All this fundraising activity brings in anything from £10,000 to £15,000 in charitable donations a year from the generosity of local residents. This is then discretely distributed back out to the local community and anyone in the village can put in a request to the BP Guild for assistance. The Guild facilitates smaller donations through its ‘Guild Gives Back’ scheme which enables smaller amounts to be transferred quickly, whilst larger donations are approved by a membership vote.
The BP Guild recently helped out the Warren Playgroup who were facing a large bill to replace their outdoor equipment storage. They approached the BP Guild to see if they could help them and on assessing the situation, the Guild members realised that they had the skills to securely replace the leaky roof themselves, providing a much cheaper and more sustainable solution with just a few hours work! Another fortunate recipient this year has been the Henfield Haven who benefited from the funds raised by a particularly successful barbeque and bar hosted by the BP Guild at the recent Henfield Cricket Club match against the MCC.
An annual village event that the BP Guild organises is the Senior Citizens Outing which takes place at the end of the summer. Older residents are invited to take part in a day trip by coach to a popular local tourist destination, followed by a slap-up meal, a glass of something ‘medicinal’ and entertainment back in the village hall. Whilst this year the event had to be scaled back to just an afternoon tea due uncertainty earlier in the year, they hope to be back bigger and better next year!
Sarah Butler
