A huge thank you from the Ladies Guild to everyone who supported our home made cake sale earlier this month – we hope everyone enjoyed their purchases! We raised £254 from the cake sale and a fantastic £880 from the plant stall up to and including the plant and cake sale day. Proceeds will go towards further repairs to the Church and to the Michael Hardinge Trust.
Caroline would also like to thank everyone who purchased plants and gave sponsor money during the last two weeks to Duggie for his (and her) 10 mile walk for the Katherine House Hospice, which raised over £400.
The first item on the agenda at the meeting of the Michael Hardinge Trust (MHT) on the 3rd of August 1987 was to welcome a new trustee, Mike Patching; and now, nearly 34 years later, including more than 31 years as Chairman, Mike has decided to retire.
This has not come as a total surprise to the rest of the Trustees. All of us have been aware for some time that he has been, in his own words, “contemplating retirement for some years”, and during those years, as he explained in his retirement statement to us, he’s been waiting for what he felt was “the right time” for the Trust and for him to leave. Also, by his own admission, he isn’t getting any younger!
Mike also says that he thinks that “following covid lockdown and the much heralded ‘New Normal’, it is a good time for change and to move forward afresh”. It also came as no surprise to all of us who know him, that he added “I will continue to support the trust in any way that I practically can in the future”.
There is of course another person who has made a significant contribution to this era that has come to an end. Sue, Mike’s wife, also served as a Trustee and indeed Secretary of the MHT for a number of years. Well known for her organising of and support for village activities over many years, she has, no doubt, also had to tolerate the regular intrusion of Charity business into family life. The Trustees wish to put on record our appreciation and thanks to her for all that she has done over many years.
Many of the community activities and social events in our village are closely intertwined with the Michael Hardinge Trust, either linked to fund raising or the use of the Old School as the venue for events organised by others in the village. Just a reminder of a few of these; Jubilee street parties, Burns Night suppers, Horley Footlights, whist drives, quiz nights, the summer fete, the Cinema Club, and the programme of winter talks. As Chairman of the Trust, Mike has always led by example in promoting, organising or, at the very least, supporting the active involvement of the MHT.
When Mike took over as chairman, the last, long retired, Schoolmistress at Horley School, Morag Saunders, in what may be thought of as a direct educational ‘line of descent’ back to Michael Hardinge himself, was still the tenant in the cottage. The Trust’s finances were, shall we say, ‘finely balanced’ and as well as funding the MHT’s charitable aims, the buildings needed some considerable money spending on them if it was to prosper into the 21st century.
With Mike’s wide network of contacts, and no doubt the ‘old copper’s’ instinct for sniffing out a lead and following it, the MHT has been able to secure charitable grants and sponsorship to enable maintenance and property projects that have improved the quality of facilities such as the upper floor over the toilet block, for example.
His leadership role in the charity was a significant factor that led to him being given the Oxfordshire High Sheriff’s Award in 2016. This was in recognition of his ‘lasting contribution to community life in Horley and with schools in the local area’.
When Michael Hardinge died in 1627, he left his “house” [the Cottage as we now know it] to the “inhabitants” of Horley to be used as a schoolhouse to educate the children of the village. His intention was that this should be “for ever”. When the Charity was established in his name in 1896, his wishes were directly reflected in the registered aims of the Charity and remain so to this day. After the school closed in 1969 the building became a field study centre for local schools, their visits regularly including talks by Mike in the schoolroom followed by him leading the staff and children on guided nature walks and pond dipping. A fine example of how, with Mikes active involvement, Michael Hardinge’s legacy lives on.
The Michael Hardinge Trust exists to provide support to the educational needs of the young people of the village. As we have now been living with the restrictions of Covid-19 for almost a year, the Trustees are concerned that the educational needs of some of our young people may have been affected by the pandemic. Although we do not know how people may have been affected, the Trustees have now agreed to set aside some funds which can be provided as grants where lockdown measures may have had an adverse effect on educational progress.
If as a parent or young person you feel that education has suffered as a result of the pandemic, we are inviting you to apply for a special grant which may be of some help. Funds are potentially available to anyone from the village who has not yet reached the age of 25 and who is in education or training. This is in line with our policy on grants. Funds may be limited, so apply as soon as you can.
You can apply in the usual way by letter to the Chairman of Trustees or via email to mhtinhorley@gmail.com. Alternatively, if you would like to talk to someone confidentially to see how we may be able to help, please contact any one of the MHT Trustees. All applications will be treated in confidence.
If you want any other information about the work and aims of the Trust, further details are here
The first draw of the Michael Hardinge Trust Village Lottery will be on 3rd October.
“The Michael Hardinge Trust (or MHT) has two main roles in the village. Firstly, to provide educational grants for Horley’s young people, and secondly to maintain the School Hall as venue for local groups and village events.
The village lottery is an important source of funding for these aims. For those who have supported us in the past – thank you and we hope you will continue. For those new to the village and those who haven’t taken part before – please consider joining in to support us.
It only costs £1 per week per number and the weekly prize is £30. You buy a number between 1 and 59, and the winning number each week is the National Lotto Bonus Ball drawn on Saturday. It couldn’t be easier!
We will be getting in touch with everyone soon, but if you would like to join online please contact me directly by email on mhtinhorley@gmail.com or phone 01295 738334 and I will get back to you with full details and payment options. Thanks to those who have already responded. I’ll be in touch shortly.
I hope you will be able to support us. Many thanks.”
The new academic year is here – are you eligible for a grant?
If you are a young resident of Horley under the age of 25 you are entitled to a grant if you are at a key stage in your education.
The grants are a fixed sum paid to every child on request at up to four stages of their education.
The current grants are:
Rising fives about to start school – £100
At the start of secondary education (usually Year 7) – £300
At the start of A-levels, college training apprenticeships etc. (Year 12 or equivalent) – £500
At the start of further education, University, or other accredited training (which is unpaid or paid below the relevant minimum wage) at age 18 to 24 – £1000
Full details of the scheme and how to apply are on the Horley Views Web site under MHT, or contact Mike Patching on 730039, or any of the MHT Trustees
The Royal Navy Presentation Team will be giving the first MHT talk of the year in the Old School on Friday February 7th at 7.30. Tickets are £5 and available by calling 01295 730039.
Please try to book in good time and no tickets will be sold on the door.
The Royal Navy Presentation Team will be giving the first MHT talk of the year in the Old School on Friday February 7th at 7.30. Tickets are £5 and available by calling 01295 730039.
Please try to book in good time and no tickets will be sold on the door.
