“Arthur was a lovely, generous man with a real twinkle in his eye and spirit. We loved spending time with him. We also know how much he loved spending time with and supporting through grants, the amazing network of community groups we have here in Sussex. This gave him great comfort in older age and we’re sure he would be immensely proud of what has been enabled through the gift he left to his fund in his Will.”
Kevin Richmond
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Sussex Community Foundation
Arthur's commitment to Sussex, which has carried on even after his passing, is embodied in the ongoing work supported by the Arthur & Doreen Green Fund. Their legacy continues to champion many charitable causes, with a special focus on helping young people, the elderly, and hospices.
Arthur’s story
When Arthur’s wife Doreen died from cancer in 2008, he was keen to leave a legacy that would provide a long-term benefit for local charities and organisations. Arthur decided that with the legacy he had inherited from his wife, he would set up the Arthur & Doreen Green Fund. Sadly, Arthur died in the summer of 2018 and the next major gift to the fund came from his legacy.
In Arthur's own words:
"Not only will the fund be a permanent memorial to us both but, more importantly, the income generated will provide a contribution to the financial needs of some of the many worthy and deserving causes that exist throughout East and West Sussex."
Arthur Green in 2015
The Arthur & Doreen Green Fund's impact has been significant across Sussex, providing more than £1 million over the past decade. Recently, the fund gave £2,500 to Dementia Support, a charity Arthur would have greatly valued.
Dementia Support helps people to navigate the dementia journey, providing a full range of dementia services at their inclusive community hub in West Sussex. They support local people through Wayfinding advice, Day Breaks, Respite care, Carers support courses, wellbeing activities and a Dementia friendly cafe.
Tackling Poverty, part of the Sussex Uncovered series, looks into the population dynamics in Sussex and the levels of poverty and disadvantage in our communities. You can read the full report on our website here.
Keynote speaker Kimberley Gregory, Head of Marketing & Communications at OCSI, kindly stepped in at late notice for Stefan Noble to give insight into the data behind the report. Kimberley highlighted areas of high need in Sussex (including Hastings, Portslade, Crawley and Eastbourne) and the four key challenges presented in the report:
An aging population
High levels of long-term illness and poor outcomes for those with a disability
Inflationary pressures are contributing towards financial hardship
Multiple deprivation challenges in coastal communities
The evening also featured an insightful Q&A with questions put to Kim Richards, CEO at Rother Voluntary Action, Hannah Clay, our Head of Grant Programmes and our CEO Kevin Richmond. The discussion centred around the current ground-level situation, including the challenges associated with coastal deprivation, the pressing issue of an ageing population, and the scarcity of available funding amidst soaring demand and a Cost of Living crisis.
Reflecting on the evening, the overarching message was clear – we need to act together and we need to act now if we want to build a better Sussex. There is no one simple solution to the problems our communities are facing but at Sussex Community Foundation we know that local giving has a huge role to play.
To find out more about how you can contribute to our funding priorities, including Tackling Poverty, click here.
Gatwick leading the way
Last week I was pleased to attend the second Economic Summit hosted by Gatwick Airport. The airport is an important part of the UK economy contributing 0.3% of GDP. It is also vital in Sussex – not only is the airport one of our biggest employers (over 20,000 employees) but there are over 200 businesses based at the airport.
"We are pleased to see that Gatwick has a strong commitment to the economy and community of Sussex and are pleased to work in partnership to help them give back to the communities of which it is part."
Kevin Richmond
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CEO
Gatwick Airport is one of the Foundation’s fundholders – giving us £100,000 per year to award grants to charities in the communities around the airport and giving the same amount to our sister community foundations in Surrey and Kent.
The second Gatwick Economic Summit brought together 150 leaders from charities, businesses and local government to discuss how we can all help to build a thriving and sustainable economy for our region. It was interesting to hear that Gatwick served 32.8m passengers in 2022, which is 70% of the 2019 traffic. This increase in passengers since the pandemic has been a lot faster than at first feared and bodes well for the local economy.
I was pleased to hear that Gatwick Airport did not shy away from discussing the environmental impact of air travel. One session of the conference was dedicated to a discussion of how the air travel industry can reduce its carbon footprint. There was a high level of confidence that more sustainable aviation fuels will become the norm in just a few years. Gatwick Airport itself has reduced its timescale for being net zero from 2040 to 2030. There was also some very active discussion about how every business can become sustainable – reducing costs and improving the engagement and motivation of employees along the way.
Part of Gatwick’s agenda for the event was to inform people about their plans for making use of the second runway to increase air traffic. There are of course different views about this development and there will be much discussion to come. Whatever may happen in that regard, we are pleased to see that Gatwick has a strong commitment to the economy and community of Sussex and are pleased to work in partnership to help them give back to the communities of which it is part.
The voluntary arts group was set up in 2012 to promote and develop appreciation of the arts, in all its forms, among Selsey and district communities. They recently ran a project called “Sing your Heart Out”, a daytime singing group for people with a variety of physical and mental health problems, mostly 60 years and over.
