The hall floor at the community centre will get a new coat of varnish, two local Sea Cadets will go to Australia, disadvantaged children will have some upgraded camera equipment and needy patients will receive home visits from St Michael’s Hospice. These are just four of the groups to benefit from the most recent round of annual awards made by the Rye Fund. Ten charities were selected to receive cheques totalling £7,000 and they met at the town hall earlier this week.
Although the fund has been awarding grants for the past six years, this was the first time everyone had been invited together to applaud the varied achievements of these hard-working community groups. The evening was very informal, with time to discover how people first become involved and to learn about their future plans and goals. The only official moment came when Rye’s mayor, Bernadine Fiddimore, joined Kenneth Bird, chairman of the Rye Fund steering group, to be photographed with the charities’ representatives.
The next round of awards will be decided in November and applications must be received by September 30. New applicants are particularly welcome. The other side of the coin is, of course, the funding of the fund itself. To find out about applying for a grant – or about making a donation – visit the fund website.
Photo: Jane Nunn