Cash help from the Community Chest

     



A special service on Sunday 4 November marked the completion of major repairs to Hythe Christian Spiritualist Church in Mount Street that were carried out thanks to a grant of £4,000 from The Community Chest fund awarded by Shepway District Council.

The Church has more than 100 members and many of them came along to see Cllr David Monk, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member, Cllr Mrs Shirley Newlands, unveil a plaque to commemorate the grant.

Averil Parsons, President of the Church, said: "When we discovered a bulge in our wall that needed urgent attention it was a shock to hear that we needed to find £8,000 for the work. So, we were delighted to receive a grant for this unexpected expense from Shepway's Community Chest to cover half of the cost.

"It meant we were able to concentrate our efforts on raising funds for the remaining £4,000. We are very grateful to Shepway, and of course relieved to have been able to complete our repairs to our building which is in a conservation area."

Cllr David Monk, Deputy Leader of Shepway District Council, said: "We gave £87,000 of Community Chest funds to local groups and charities last year and have another £80,000 on offer this year. This grant means that this Church can continue with its many community activities. This is a great example of how we can help develop and assist the work of local groups. With well over a hundred members, this is an active and vibrant local Church that is active in the local community, and I am pleased that we were able to help with their building work.

"This is just one of the 25 grants we made over the last year including support for a local allotments group, camping equipment for the Guides, support for Age Concern and help to install disabled toilets at the Greatstone Community Hall. This year we have had more than 30 applications from local groups and we expect to have around £80,000 to allocate."

Anyone interested in Shepway's Community Chest scheme can contact David Illsley on 01303 853 474 or /webapp/eforms/contact-us.php?to=dave.illsley&subject=General-Enquiry&intro=contacting-us.