Capel Goes Green

GREAT RESULT for HELP HAITI DAY : more than £1,500

A sunny morning made it possible for fund-raising stalls to spill out of the Memorial Hall into the car park. It was good to have extra space outside as people started arriving from 9.30 with generous contributions and boxes of goods – for example, plants for the Horticultural Society and for the The Evergreens who soon required an overflow area to display furniture and large items. Stocks were set up by the Scouts (weather just warm enough to allow wet sponges to be thrown at the incumbents). Children could enjoy face-painting out of doors, and empty pots of sand in their search for winnings in the Treasure Hunt.

Indoors, there was a steady stream of visitors for the Raffle run by the Tennis Club and the refreshments provided by the WI – tea, coffee, biscuits, cakes and ploughman’s lunches. Stall holders ranged in age from 100 years – Capel’s beloved centenarian, Muriel Dale, selling her own hand-knitted teddy bears, each in its own little bag.- down to 10 years – stalls run by Lucy and Caitlin, and the the members of Jesus Fun Club’s Lucky Dip. A Traidcraft stall, a Tombola, children’s books and puzzles and toys from Capel Pre-School, and table-loads of china and glass, and antique linen filled every available space. There were more games of skill and chance indoors (one run by Dawn Hinton on behalf of the Weald School) , all very popular with children, and a numbers game run by Angela Chown..

A big thank you to local business who supported this event, many donating prizes for the raffle – The Crown gave meal vouchers, Carters, Capel News and th Patel family gave wine, there were gifts from the Friends of Guiding, from The Wise Old Owl, and from Terra Decor who gave splendid pots. A big thank you to the management team of the Memorial Hall who allowed us to use the hall rent free.

Thanks are also warmly offered to all those who helped inside and out, stepping in when it became clear there were more stalls running than we had bargained for – Ann S, John C, Mary H, Marion M, Janet, Sally W, Sandie, Rose, Nedia and Amira, Sue P. and Matthew and Rachel, Miranda A, Claire, Melanie S, Rosemary G, Tina F, Janet S., Richard and Rebecca S, Apologies to any others not mentioned by name.

The organisers of this community fund-raising day were the committee of Capel Goes Green – Jane Chilvers, Nuala Seelig, Phil Partridge, Darrin Green, James Cole and Sally Richardson.

Warmest thanks to Roger South who acted as Master of Ceremonies and Treasurer, making announcements throughout the day, collecting money every hour and telling us the interim total and, with the help of Darrin Green, counting and bagging up the bucketfuls of coins and notes.

Roger was able to pay in £1,503.37 to the Disasters Emergency Committee Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

Roger summed up the day well. He said he had particularly noted the strong part played by the young people throughout the day – running stalls themselves, helping from the earliest stage of setting-up to the final clearing up, running errands and generally participating whole heartedly. A great community occasion. Well done all.

SR