Proud to be Local Campaign' shortlisted charities announced

Based in beautiful Sussex, we’ve been proud to serve the communities around our depot in Kingsfold for over 30 years and get involved with some of the amazing charities in our region. However, with such an abundance of fabulous work being done on our doorstep it’s hard to select which worthy causes to champion.

This year, we’ve launched a campaign that allows you to decide which charities will receive a £500 donation from our company. In total, four community groups will receive a boost. Launched in January, our ‘Proud to be Local’ campaign called out for the first round of nominations for charitable endeavours you thought deserved the funds. And the response was overwhelming. We received some inspiring and touching stories of work which changes people’s lives for the better.

The hardest part was trying to select three shortlisted charities to go through to the next stage, however after much deliberation we’re pleased to announce that three Horsham causes have been chosen. It’s now down to you to cast your vote for your favourite. The group receiving the most votes will be declared the winner and presented with a £500 cheque. There will be three further opportunities to nominate and vote at later dates throughout the year.

Votes can now be cast in three different ways: visit our depot in Kingsfold and post a token in the relevant voting box; click your chosen group on the poll at the top of our Facebook page; or email proudtobelocal@dwnye.co.uk and put the name of the group in the subject line. Duplicate votes from the same email account will not be counted. Polls close at midnight on Sunday 11th March 2018, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to influence the outcome. The charity of your choice could be receiving a pleasant surprise on Friday 16th March when we notify the winning group.

The three causes that have been shortlisted for February’s round of funding are:

The Springboard Project - a community-based charity that provides inclusive play and leisure opportunities for families with young children, as well as short breaks for children and teenagers with disabilities. Springboard House in Horsham is a drop-in centre for families to enjoy during the week. The funding will go towards essential garden maintenance, repairs and upgrades to the building.

Home-Start CHAMS - the volunteers at Home-Start CHAMS visit vulnerable local families with young children to offer non-judgmental, practical and emotional support. The charity helps families to overcome challenges including domestic violence, addiction, mental health issues and bereavement. Last year the group supported 379 children across Horsham, Crawley and Mid Sussex. Due to a lack of resources, almost half the families asking for help will be turned away.

4TheYouth - is a charity set up to run youth projects for young people in the Horsham district and surrounding areas. The group runs five generic youth club sessions for young people, who can choose to take part in sports activities, play games and develop new skills. The £500 funding would go towards equipment for its brand new Saturday club, The Woodland Project. Using a Forest Schools’ approach the club will run bushcraft activities for 8-12 year olds.

D.W. Nye Managing Director, Rex Nye, said:

“We wanted to celebrate our commitment to our roots with our ‘Proud to be Local’ campaign by supporting those around us that help to make the area such a great place to live and work.

“There were so many inspiring entries, it was quite a task to narrow the field to three. Good luck to the shortlisted charities, and thank you for the wonderful work you do in the Horsham community.”