2022 Charities

Currently supporting 42 adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, Chalk Farm Learning Disabilities Centre in Willingdon has been running for over 25 years. Students train from Monday to Friday with the ultimate goal of gaining a career in an industry they are passionate about, from hospitality to housekeeping and horticulture. The centre has seen many success stories, with past students gaining paid work as chefs, waiting staff and reception staff, as well as voluntary work too.

Staffed entirely by volunteers, Eastbourne & District Samaritans have been providing a service to the local community for more than 50 years. Last year their specially trained volunteers helped over 23,000 people. Supporting people and their families with whatever is troubling them, their aim is to reduce suffering and bring comfort and a sense of calm to those contacting their volunteers via phone, email and in person.

Providing a free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families with children in specialist hospitals, the charity enables families to stay close to their child’s bedside, maintaining a degree of normal life during a difficult time. The Ronald McDonald House in Brighton provides much-needed normality for families with children being treated at Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital Trevor Mann Baby Unit. With 18 en-suite bedrooms, the house also offers kitchens for family meals, communal lounges, play areas for siblings and quiet spaces give families a refuge away from hectic wards.

The Chaseley Trust won the vote for the 'people's charity' at Airbourne in 2019 after winning the public vote. The Chaseley Trust joined the Rotary charities of the Eastbourne Blind Society and Parkinson’s UK (Hailsham) chosen by members of the Sovereign Harbour Rotary Club and Hailsham Rotary Club. The money raised at Airbourne in both the bucket collections and at the charity's in ouse events, will go some way towards the £115,000 cost of fully refurbishing the bathroom facilities, which are currently showing their age, with considerable wear and tear. These improvements will enable the Trust to provide better, more accessible and safer facilities for everyone, enhancing the overall experience of living at Chaseley, improving energy efficiency and allowing for easier cleaning and maintenance, therefore saving the charity money in the future.

The annual Airbourne bucket collection, organised by Steve Newman and Mike Barlow of Sovereign Harbour Rotary Club, and the Rotary Clubs of Hailsham, is a mammoth project each year with over 200 buckets out and about across the town during the four days of the airshow. The bucket collection has become integral in securing both the future of the airshow and keeping entry free, with 70% of donations helping to fund the flying displays. The remaining 30% of donations are split between three local charities, all of whom support the show with volunteer collectors.