Sing your Heart Out!
The project offered a friendly and supportive environment for a ‘gentle’ yet engaging activity for people to meet and sing together, make friends and relax through the medium of music making. In addition to facilitate the development of musical knowledge and skills, “Sing Your Heart Out” provided exercise and stimulated mental facility, helping to reduce depression and anxiety through participation within the community.
Improving mental health and wellbeing
The feedback received by the group showed that the beneficiaries’ lives were improved through the experience of singing and making music together. For the volunteers working with the project, it was fantastic to see how a group of individuals who did not know each other at the start, grew to trust, laugh, cry and perform together. By the end of the project, which lasted just over 12 months, the group had moved on to singing songs in three- and four-part harmony, holding their own tune, and sitting in groups according to their voices.
“The music sessions restored my confidence and self-esteem, and also helped with my asthma and general health. They have brought the other folks and I to bond – it was wonderful for the community.”
Our public facilities are stretched, which is why the importance of local community groups and charities needs to be realised across the nation, and in our particular circumstance, Sussex. Certain areas of Sussex have some of the highest rates of dementia in the entire nation, including Bexhill & Battle and Worthing West. We are thankful for the tremendous work that charities and community groups have done throughout our local community to help improve the lives for people living with dementia. We would also like to thank our fund holders for making investments into the local community, thus providing a brighter future for Sussex.
"People using adapted bikes can engage with the community, nature and see the sights."
Harry
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Volunteer Pedal People
Pedal People, Brighton
For many elderly people, ease of mobility can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. Riding a bike is one activity that becomes harder to do as you get older, which means that many elderly people struggle to enjoy the great outdoors in the same way. Thankfully, the team at Pedal People have come up with ingenious way to address this issue.
From cycles that you can operate using your arms to assisted trishaws, this organisation has found a perfect way to help people regain a connection with the outside. Beneficiaries at Pedal People can also bring their carers or family members along to assist them on their journey.
Peter Jones and Zoe Gandey from the SCF team joined Pedal People yesterday for the launch of their new Accessible Cycle Hub base on Madeira Drive. The charity were awarded £10,000 from the Rampion Community Benefit Fund this week towards purchasing sustainable cycle batteries, staffing and training costs.
Joanne, volunteer at Pedal People
“At the new hub, we are right on a properly designed wide cycle path that interconnects with other cycle paths within the community. From here it is traffic free, so you can get all the way to Saltdean in the east and to Carats Cafe in Shoreham to the west. People using adapted bikes can engage with the community, nature and see the sights.”
Harry Puckering
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Volunteer
Also at the launch was VIP (Very Important Passenger) David who has Lewy Body Dementia. He recently moved back to Brighton with his wife Rachel.
“It’s really important for David to get out. Womble the therapy dog really helps, as she is something you can focus on rather than letting your mind worry. Pedal people introduced us to go on the bike to go to the beach. We sat next to each other and enjoyed the adventure going back around where David grew up. Now hopefully we will do more!”
Rachel
Rachel & David on a Pedal People tricycle
There are multiple brilliant organisations in Sussex working to support people with dementia, including two more below:
The Music Well, Rye
Music not only unites people but it can be a sincere way for many people to access memories and reminisce. Recent studies have shown that music therapy actually reduces agitation and the need for medication in nearly 67% of people with dementia.
The Music Well in Rye provides specialised music therapy sessions for people with dementia, autism, depression and those working through trauma. Beyond this, they also provide drum circle sessions, meditative gong baths, singing groups and more.
Age Concern, Eastbourne
Applying for benefits is a difficult task and many of us need help in understanding what welfare we are eligible for and how to receive it. Age Concern Eastbourne specialises in addressing this issue, as well as generally finding ways to empower people of the older generation in the Eastbourne area.
Age Concern Eastbourne also provide financial advice services, including for pensions, as well as a number of paid, therapeutic services at a low cost.
£100,000 for Lewes Community
Since its inception the Lewes Fund has given grants totalling over £100,000 to more than 40 community groups in Lewes and the surrounding parishes.
“Tonight we are celebrating the contribution these groups and their volunteers make in helping their communities to be more resilient – in particular helping meet the needs of the young, the old, and the disadvantaged in Lewes and surrounding parishes.”
Richard Pearson
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Chair of the Fund
Recipients of Grant Certificates handed out by the Mayor during the evening included: Culture Shift, Homelink, 6th Lewes Scouts, Lewes House Gardening group, Moving Sounds, the Men’s Shed, the Local Repair Cafe and Patina, Moving on Parade.
The Lewes Fund was established in 2012 to help facilitate charitable giving, and to act as a fund raiser for local groups. It is supported by Sussex Community Foundation.
Groups seeking funding and those wishing to support the Fund can find out more here.
6th Lewes Scouts received £1,500 from the Lewes Fund to improve their scout hut
Cover photo shows Lewes Mayor Stephen Caitlin and Richard Pearson, Chair of The Lewes Fund, with Keith Ellis and Mike Potter of Moving Sounds.
