Stapleford charities

Royal British Legion: The Shelfords & Stapleford Branch

Provides support for ex-servicemen and women and their families.

Hon. Secretary: Mrs. Gillian Farrar, 37 Hawthorne Road, Stapleford Tel: 840947

Poppy Appeal: Local hon. organiser: Mrs. Gay Dean, 42 Bury Road, Stapleford Tel: 844010.

Stapleford Village Hall Fund

In 1908 Dr. Collier built a Village Hall and Reading Room on his land next to the school in Bar Lane. This building became known as the Village Institute. When a local branch of the W.I. was formed in 1920 it was administered by a joint committee of the men and women who used the Institute. In 1921 money was raised locally to extend the building. In December 1922 William Collier gave the building to Trustees, who in 1965 sold it to the County Council. It was then used as a centre for the promotion of excellence in mathematics teaching. The building became unsafe and was finally demolished at the end of 1992. The site is now a memorial garden to a former headteacher, Harold Holt. The proceeds of the sale to the County Council, £3000, were invested and the interest is held for the general benefit of the inhabitants of the parish. Annual income: about £600. Grants are made to village organisations, rather than to individuals.

Correspondent: Mr. Colin White, 15 Hawthorne Road, Stapleford Tel. 01223 525948

Stapleford Feoffee Charity

This Charity has existed since before 1619 and was formerly known as the Church, Poor and Task Lands. William Lee, Vicar of Stapleford, who died in 1617, gave his house and land, half for the church and half for “the godly, honest and diligent poor, but not idlers, drunkards and hedge breakers”.

In 1885 its assets consisted of two cottages, 12/14 Church Street and 15.5 acres of agricultural land off Haverhill Road, allotted to the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor by the Inclosure Award of 1814. Due to poor return on investment, the cottages were sold in 1985 and the proceeds invested. The income of the Charity derives from these investments and rent from the agricultural tenancy.

In 1986 the scheme was revised to bring it more up to date and in line with present day needs. In 2004 the Charity of Lettice Martin, Stapleford War Memorial Convalescent Fund Charity and the Clerk’s Piece Charity were combined with the Feoffee Charity.

The Charity is administered by nine Trustees:

three ex-officio: the Vicar and Churchwardens
two nominated by Stapleford Parish Council each serving for four years
four co-opted by the Feoffees each serving for five years.

Gillian Pett is Chair of Trustees. All trustees are eligible for re-appointment.

The Trustees meet from time to time to distribute the income and to confirm any disbursements made in emergencies.

After expenses of management have been defrayed, the income of Charity is distributed as follows:

2/5ths to persons resident in the Parish of Stapleford who are in need, hardship or distress by making grants of money or paying for items, services or facilities calculated to reduce these conditions.
3/5ths to the Parochial Church Council for the maintenance of the Church and services therein and for furthering the religious and charitable work of the Parish

In recent years, assistance has been given to individuals to meet such things as:

help for those undertaking further education
the cost of nursery or playgroup places
school trips, books etc and
aids for the disabled.
assistance with trips for undertaking voluntary work
helpline telephones for the housebound

Donations are made at Christmas time to a number of local people. The terms of the scheme have the following clauses which determine how Trustees can administer the 2/5th income allocation.

The Trustees are not permitted to apply any part of the funds in relief of rates, taxes or other public funds but may apply income in supplementing relief or assistance provided out of public funds.
The Trustees shall not commit themselves to repeat or renew the relief granted to any one cause or person.
The Trustees may pay for such items, services or facilities by way of donations or subscriptions to institutions or organizations which provide or undertake in return to provide such items.
In exceptional cases the Trustees, may grant relief to persons who are resident immediately outside the Parish but, in the opinion of the Trustees and with sufficient reason, ought to be regarded as resident.

Applications for a grant from the Charity should be made to Simon Taylor on simontaylorstandrews@gmail.com or 01223 840256.

Collier Recreation Ground Charity

The Collier Recreation Ground, which has always had an area of 2420 square yards (2023 square metres), was re-sited in 1958 and again in 1973 to permit expansion of the Community School site. It now lies between the Chestnuts and the end of Vine Close. An inscription on a plaque in the old Institute referred to this gift as follows:

"The playground behind this Institute was given for the use of the children of Stapleford by Dr. W Collier of Oxford in March 1930 in memory of his son Lieutenant Martin Huntly Collier, RN, captain of submarine H10 who, with officers and crew, was killed in the Great War 1918."

Public stone, chalk, gravel and clay pit

Two pits were set out for public use by the inclosure award of 1814, but one of them, lying on what is now Bury Farm, was lost more than a hundred years ago. The other, approached by a track from Haverhill Road, is now a registered charity, administered by the Parish Council. The correspondent is the Clerk to the Parish Council.

Lettice Martin charity

The charity was created in 1562 by Lettice Martin, a widow, of Chrishall, Essex, for the benefit of the poor inhabitants of Chrishall and various other parishes in Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, including Stapleford. The income comes from a house and land in Chrishall and Heydon. Annual income: £1.

The Correspondent is the the Vicar of Stapleford.

The Clerk’s Piece

The charity used to provide a house for the Parish Clerk, who served the Vestry in governing the parish before a Parish Council was formed. Annual income is less than £10.

The Correspondent is the Vicar of Stapleford.

Stapleford War Memorial Convalescent Fund

£85 was collected for the convalescent treatment of sick and poor villagers. Annual income is less than £2.

The Correspondent is the Vicar of Stapleford.

Association for Cultural Exchange (ACE)

A non-profit educational trust, founded in 1958 by the late Philip Barnes. The Arts Centre called Stapleford Granary at Bury Farm, Stapleford CB22 5BP. Enquires to Susannah Bangham Tel: 01223 845599 or visit the ACE Foundation website www. acefoundation.org.uk

Cambridge Woodwind Makers Trust

The Cambridge Woodwind Makers are a charity based in Stapleford, who have created a workshop to preserve and promote the art and artisanship of Woodwind Instrument Making.

The facilities provided by the Cambridge Woodwind Makers offer professionals and novices a chance to learn more about how to make and repair instruments, it also offers the general public an opportunity to observe and appreciate the skills used.