Bumper fundraising for children and young people in Haywards Health

Members of the Inner Wheel Club of Cuckfield and Lindfield raised £1,652.50 during a year of fundraising for Chalkhill Hospital, which is run by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The Inner Wheel is one of the world’s largest women’s voluntary organisations, working in 104 countries. Any woman who shares the aim of the organisation to improve the lives of others by personal service may join the Inner Wheel.

Chalkhill provides inpatient care and day services for children and young people aged 12-18 years old who have emotional difficulties and mental health problems, including eating disorders. It is on the Princess Royal Hospital site in Haywards Heath.

During her year as President, Sally Dew nominated Chalkhill to benefit from fundraising activities organised by the club. Amongst their many fundraising activities, members organised a fashion show and raffle, with help from local shops in Haywards Heath; entered teams in the Rotary’s sponsored Darts Marathon; and ran a stall at Lindfield Village Day selling their own handbags, scarves and books, which they donated to the cause.

Sally said: “I’m so happy to give this money to Chalkhill knowing that it will make a real difference to the young people who come here. The Inner Wheel is all about being part of the community so during my year as President I wanted to raise money for a local cause. I spent many years working as a teacher and this, along with the heightened awareness of mental health issues in young people, meant that I wanted to do something to support Chalkhill.

“Recently, together with fellow Inner Wheel member Valerie Clapp, I visited Chalkhill to present our cheque and we had the chance to meet some of the young people there.

“They were really excited about the things that the money could be used for to help them relax and get the most out of their time there. They also presented me with a lovely thank you card, full of wonderful messages, and I’ll be sharing this with our members who worked so hard to raise this money.”

Kate Stammers, Matron at Chalkhill, was presented with the cheque. She said: “We’re always so grateful when local groups think of us and fundraise to help improve the facilities we have for the young people we support.

“Living with a mental health problem can be life-changing for anyone, but for young people it can present particular challenges. Anything we can do to make their time with us more comfortable goes a long way to helping their recovery and helping them to live a happy and healthy life.”

Contributed by the Inner Wheel Club

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