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It’s official! This year’s Sticker Vintage Rally and Country Fair brought in record crowds and raised over £13,000 for local charities and community groups, writes Alex Duff.
In addition to vintage tractors, cars, and bikes, this year’s annual community staple also drove the crowds – enabling bumper proceeds to be raised for local good causes.
October’s presentation evening, held at Sticker Football Club, saw the Rally’s Chairman, John Vine, gift more than £13,000, to eight different local charities and community groups.
Cornwall Blood Bikes, Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), and the Cornwall Air Ambulance were the three main beneficiary charities, each receiving £3,800.
In addition, and in recognition of support from St Mewan Parish Council during this year’s Rally, five community groups within the Parish were also each presented with cheques for £400. Trewoon Yarn Bombers, Sticker Scouts, St Mewan Community Choir, Polgooth Toddler Group, and Polgooth Community & Garden Club, were all grateful beneficiaries.
Brian McHaines, treasurer from Polgooth’s Community and Garden Club, (pictured main), attended the presentation evening and expressed gratitude for the donation.
“We’ve been working with the Parish Council to help transform a grassed area in Polgooth, known as The Goffin, into a more vibrant and appealing community space,” Brian explained.
“It started when we asked if we could plant a Cornish apple tree there to commemorate the King’s coronation. The King’s official representative, the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, attended that planting.
“Since then, volunteers from our club have been tending to the tree and gradually adding more plants to bring life and colour to the area.”
The donation will enable the Community and Garden Club to buy a bench so visitors to The Goffin can relax and enjoy the transforming outdoor space.
And the Garden Club wasn’t the only recipient with firm plans for their donation.
Bethany Rudge, area fundraiser for Children’s Hospice South West, (pictured above), explained how the funds are ear-marked for an extendable dining table and chairs, which will be wheelchair accessible and placed in their conservatory area.
Bethany says: “Our hospices really are a home from home. One of the ways we ensure our families feel right at home is by inviting them into our communal spaces to enable them to come and eat together and connect with one another.
“We often hear from families that its very isolating having a child with a life-limiting condition. They struggle to find others who know what they are going through. So being able to sit alongside another family who may be going through something similar, while sharing a meal, is incredibly valuable to them.”
As well as having broadcast live at the Sticker Vintage Rally, CHAOS Radio also attended the presentation evening and caught up with the Rally’s Committee President, Dave Layerty, who reflected on the event’s success this year.
Community journalist, Alex Duff, also spoke with Jennifer Nancarrow from Trewoon’s Yarn Bombers and Bethany Rudge from Children’s Hospice South West, about how their work will continue to add benefit – long after the last vintage vehicle was driven away and the gates closed on this year’s Rally. You can listen to those interviews HERE.
Missed this year’s event? Plans to make next year’s even bigger and better are now underway. Save the date for 2025’s rally in your calendar, Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August.
#KeepItCHAOS
