Mid Sussex Applauds Winners 2022

OLD DUNNINGS MILL - LISA MCNAMARA

Lisa McNamara the Manager at Dunnings Mill has supported Being Neighbourly, a community group in East Grinstead, and especially the Tuesday group called Chatter Chat, established for isolated elderly neighbours to meet up for a jolly good chat.Lisa has supported the group for over a year by opening the pub for use and provided tea, coffee and yummy cakes to ensure sessions go with a swing ! Last year she provided a Christmas Lunch for the group and a Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea. There is nothing which is too much trouble for Lisa and her amazing team. On August Bank Holiday she hosted a musical concert which raised funds for Ukrainians who have joined our East Grinstead community, Being Neighbourly host a fortnightly drop in cafe for our Ukrainian friends.Lisa is always on the ball to support a wide variety of community events and will be opening the pub as a warm space in the winter months. She is a STAR!

RAY AND LESLEY DENNIS

Ray and Lesley have been an inspiration to many for decades - they have devoted many thousands of hours to build Ashurst Wood Junior Football Club to the amazing standard today. From an immense struggle to keep the club going they now have over 200 children playing (ages 5 to 17 years ) in many teams - they have made the club financially sound and got England Football accredited status. They have turned the club around through working together and are still married after 50 years! They’ve improved pitches and grounds, fundraised for the primary school, worked to keep pitches open during the pandemic. People come from all the surrounding areas including East Grinstead to play for Ashurst Wood Junior Football club. They’ve got new coaches on board and a proper committee set up. Without their involvement the club could have easily folded rather than being the immense success it is today.

CHRISTINA CHELMICK

CHRISTINA CHELMICK Good Neighbours Care was set up in 1983 through the Methodist Church and Christina is a founder member. As a selfless individual, she has always shown compassion in abundance and following 'timeout' raising a family she undertook a position of Volunteer Secretary around 2005. Currently the organisation which relies on finding Volunteers has around 150 it can call upon for the needs of over 300 clients. Helping with tasks such as organising transportation for shopping trips, Hospital, GP and Dentist appointments. This all requires some dedicated individuals to administer leadership and for the last five years Christina has been the Chair. The Covid issues from 2020 presented many and various logistical challenges but Christina and her team overcame many problems, especially when some clients felt vulnerable. Christina often making personal courtesy visits, assisting with any potential needs.

DANDYLION STYLE - IGOR SRZIC CARTLEDGE

Dandylion Style have come into the village and very quickly become a focal point for the Ardingly community. They have tackled social exclusion by regularly holding coffee mornings and lunches for the elderly. They put everything on free of charge and they even collect and drop off residents so they can attend. You can see the delight of residents to be recognised and cared for. As owner and founder Igor puts a lot of effort into the company's social media to encourage inclusion and kindness and promote the community coming together to help. His choice of models shows that everyone can be beautiful and stylish. He sees everyone in the community and brings them into the fold, so no one is left behind. Igor recently brought the whole community together when he hired a van and encouraged residents to fill it with essential items and then he drove it himself across to Ukraine.

TREVOR CARPENTER

Over the past 18 months Trevor Carpenter has given a huge amount of time and energy in setting up Lindfield’s Repair Café. This community initiative not only contributes to the people in the local community but brings a different mindset about repairing things rather than sending them to landfill. Trevor particularly wants everyday skills passed onto kids and has established a different monthly topic for them to experiment with. Trevor has inspired repairers to reuse their skills, for volunteers to come forward and gain confidence in being in the community for visitors to find a place where they can sit and chat, feel at home and repair their item. His enthusiasm for new ideas that bring other local groups or charities into the Repair Café each month is endless. Trevor has a generous and inclusive heart and always ensures that visitors and volunteers are given all the support that they need. He has worked relentlessly in making this Repair Café a reality for the community and I can’t think of anyone who deserves a round of applause more than Trevor.

THE MONDAY GROUP

The Monday Group is made up of volunteers who build and maintain stiles and other wooden structures on public rights-of-way across the district and wider afield. Their work helps to open up access to nature and the outdoors, allowing many people who would otherwise struggle to enjoy the exercise and fresh air. The group respond to requests from the public, from owners of land and from local authorities to help maintain structures and also to clear rights of way to help them stay accessible. In 2021 there have been 227 jobs completed including 73 stile repairs and 33 new stile, 56 clearance jobs and seven gates. Recent projects include a new stile on Danny Estate in Hurstpierpoint, two stiles in Chailey and handrails added to 2 bridges between Hurstpierpoint and Langton Lane. Walkers and users of the paths and trails often post their thanks on social media and it would be fitting to see the group receive recognition for the great work they do.

JOHN PIERPOINT

John has served Balcombe as an un-paid village ranger for decades. He keeps the verges mown and drains unblocked. Mending and tending to our hedges, footpaths, signposts, fences, bus stops and flower beds, he keeps the village clean and tidy and its assets working. John is a true ambassador for village life, always with a warm greeting, an engaged conversation and an eye out for a task to be done. He is well known and well regarded. This was evident when on his 80th birthday, a couple of years ago, he received nearly 100 cards from grateful residents - such is his regard and the village's gratitude for his work. Over the years John has helped many village organisations such as the Primary school, serving on its PTA, the village social club, general repairs and help and the football club, keeping the pavilion spruced up. John would never seek recognition for his long and considerable service to the village.

JESSICA RICHARDSON BLUNT

Jess joined Woodlands Meed three years ago. During that time she has shown amazing strength and resilience through some major changes in her life. At Woodlands Meed Jess developed friendships and proved to be a supportive and encouraging friend. She has built good relationships with staff, using this support to successfully share and work through any concerns. In all lessons, Jessica works with a positive outlook, to the best of her abilities and as a result, she has made excellent academic progress. Jess was a class ‘Student Councillor’ in Key Stage 4 – now she is House Captain. Having moved to the south coast, Jess is now travelling independently to school on the train. We are helping her to plan her next step to a Further Education College to study Childcare. We are proud of her achievements!

JESSICA DIVALL

Jessica has been a regular volunteer with the session run by Albion in the Community as part of the youth club programme. In the last year Jess completed over 100 hours of volunteering and attended Young Leader Training.Jessica has helped support and deliver aspects of the football programme run by AITC and is about to undertake the Level One Football Coach course which will enable her to lead some sessions. In addition, Jess has become a volunteer with Burgess Hill Little Theatre developing her skills and interest in the technical side of theatre production.

FRANCESCA BUTLER-KING

Francesca is one of our junior coaches at Woodside netball club. She is a committed young member who attends training every week and coaches the young children from the ages of 5 to 12. As soon as she arrives at training she gathers the children and gets them warmed up without having to be asked. She is one of our talented junior members and she is passionate about passing on her skill and dedication to the sport to the children she coaches. Nothing is ever too much for her and anything you ask her to do she does with a smile on her face and with great energy. She prioritises her volunteering/coaching over her own play which is commendable and will often come to coach even if she isn’t able to play herself due to illness or injury. She has built a great relationship with her fellow junior coaches and helps to encourage them along the way. Without Francesca our junior section wouldn’t be the same and we would find it difficult to run.