home! Back in Storrington, their success was complete when the following weekend they took on the joint 'A' League winners, Horsham Herons, in the U12's League Cup Final at the Horsham FC Camping World Community Stadium, and came away 4-2 winners. Pictured above, the full squad with Manager James Davis, Assistant Coaches Nigel Beyer & Henry Saunders. Squad: Tyler Saunders, James Bernstein, Dan Nicholson (Captain), Daniel Henderson, Henry Fourcade, George Reynolds, Taylor Beyer, Harry Davis, Josh Hayles, Charlie Austin, Alex Varga, Fenton Scerri & Bobby Rose). On 24th February, Storrington residents Richard & Diana Watkins were with their son Stuart and his family in the Czech mountains, enjoying a half term holiday. Computer programmer Stuart started to receive calls from his work colleagues in Ukraine and Russia saying that war had broken out. Stuart kept in contact with his frightened friends and colleagues and two days later started to receive requests for help with basic provisions by the people in Ukraine. Richard cancelled his flight home and helped convert Stuart’s offices in Prague into a warehouse to collate and pack boxes of goods which were being purchased by friends and other volunteers. Within a week they acquired a fire rescue van, three SUV’s, eight drivers and a plan to drive the ten hours to the Ukraine/Poland border in order to deliver the essential items to a Ukrainian Government warehouse and try to bring families back to Prague from the border. Months later, and the operation is organizing weekly transfers of refugees from the Ukraine borders and sending boxes of essential supplies.

The items are organized into three sizes of box which are be sponsored by donations. The first, costing EU107 is a Family Box and has basics such as toiletries, medicine, nappies, bedding, coffee, tea and bedding. The second is a Children’s Box, just EU9.25, has toys, sweets and books. The last is a Children’s Hospital Box, with bedding and costs EU45. To learn more and donate, visit www.freedom-boxes.com. Children can upload messages to Ukrainian children via Stuart’s other website www.messagesofhope.uk.

Children with their boxes in a Bucha orphanage