The Inner Wheel Club
of
Cuckfield & Lindfield

District Rally

Book Club

Installation

July 2005: President Valerie Clapp receives (left) the badge of office and (right) a floral arrangement from Past President Deborah Ruse at Paxhill Golf Club at the start of a new Inner Wheel year

For more pictures and information about
Chestnut Tree House, visit the charity's own web site

In 1999, a campaign was launched to raise the £5 million needed to build Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice and to provide care and support for life-limited children and their families throughout Sussex.

Completed in 2003, the Hospice provides a “home from home” environment with 10 children’s bedrooms plus family rooms, wet and dry play areas, computer and music rooms, a multi-sensory room and a hydrotherapy pool, all set in beautiful gardens. It is the only children’s hospice in Sussex and cares for children and young adults from 0-19 years of age, with progressive life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses from all over the county.

It has the potential to care for as many as 400 families and offers support for the whole family including psychological support, care in bereavement therapy, end of life and respite care and sibling support.

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.

President Valerie Clapp held a garden party for members and Rotarians on a lovely warm Saturday in July 2005.
A fine start to the new year.

District Chairman's Visit

President Valerie Clapp presents Dawn Hatley with a plant on the occasion of the District Chairman's visit to the Club on 12 October 2005

Cuckfield's Big Day

Valerie Clapp, Margaret Wilson and Diane Negus carrying the Inner Wheel banner in Cuckfield on 22 October to support the Mayor's Parade

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.

A fashion show under the direction of Maxine Beresford of Elegance at Burgess Hill School for Girls was the first fund-raising event in President Valerie Clapp's year. This was a colourful show of casual and formal ensembles, winter wedding outfits and glamorous evening wear.

Inner Wheel Club members provided a stall of home-made cakes and biscuits, and another of home-made cards. It was an enjoyable evening and a good sum was raised for the Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice.

President Valerie Clapp attended the Conference in Belfast with her husband, Trevor. It was the first time that Inner Wheel had held their Association Conference in Belfast and a great deal of warm hospitality and friendship was received from the Irish members. The Waterfront Hall was a superb venue, light, attractive and modern, and there were about 2,100 members and 50 Rotarians in attendance. The pictures below were taken during the Gala Dinner at St Georges’s Market Hall where 1,600 people sat down to a three course dinner. The entertainment was in true Irish style – a band, dancing, singing and a wonderful violinist, who walked amongst the tables, as you can see in the photograph.

Jean Matthews, Inner Wheel Association President, with the Club President at the national conference in Belfast

After-dinner entertainment featured this talented young violinist, seen here doing the rounds of the tables

RIBI President Mike Webb couldn't resist this opportunity join Club President Valerie Clapp on the dance floor

The Inner Wheel and Rotary Clubs of Cuckfield & Lindfield joined forces on Saturday 1 April 2006 to present a musical extravaganza at the Burgess Hill School for Girls, featuring Richard Stilgoe and the Apprentices of the Orpheus Centre. Additional entertainment was provided by soloists and ensembles from the school.

The event raised over £6,000 for the Orpheus Centre. Pictured (left) Richard Stilgoe and the Apprentices in rehearsal and (right) the presentation of a cheque for the proceeds by the two club presidents.

The Orpheus Centre of performing arts was founded by Richard Stilgoe in 1998. It aims to use music and the performing arts to encourage self-development by offering young people creative experiences, enabling them to discover and develop new skills and new expectations. Apprenticeships involve three-year placements for up to 25 young disabled people up to the age of 25. They work towards living independently in the community through an individually-designed and complex programme of daily living skills, performing arts and in helping with the running of the Orpheus Centre.

The 21st Birthday Charter Lunch of the Cuckfield & Lindfield club was held in the Wivelsfield Village Hall on Wednesday 12 April 2006. Pictured here are members of the Club together with the Association President and the District Chairman.

District 25 Chairman Dawn Hatley, President Valerie Clapp and President of The Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain & Ireland Jean Matthews

Founder President Liz Robinson and President Valerie Clapp cut the birthday cake

The Association, District and Club senior Officers are joined here by President Paul Harris and Founder President John Craik of the Rotary Club of Cuckfield & Lindfield