A £20,000 grant to help fund a complete renewal of the play area at Ditchling Recreation Ground has been awarded by local charity the Turner Dumbrell Foundation.

Ditchling Parish Council had planned the upgrade and the Turner Dumbrell Foundation stepped in with a pledge of £20,000 to kick-start the project. Contractors have now been appointed and the money has been handed over.

It pledged £20,000 to kick-start the project, and now contractors have been appointed the money has been handed over.

The scheme will provide all new equipment, new surfacing and a new area for ball games.

From left: Turner Dumbrell chair Roger Vail and treasurer Max Bolton with parish council chair Mercedes Madden and Paul Farrands, chair of the council’s Recreation Ground Committee

In a meeting at the play area Turner Dumbrell chair Roger Vail and treasurer Max Bolton handed over the cheque for £20,000 to parish council chair Mercedes Madden and Paul Farrands, who chair’s the council’s Recreation Ground Committee.

Roger explained: “A founding principle of our charity is to encourage local people to take part in healthy outdoor activity by funding other group’s and charities in the village.

“The upgraded play area will help introduce a new generation to the pleasure of outdoor exercise and is a perfect example of the type of project we want to fund.”

Mercedes said: “This refurbishment is long overdue and we are very grateful to the Turner Dumbrell Foundation for this generous grant. We hope work will start later this year.”

Turner-Dumbrell Foundation is preparing for its next round of grant giving, which takes place every summer.

Charities and other local groups with projects in the village are being invited to apply for funding by the end of April.

Applicants should be either a charity or group, based in the village or the immediate locality, which has a project that benefits the community; or be involved in the practice of preventive cardiology. Many recipients satisfy both criteria by being both local groups and encouraging residents to take part in activities and sports that help to keep hearts healthy.

Last year the foundation agreed to make grants totalling more than £22,000 distributed between:

Beacon Parish for upkeep and maintenance of St Margaret’s churchyard and conservation of a Hilary Bourne tapestry;
FPTA of Ditchling Primary School to resurface a playing area;
The Monday Group for annual fixed costs of footpath maintenance;
Ditchling Scouts Group for activity days;
Oldland Mill for a structural survey;
Ditchling Pavilion towards upgrading its facilities;
Ditchling Cricket Club for equipment; and
Ditchling, Streat and Westmeston Sports to support the village sports day.

If you would like to apply for a grant for your organisation there is more information on the website, www.turner-dumbrell.org.uk or you can contact the secretary by email at [email protected]. Please note the .uk at the end of the website and email address.

£20,000 grant given for renewal of Ditchling play area