The Clayton Contact Club is looking for volunteers

The Clayton Contact Club is part of 4sight Vision Support, a West Sussex charity supporting people living with sight loss. The club stopped meeting during Covid lockdowns but has now restarted, with 14 members attending regularly. Two are totally blind and the rest are partially sighted. Members are mostly aged over 70, although one or two are just over retirement age.

Club organiser Dorothy Lazenby is delighted that the group’s been able to meet again, and she’s planning a Christmas party for 15th December. 91-year-old Dorothy has been running the club for well over 30 years! “One of my helpers has done 35 years,” she admits, “so she was there before me.” Over the years, Dorothy has witnessed how members value the club. “It’s much more than a lunch club,” she explains, “as we plan activities especially for visually impaired people.” As well as providing a home-cooked lunch, the club provides the opportunity to be sociable. “It’s the chatting that’s important, especially after Covid,” says Dorothy. After lunch, there’s a quiz, and sighted helpers write the answers. “Sometimes we play games with specially adapted dominos or cards,” says Dorothy.

The club covers Burgess Hill, Clayton, and Hassocks. People pay £5 and in return they get fetched, have lunch and tea or coffee. The fee helps cover the cost of the hall. Due to changing circumstances, Dorothy’s two longest term helpers are moving on at Christmas, and she desperately needs more helpers. “I can’t do it single-handed,” says Dorothy. “It isn’t safe, especially given my age, and I must have at least one helper in case something unexpected happens.” Volunteers should be friendly, reliable, and able to set up the tables, help serve the lunches, and wash up. Dorothy continues: “Another driver helper would be super too, particularly if they could help people get to and from the club.”

The club meets at Clayton Parish Hall on a Wednesday, every other week from 10am–2pm. Dorothy would be delighted to talk to anyone who’s interested in volunteering as a driver or helper, or anyone living with sight loss who’d like to attend a trial session. Call Dorothy on 01444 450947.

Mid Sussex Applauds award John Thorpe for new Ansty Village Centre

By Bradbury Williams

Cuckfield’s John Thorpe has won a top award for his leading role in a community project to fund and build a state-of-the-art village centre in Ansty. At the prestigious Mid Sussex Applauds event in Ardingly his tireless efforts over the last decade were recognised, as he was named the winner of the ‘Stronger Together Award’. Working in close partnership with key stakeholders, including the Ansty Village Hall Trust and the Ansty Cricket Club, he was instrumental in raising the required £1.25M and project managing the complex build, in the face of a global pandemic.

The centre is well-equipped with a large village hall, fitted with a top quality AV system and hearing loop, a clubroom with a bar and expansive balcony, along with a snug snooker room. It’s also home to a Premiere League Ladies Cricket team and a growing hub for disabled cricket in Sussex.

“I was delighted to receive the Stronger Together Award. The delivery of the Village Centre was a team effort drawing together the project trustees, the partner bodies and the parish and district councils,” said John. “I am very grateful for their support, and to our designer and contractor, Sports Clubhouses Ltd, who worked closely with our Contracts Manager, Owen Travis, to see the project through a variety of challenges, not least the impact of Covid 19,” he added.

The community champion awards event, at the South of England Showground, was led by Councillor Margaret Belsey, the Chairman of Mid Sussex District Council along with Neil Hart, the High Sheriff of West Sussex, accompanied by award sponsors. “It is fantastic to see so many people from our community being appreciated and rewarded for the amazing work which happens in our district,” said Counsellor Belsey. John was nominated for the award by Ansty and Staplefield Parish Council, who strongly supported the long-running campaign for a new centre, replacing the former World War 1 troop hut that served as a village hall for the last 100 years. Jon Gilley, Chair of the Ansty Village Centre Trust, said: “John was an obvious nominee for the parish council, without his determined vision for the AVC it would never have come to fruition.” Following a successful launch in October, the Ansty Village Centre is gearing up for its first Christmas and a team of volunteers are planning a varied range of events for 2022, alongside the busy weekly programme of fitness classes. The centre is also an increasingly popular special event and party venue. Key contact is enquiries@ anstysussex.uk.

Ansty Community Centre officially opened

By Bradbury Williams

A new community and sports centre for Mid Sussex has officially been opened after an epic 20-year fundraising campaign. Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies cut the ribbon for the £1.25M Ansty Village Centre at the start of an Open Day on October 17th, which was staged to help put the venue on the map.

The building combines a community hall and sports facilities for the village and the wider area, replacing a former WW1 hut, which had stood on the site for the last century. The centre has been open since Polling Day back in May, hosting a range activities including exercise classes, a choir, birthday parties, charity evenings, quiz nights as well as providing a new home for cricket, football and snooker. The centre has a state-of-the art main hall, with two sides of bi-fold doors opening onto the the recreation ground, also a maxi screen and projector and a well equipped new kitchen.

Just before the ribbon ceremony, there was a short presentation for Maureen Gibson and Brian Fletcher to formally recognise that they worked tirelessly to make the endless plans for a new centre become a reality. Another long term visionary from the Ansty Village Hall Trust, Marion Pettitpierre, was delighted by the historic Open Day event: “I have lost count of the number of cream teas we ran and the hundreds of cakes we baked, but we have finally got the centre we deserve with something for everyone.” AVHT Trustee and Project Manager John Thorpe secured the highly complex funding package against all odds and a design that skilfully met the requirements of all users. He then found a way to get it built, with some strong local and professional support

For more details turn to page 50 of November’s Cuckfield Life.