Rother District Council dishes out jubilee party grants

The authority put aside £20,000 to help residents and community groups mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign.

The council says it hopes the celebrations will help bring the community together and leave a lasting legacy.

Applications for funding are now closed, but a host of innovative events have been supported.

Bexhill-based charity Homecall, which provides a volunteer visitor service for the blind and partially sighted, have been helped to arrive at their Strawberry Tea in style, with hired coaches decorated in a jubilee theme.

Whatlington Parish Council received support which will allow them to distribute commemorative mugs to children and parishioners.

A visit to the Geffrye Museum, in London, is the order of the day for the Rother Seniors Forum.

And the Sedlescombe Friendship Club will be using funding for a train trip from Bodiam to Tenterden, culminating in a street party.

Many permanent memorials will be appearing across the district to mark the occasion, including trees, benches, noticeboards and clocks.

The council has also helped to arrange street closure orders for nearly 20 parties completely free of charge.

Rother District Council chief executive Derek Stevens said: “I am so pleased we have been able to financially support residents and mark Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“Rother will be a hive of activity and, as a Rother resident myself, I am looking forward to participating.

“The grants have also created a legacy for the future and we can look back on 2012 and feel proud to be UK residents.”

For details on the Diamond Jubilee events happening across the district, beacon lighting and for more detail on Rother grants visit www.rother.gov.uk/diamondjubilee