A truly humbling and heart-warming evening

They were the overwhelming feelings when I felt privileged to share a stage with some of the Melton borough’s wonderful volunteers and community champions on Monday evening.

We were all at Ragdale Hall Spa for the presentation evening for the Ragdale Hall Community Chest.

Cheques were being given out for shares of a £10,000 funding pot the award-winning spa had once again generously made available to charities, community groups and sports clubs.

The Melton Times first partnered with Ragdale in the project 15 years ago and the spa has now given out an incredible £150,000.

The scheme was previously called Make It Happen and was paused during the pandemic.

It has been relaunched this year under the new name.

Co-owner Michael Isaacs and managing director Hugh Wilson presented cheques to the following organisations:

Melton Breast Cancer Support (£250) - to help pay parking costs for hospital treatment and to promote the group.

Melton Mowbray District Scouts (£500) - for renovation work at The Dell space at Holwell Pastures campsite.

Melton Community First Responders (£500) - to help buy a special chair to assist in getting patients off the ground.

103 The Eye (£300) - to help with essential repair costs for the community radio station’s transmitter.

Emmaus Leicestershire and Rutland (£500) - towards counselling sessions for homeless people.

Belvoir Cricket and Countryside Trust (£680) - to help fund summer sessions for hundreds of youngsters.

Oasis Pre-School and Retreat (£500) - to pay for a shed and shelving for outdoor toys and equipment.

Leicestershire and Rutland 4X4 (£400) - to help buy a generator for their response support unit.

The Springfield Group (£250) - for upgrading work on their community centre garden.

Pablo’s Horse Sanctuary (£650) - to replace rotting rails and posts around the menage training area.

Melton Mencap (£350) - to help pay for an accessible bike day for young people.

Friends of Melton Country Park (£200) - for litter picking hoops and bat boxes.

Re-Engage (£500) - to take elderly and isolated members on a Rutland Belle boat trip on Rutland Water.

Melton In Bloom (£500) - for enhancing the sensory garden at the country park.

Drop In Club (£300) - to fund a coach trip for elderly members.

Twyford Recreation Ground (£250) - for urgent maintenance of their rope bridge and undercover BBQ area.

Melton Storehouse (£500) - to support rising demand for the food bank.

Shopmobility Melton Mowbray (£350) - to help buy new wheelchairs with cushions and all-weather capes.

The Unit (£300) - for extra children’s boxing gloves and punch bags for their increasing young members.

Birch Wood Area Special School (£500) - new instruments for pupils for music classes.

Melton Learning Hub (£350) - towards a new wildlife and sensory garden used by horticulture, beauty and art students.

Helping The Isolated (£500) - to support the food bank the group runs with Brownlow School.

Dove Cottage Day Hospice (£750) - to help the hospice open for an extra day a week, on Monday, to support more people.

Breathing Space (£500) - to help put on more wellbeing and mental health support sessions at the Hope Centre.