Group hopes to raise £2,000 to fix Hassocks Infant School’s Millennium Clock

The group, which was once Hassocks Amenity Association, installed the clock above the school’s arch at the turn of the millennium after it was funded by local residents, organisations and authorities.

“It’s the only public clock in the village and a useful and reassuring sight for all,” said fundraiser and Hassocks resident Erika Woodhurst-Trueman, 43.

“It is a stalwart of village life,” she said, calling the timepiece a publicly funded ‘symbol of the community’ that people expect to see working.

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Erika, who is a HCO trustee, said the organisation has managed the clock’s annual servicing and minor repair costs until now.

“But after covering a £1,087 bill in 2019, which we hoped would stave off major works, it now appears that the clock requires a major upgrade to fit it for the years ahead,” she said.

She said the clock is not consistently showing the correct time and added that the battery voltage is dropping and the AC voltage is low. Erika also said the hertz is ‘fluctuating’ between 46 and 51, which can affect the clock’s motor.

The group received a £2,158 quote for the most recent work, said Erika. She fears that if the HCO paid for this on their own it would take funds away from the other projects they support.

However, Erika is delighted that the group has raised about £600 already through its first GoFundMe page. They have now put up a second page that allows people to use Gift Aid.

“It is so inspiring to see the generosity and community spirit we have in our village,” said Erika, who lives in Hassocks with her husband and two children.

She added that her son went to Hassocks Infant School so she has a personal connection to it.

“I suspect that history, familiarity and personal connections to the school will be some of the main reasons residents are so ready to help,” she said.

Visit www.gofundme.com to make a donation.

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