Sydling Saint Nicholas

Since its inauguration 25 years ago in January 1991, Sydling Help and Relief Project (SHARP) has, with the generosity of the villagers (and increasing so now from outside the village with the marathon and quiz night events) raised over £35,000 for local and overseas charities.  To mark the 25 years the Committee decided to have a celebratory party.  So on Tuesday July 5^th a good number of past and present members and their partners (many of whom had been involved in SHARP activities) enjoyed a get-together in the village hall marquee.

Over the years some members have passed away and some have moved away.  Associate Member Tony Briggs, who was chair for 8 years up to 2006, and his wife, Joy, who now live in Shropshire regretted they were unable to attend.  They sent a lovely card wishing us well and to say they would be thinking of us.

On arrival, guests were offered fizz and canapes followed by a main course, then pudding and finally a cake cutting ceremony by Associate Members, Margaret Dallas and Graham Millard.  Graham has only recently retired from the SHARP Committee after 25 years service, which included being Chairman for 11 years.  Margaret was Chairman for 3 years at the beginning of SHARP.

At the start of the evening Richard Cropp gave a short welcome and reminded us of how things started 25 years ago.

The beginnings of SHARP go back to a steering group that met on Jan 4^th 1991.  The minutes of that meeting states that those present were Margaret Dallas, Jayne Hanson, Sonia Newman, Graham Millard, Richard Cropp, Nigel Weller and Eileen Churchill (both no longer with us).

Margaret Dallas became the first Chairman of the Group and Graham, Secretary and Treasurer.  Derek Ringrose took over from Graham as Treasurer in Sept 1991.  Futhey Naughalty joined the Committee in Jan 1992 and Jacquie Williams joined in July 1992.  That was the make up in the early days.

Several possible names for the Group were put forward and Sonia Newman’s suggestion of SHARP (Sydling Help and Relief Project) was agreed at the meeting held on May 22^nd 1991 and a simple Logo was designed by Jonathan Alder.  We now have a new colourful logo kindly designed by committee member David and Joan Grieve’s granddaughter.

World Vision was chosen as our first overseas charity.  The following year at the SHARP meeting of 17^th November 1992 it was decided to also support a local charity and this was chosen to be the Joseph Weld Hospice (now Weldmar) and to allocate our funds to a specific project as a small memorial to Nigel Weller, a founder member of SHARP, who had died of cancer.

Some facts and figures of present and past committee members, money raised, charities supported and the new logo were shown on a display board.

The evening was a great occasion.  The weather was kind to us and all the food, drinks, chocolates etc. which was provided by current SHARP Committee members was much appreciated.

The yummy cake, with an impossibly high chocolate content, was made by Zoe

                                 Graham and Margaret cutting the cake

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