Volunteers in Shoreham and Southwick receive Rotary funding

GOOD causes in the area have been chosen for donations from Shoreham and Southwick Rotary Club.
President Liz Box presents the £300 cheque to Sharon Penfold and Gary Baines from Shoreham FortPresident Liz Box presents the £300 cheque to Sharon Penfold and Gary Baines from Shoreham Fort
President Liz Box presents the £300 cheque to Sharon Penfold and Gary Baines from Shoreham Fort

The club said its annual Christmas collections had enabled it to make many charitable donations during the year, thanks to the generosity of residents in Shoreham and Southwick.

Other local organisations, such as Shoreham RNLI and Friends of Shoreham Fort, helped with the street collections and distributing more than 50 goodwill parcels to lonely and deserving residents at Christmas.

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Des O’Dell from Southwick Cricket Club gave a talk at the Rotary weekly meeting on February 11 about an initiative to build cricket nets at Shoreham Academy.

President Liz Box presents a £1,000 cheque to Shoreham RNLI coxswain Steve SmithPresident Liz Box presents a £1,000 cheque to Shoreham RNLI coxswain Steve Smith
President Liz Box presents a £1,000 cheque to Shoreham RNLI coxswain Steve Smith

He explained the club’s youth work and its improvements to cricket practice, which had seen the numbers grow from one youth team in 2013 to more than 100 players aged eight to 13 now training on a regular basis and playing matches on Southwick Green.

Mr O’Dell said it was their dream to build a proper training facility, with three sets of nets, and Shoreham Academy had agreed to make the land available, if the club raised the money.

Around £35,000 is needed and West Sussex County Council has already pledged £15,000. A further £5,000 has been provided by the school and £1,000 has been given by Adur East Lions Club.

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Mr O’Dell said the club was intent on raising the remainder for the much-needed facility, so the enthusiastic youth members could look forward to a good training facility, which will be available at weekends and in school holidays.

Des O'Dell from Southwick Cricket Club speaking to Shoreham and Southwick Rotary ClubDes O'Dell from Southwick Cricket Club speaking to Shoreham and Southwick Rotary Club
Des O'Dell from Southwick Cricket Club speaking to Shoreham and Southwick Rotary Club

President Liz Box said encouraging youth activities was important to the club and promised to raise the subject of a donation at the March Rotary council meeting.

Gary Baines, chairman of Friends of Shoreham Fort, was also at the meeting, to receive a cheque for £300.

Rotarian Les Baker said: “We were pleased to present a donation to Shoreham Fort to help with the running costs and future work on the wonderful old fort, so carefully restored by the Friends over the past years.”

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Mr Baines said the money would be well spent, ensuring the heritage site and its surroundings would be up and running for the 2016 season, when the Friends hoped to run as many educational and family visits as possible.

A week later, president Liz Box and six members visited Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Station on Kingston Beach to present a £1,000 cheque to coxswain Steve Smith.

They met the lifeboat crew at their regular Wednesday training session and watched the launch of the Tamar-class lifeboat on exercise.

Liz said it always gave the club great pleasure to be able to make a donation to such a worthwhile cause and wished them well in all of their activities.

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Mr Smith said the long-standing relationship with Rotary was much valued throughout all the lifeboat service and it was good to see voluntary organisations work so closely together and helping one another.

The money will go towards the ever-increasing costs of maintaining this important voluntary service, saving lives at sea.

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