An inspiring night with Melton borough's community champions and volunteers
Thousands of adults and children across the Melton borough will benefit from donations from this year’s Ragdale Hall Community Chest.
This is the 17th year the Melton Times has partnered with the award-winning Ragdale Hall Spa, which again put up a £10,000 fund to be allocated to charities, community groups, schools and sports club.
It was another moving and inspiring evening when representatives of the beneficiaries attended our annual cheque presentation and reception event at the spa.
Managing director, Hugh Wilson, handed out the cheques. All of these photos were taken by Adam Shaw.
Melton Community First Responders were awarded £500 – plus an extra £250 after being voted for by a majority of Ragdale staff – to help renew their nine defibrillators.
Other beneficiaries were:
Melton Town Mohawks Under 8s (£250) for goals, footballs and cones.
The Melton Learning Hub (£300) for materials to help build new community forest school behind bowls club.
Melton Foxes Football Club (£250) to help buy wheelable 9-a-side goals.
St Francis Catholic Primary School (£250) to help overhaul its library to help encourage more pupils to read.
Kick Up The Arts, Melton (£625) for creative youth sessions aimed at disadvantaged youngsters.
Frisby CofE Primary School (£250) to buy new toys and games for a new outdoor space.
Urban Movement Primary (£600) – to buy six new balance bikes for youngsters with special needs.
Friends of St Mary’s Primary School (£500) – towards the cost of an outdoor classroom.
The Parish Community Hub (£250) – to support the cost of volunteer drivers taking isolated villagers to monthly lunches.
Belvoir Education & Sports Trust (£300) – for new equipment for the basketball coach.
103 The Eye (£300) – for replacement fans to stop radio equipment overheating.
Old Dalby Primary School (£250) – towards the cost of renovations at their forest school.
Dove Cottage Day Hospice (£750) – for the free complementary therapy service for guests.
Melton Vale Sixth Form College (£250) – for outdoor area for special needs students from Birch Wood Special School.
Helping The Isolated (£300) – towards Christmas hampers for elderly plus struggling families.
Melton Prostate Cancer Support Group (£500) – to help with rental charges at their new meeting venue, Gloucester House.
Pepper’s - A Safe Place (£405) – to refurbuish their new HQ in Nottingham Street.
Oasis Preschool and Retreat (£500) – to buy pre-school bikes and helmets for the young children.
The Friends of Melton Country Park (£200) – to buy a petrol-driven mini tiller to help them carry out work at the park.
Storehouse foodbank (£750) – to help at a time when donations have dropped in the cost of living crisis but referrals for support have soared.
Great Dalby Primary School (£250) – to help special outdoor play sessions for the children.
Melton Community Allotment (£380) – to pay towards a new water piping system to save members having to make trips with watering cans.
Swallowdale Primary School (£250) – to help with the cost of refurbishing the school’s outdoor classroom.
Shopmobility Melton Mowbray (£250) – towards the cost of fresh advertising boards to spread the word about the service.
Breathing Space (£500) – to help fund specialist bereavement resources and help empower women in the community.