Two cadets from Rye and District Sea Cadets will be on the other side of the world on Saturday April 25, 2015. They will be attending the remembrance ceremonies of Anzac Day, held in recognition of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) who lost their lives in Gallipoli during the First World War. In addition to the obvious benefits to the two individuals, it is intended that they will act as “good ambassadors” for Rye and the UK.
Their trip will be partly financed by The Rye Fund in its latest distribution of grants, which were agreed last month. The cadets are just one among 10 local community groups to receive grants in this latest round of awards, which total £7,000 and are made annually.
The fund was established to help local small charities and community groups who need an injection of cash to get a particular project off the ground. Over the past six years, grants have been made to more than 25 beneficiaries. This year’s are:
- 1st Rye Scout Group, £660: to purchase lighting to illuminate the path from the car park to the new scout hut
- Counselling Plus, £500: to set up a hardship fund for those in Rye who cannot afford the minimum payment of £10 towards the cost of the professional counselling being offered
- Entertainment Workshops, £968: to help upgrade camera equipment used in educating disengaged young people who struggle in mainstream schools
- Music Well, £500: towards financing 25 family music therapy sessions
- Rye Community Centre, £1,000: to sand and revarnish the wooden floor in the main hall
- Rye and District Community Transport, £1,000: to help save the 326 service from Rye to Broad Oak via Udimore
- Rye and Distict Sea Cadets, £500: towards travel and accommodation for two cadets to attend Anzac Day in Australia
- Rye Museum Association, £211: to buy equipment to record the memories of both senior citizens and younger residents in oral history sessions
- Rye Wurlitzer Academy, £660: to go towards teaching students how to perform and also preserve these unique instruments and so become the next generation of custodians
- St Michael’s Hospice, £1,000: to provide towards home visits and night-sitting services for patients in Rye
To find out more about fund and making an application for help, visit the website. New recipients would be particularly welcome. There are many small local groups doing good work and a grant could be all they need to get them on to a sound footing. The awards are between £100 and £1,000. The one proviso is that the money is for the benefit of people living in and around Rye.
The next round of awards will be in November 2015 and applications should be submitted by September 30, 2015.