United Arab Emirates supports Sidley

Grants to hard-pressed Sidley Community Association and to Sidley Young People's Centre have totalled 7,500.

Community association chairman John Izzard summed up the situation when town MP Gregory Barker, who had written to the Technical Training Establishment on Sidley's behalf, handed over the cheques last Friday.

"It is vital to the whole pattern of stitching together about 90,000 to keep Sidley Young People's Centre together this financial year.

"It is just one part of a giant jigsaw puzzle.

"One of the things that bothers Gregory Barker and I is the fact that the government does not fund directly or indirectly of the leisure time activities for young people so you are always having this problem to find the money to keep going."

Gregory Barker said: "I am really grateful for the UAE for their generosity for the local community.

But this donation in particular will be a life-line for a much-valued local organisation."

Community association chairman Margaret Lea said of the gifts: "This is superb. We are very grateful for it. It is just wonderful that they are supporting us and in particular Sidley Young People's Services' activities in Sidley."

Both Sidley Rother members, Cllr Jimmy Carroll and Cllr Robert Wheeler were present at the ceremony.

Cllr Wheeler said: "It is a nice, positive, leg-up for Sidley."