At this event we were delighted to announce our new headline sponsor Irwin Mitchell and two new sponsors Henry Adams and Gravetye Manor. Our grateful thanks also goes to our annual sponsors: Covers, Savills, Pilbeam Construction, The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust, Valley Builders, Harvey’s Brewery, RH & RW Clutton, Pilbeam Construction and Lawson Commercial, as well as all those who support the lunch and are friends of the Trust.We welcome back the South Downs National Park Authority as sponsors of the South Downs Award, which promotes and encourages outstanding design in a nationally designated landscape. Thank you to Ian Phillips, Tim Slaney and all at the SDNPA for their continued support.Of course, the Awards could not be held without this continued and much needed sponsorship. The Awards are also vital to funding the annual work of the Sussex Heritage Trust
We welcome back the South Downs National Park Authority as sponsors of the South Downs Award, which promotes and encourages outstanding design in a nationally designated landscape. Thank you to Ian Phillips, Tim Slaney and all at the SDNPA for their continued support. Of course, the Awards could not be held without this continued and much needed sponsorship. The Awards are also vital to funding the annual work of the Sussex Heritage Trust. Following the challenges of the pandemic, one of our main objectives is to support traditional crafts and skills which we do through our own Bursary Scheme Fund and supporting the Heritage Crafts Endangered Crafts Fund. Since 2021 we have funded six Sussex-based craftspeople including wallpaper maker, Deborah Bowness and trainee millwright, Adam Winsor. This work has been generously supported by The Ian Foulerton Charitable Trust, Hans and Märit Rausing Charitable Trust and The Radcliffe Trust.
At the core of our charitable objectives is the protection and preservation of the architectural and natural landscape of Sussex, highlighted by our campaign to increase awareness of the historic ‘public realm’. Led by Trustee, Richard Crook, our leaflet ‘Peers of the Public Realm’ is available on our website.We have been fortunate enough to have a number of private visits this year to the gardens at Arundel Castle, by kind invitation of the Duke of Norfolk and to the roof restoration project and gardens at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation, by kind invitation of Chief Executive Alex Barron and Trustees of The Edward James Foundation Limited.
In January we welcomed a new member of the team, Victoria Crespi as a part-time Finance and Office Administrator to support our Chief Executive Officer, Helen Reeve and also Katya Smith, who do so much good work in coordinating all the applications for these Awards. We have also appointed and welcomed a new Trustee who has kindly agreed to be our Honorary Treasurer, Charles Homan. This followed the retirement of Chris Stebbing, from that role, who I am delighted has agreed to remain as Company Secretary and a Trustee. Chris has been a brilliant Treasurer for many years, and we are all indebted to him.
I also take this opportunity to thank our President, our Patrons and all our Trustees and our hard-working office team as well as of course all our volunteers who judge these awards and who provide so much support in other ways, too. Finally, I particularly thank Vice-Chairman, David Cowan for continuing to Chair the Awards Committee and be such a support to both me and Helen.
