The Inner Wheel Club of
Cuckfield & Lindfield

Club members raised most of the money for their donation from the Fashion Show held in October 2005, supplemented by additional funds accruing from stalls at Lindfield's Christmas Shopping Night, Cuckfield's Cuckoo Fayre, Bring & Buy tables at Club meetings and other donations.

Altogether a total of £2,800 was donated to the Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice. Pictured (right) Valerie Clapp presents the final instalment to the Hospice's Head of Community Fundraising & Events Lesley-Anne Lloyd, with support from Vice-President Rosemary Hands, Treasurer Julia Vokes and Past Presidents Diane Negus, Winkie Grundon and Liz Robinson.

Decorating the tree

President Valerie Clapp and Jill Goodrich take sweets and gingerbread shapes from our decorated Christmas tree – Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice – to Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice on 16th December, ready for the children's party the following day.

Club support for Feed the Children

Feed the Children was started in 1979 by an American Methodist Minister, Larry Jones, after he was asked by a small boy for 5 cents to buy a bread roll in Port au Prince, Haiti. It has now grown into a world-wide children’s and humanitarian relief organisation working in nearly 30 countries around the world. Feed the Children UK was formed in 1989 and helps children both in the UK and abroad, mainly in Africa.

At our Overseas Club meeting on 8 March 2006, Barry Shotton, Corporate and Trust Manager from Feed the Children UK gave members an insight into the work of this charity and then talked about tsunami relief and the Abandoned Baby Centre in Kenya. Norma Jarvis, the Club Overseas Organiser, thanked Barry and presented him with a cheque for £150 for the ABC in Kenya, 50 babies' fleece blankets and 62 handmade items for the babies and toddlers at the ABC.

For three years the Club has supported Feed the Children by raising money for mother and baby boxes (sent to African countries in need), tsunami relief in Sri Lanka (to help rebuild a school), ABC Kenya (50 fleece blankets and funds for the babies' support). Members have also made over 200 items for the ABC including knitted blankets, jumpers, cardigans, hats, mittens, and cotton dresses, skirts, tops and shorts.