Community groups celebrate Gannett Foundation grants

Wilberfoss, Kexby and Newton Playing Fields Association purchased the defibrillator pack after receiving a grant of £1,000 from the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of the owner of Newsquest Media Group, which publishes The Press.

Chairman Andy Parkin said: "The playing fields association are very grateful for the donation.

"Having a defibrillator on site is very reassuring, even though you would like think you would never have to use it.

"Our local first responder has agreed to come down and offer free training to us and anyone else in the community interested in learning how to use it."

The playing field facilities are used by a host of sports teams and community groups, with up to 150 people on site at any one time at weekends.

Mr Parkin added: "As our surrounding area has expanded so too has the use of our facilities. It was recommended that we have a defibrillator on site.

"We are a rural village and public access to a defibrillator can serve to benefit not just our organisation and its visitors but also the wider community."

Two North Yorkshire groups which provide services to the local community have also received grants from The Press' parent company.

Acorn Community Care, in Norton, has been given £7,200 for a walk-in cold room for a farm shop, while Lastingham Village Hall (The Darley Memorial Hall) received £480 for a screen and projector to run lectures from the Gannett Foundation.

The trustees of the fund sifted through hundreds of applications to make their choice. Grants were made to organisations across the country in areas served by any of the company's 165 local news brands.

Simon Westrop, chairman of the trustees and head of legal for Newsquest, said: “It’s not as easy as you might think. Of course there are lots of demands on donors from charities serving the sick, disabled and the poor. As local news publishers, we think we can also make a difference on a less obvious and simpler level.

"So we are always just as pleased to make relatively small but creative gifts to encourage activities of all kinds that enrich the daily lives of the people who read our brands."

Ruth Halliday, from Acorn Community Care, which provides a range of services for adults with a learning and/or physical disability, said they were delighted to receive the grant.

"We are absolutely thrilled and very much appreciate this donation," she said. "It will enable us to diversify and help to generate funding towards our costs."

Ruth said the money would be used to build a cold room to provide storage for fresh food and meat.

"This is part of a five-year plan to develop a former cow shed and stables into a butchery, farm shop and cafe with landscaped area," she said.

"It will allow us to make our own produce and also hold courses for our users and members of the public."

Ruth said: "We have a lot of support from the local community and we want people to come here and see what we do as well as putting something back into the local economy as well.

Lastingham Village Hall, which was built in the 1890s as a school by the Darley family is undergoing a major refurbishment programme.

Managed by a committee, the hall has recently gained a new path and door to enable disabled access and work is now underway on improved toilet facilities.

Projects manager Robert Cattle said the Gannett Foundation grant would enable them to buy a new screen and projector.

"In the last few years we have had lectures in the village ranging from talks on birds of prey to archaeological history and others using borrowed or hired projectors and screens," he said.

"The grant being received with grateful thanks will allow the village hall to increase its use of computers and projector imaging onto a new pull down screen.

"The hall committee will now be able to schedule its own talks with Powerpoint facilities and allow visiting lecturers to add to the variety of the hall's activities in this very rural area. Thank you to all our benefactors."