Community aidfor vandal hitCamber Hall

Hall chairman Terry Hovenden said: “We are very grateful to Pontins for providing the new noticeboard. They have always been very good supporters of the hall and village,

“Pontins donated £1,000 to help us improve the toilets and also provided a brick wall at the back of the building which was 83 ft long and five ft high, which would have cost several thousand pounds.”

Mr Hovenden called on Camber Parish Council to help pay for upkeep and improvements to the hall.

He said: “We are entirely self-funding and get lots of help from outside bodies but none whatsoever from the parish council, even though they use the hall for their meetings.

“If they put their precept up by just £1 a year for each resident that would create £1,500 to keep us going.

“The hall is used by people of all ages in the village for things like Extend exercise classes for the elderly, a mother and toddler group, short mat bowls, a youth club and the Nifty Fifties Club.

“I cannot understand why we don’t get more help from the parish council.”

The hall is also used as a GP surgery in the village.

Camber Memorial Hall has just been given a £9,000 Awards for All lottery grant, says Mr Hovenden.

This will be used to pay for a new metal fuel tank with anti-theft devices. It will also help replace a felt roof over the doctor’s surgery and two old fire-doors upstairs.

Mr Hovenden said: “We are also patching up the old concrete car park outside which has not been repaired for 19 years.”

The Little Cheyne Court wind farm has also donated £1,300 to the hall from its community fund which has helped pay for new chairs.

Rye Golf Club has also contributed £250 for a new chain link fence at the hall.