Central Sussex Rotary renovates Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath community spaces

Rotarians showed their commitment to the local community by tidying up the garden of the Cherry Tree Centre in Fairfield Road, Burgess Hill, and redecorating the Yews Community Centre in Boltro Road, Haywards Heath.

Volunteers donned gardening gear for the Burgess Hill job at the Cherry Tree Centre of Mid Sussex Voluntary Action (MVSA).

“We are thrilled with the difference that Central Sussex Rotary have made to the overall look of our outdoor space,” said MSVA CEO Lauren Lloyd.

The group weeded the area and overhauled the planters, replanting and repainting them with donations from B&Q in Burgess Hill.

The peaceful space for users of the centre now looks ‘inviting and smart’, said Lauren.

She said: “It has completely changed the look of our outside areas and we are incredibly grateful to Rotary for helping us in this way.”

For the Haywards Heath job Central Sussex Rotary freshened up the corridors of the Yews Community Centre, repainting a counselling room, the first floor communal walkways and one of the toilet facilities.

Five volunteers did the work after responding to a call for help on a Mid Sussex community board listing.

Ian Sanderson, chair of The Yews Trustee Board, said: “Following your efforts last year to redecorate the Graham Cloake Lounge and part of the upstairs corridor, we are once again grateful to your team for completing the repainting of the remainder of the upstairs corridor and one of our downstairs toilets.”

He said the renovated upstairs area is already attracting new long-term users.

“We have recently hired rooms to counsellors and small businesses which is a real help to the continuity of The Yews,” said Ian.

Central Sussex Rotary donated 72 hours of time to the projects in total and said this is just the beginning of its plans to help the Mid Sussex community.

“We were really pleased to be able to do some good for two wonderful organisations,” said Steve Smyth, president of Central Sussex Rotary.

“It is nice to be able to help those who help others and we had a lot of fun doing so,” he said.

Steve thanked B&Q in Burgess Hill for donating flowers and paint.

Central Sussex Rotary was constituted in 2021 with the goal of delivering ‘service projects’ via a small but dedicated number of volunteers.

They meet weekly online (times vary) and plan to undertake a range of voluntary community projects, as well as raise funds and collect goods for people abroad who are in need.

The club is looking for like-minded people to join.

Call Julie on 07759 698831 or email [email protected].

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