Pelham Trust - Sidley

The Rotary Club of Senlac visited the Pelham Community Centre in Sidley, Bexhill to see and hear about the progress that has been made and the plans for the future. The club had been very pleased to welcome the Rev David Bishop, the man with the vision that is coming true, in February 2015 and learn about a project that was very dear to his heart, a community hub in Sidley. He wanted a place where people could meet, could learn, share problems and benefit from the more fortunate of the community. We were pleased to make a donation to help. The organisation has now moved from being the Pelham Trust to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

After an opportunity to walk around the ground floor, Ollie Jeffs, the Project Manager, gave us an update of what had been done and was planned. Since David’s visit to us restoration work has continued on the former hotel and a coffee lounge is now in operation for four days a week, a meeting room is available, a commercial kitchen is about to be fitted out, and downstairs toilets and a shower room have been finished. The kitchen, about to be fitted out with equipment bought with the aid of recent grants, will provide opportunities for group catering as well as training for food preparation and hygiene. Work, other than safety work, has yet to be started on the upper floors which, when completed, will provide meeting, training and function rooms, office accommodation and short term accommodation for homeless or other people in urgent need of safe shelter. President Elect, Glyn Parry, thanked Ollie for his update and expressed the wish that the work would continue as planned and commended the work being undertaken for the community.

The Club then adjourned to Louis’ Fish Bar in Bexhill for an informal fish and chip supper – a massive feast enjoyed by all.