‘Tis the season to be merry – of course. It is also the time to shop till we drop, and I suspect Hurtwood is pretty good at that. What is inspiring to know, however, is that we are also rather good at giving, as a quick Muse chat with Max confirms.
Crisis at Christmas, as ever, is at the forefront of our giving right now, and Hurtwood aims to provide a minimum of a table for 10 homeless people on Christmas day, with provision for the day, a bed for the night, a health check and a chance to break the cycle of deprivation and neglect that could potentially happen to any of us. It offers a turning point in damaged lives, with homelessness an increasing problem. We have also supported the homeless bus in Brighton, supplying sleeping bags and toiletries. We’ve been helping the local hospice and donating to the Teen Cancer Trust; we’ve also supported the Terence Higgins Trust on World Aids Day. Right now, we are also collecting at ‘Hairspray’ performances for the Orpheus Centre, an educational centre that supports disabled young people who are interested in the performing arts – a natural fit. We normally hope to raise about £500 thanks to these collections after the show.
Earlier in the term we managed to send off £2000 to a charity in Darfour called ‘Kids for Kids’, which provides kid goats of course, but also water and other obvious practical supplies.
All of this has been supported by our various activities and endeavours, including of course dressing up (largely ghastly Christmas sweaters today, for instance) and the baking genius of the evergreen Linda in the kitchen. Her amazing bake sales make her the prizewinning fundraiser of Hurtwood. Thank you, Linda!
So, well done to you all. You are helping to make a difference, so keep on giving. Want to get involved? Mail Max.McAllister@hurtwood.net, or just turn up for one of the brief meetings Wednesday morning at 8.50. You can do as much or as little as you wish, and good ideas are always welcome.
Keep on giving, Hurtwood; it enriches us all.