OVING PARISH COMMUNITY WATCH has received £350 funding from local housebuilder, CALA Homes, to help run its monthly tea parties for local residents.

Oving Parish Community Watch is a volunteer-led group, which assists both the elderly and disabled living in the local parish with transportation to medical or hospital appointments, confidential assistance completing complex forms and doing shopping during periods of inclement weather. The group is run by 20 volunteers, who aim to combat vulnerability and social isolation.

The CALA Community Bursary was launched in February 2018 and invited organisations, charities and groups in Sussex to apply to help fund projects which make an important difference in the community. Oving Parish Community Watch was chosen as a recipient of this year’s bursary, with the money going towards running its monthly tea parties to bring locals together.

John Kennedy, managing director of CALA Homes (South Home Counties), said: “Choosing the recipients of this year’s Community Bursary scheme was truly a tough decision as we had many applicants with worthwhile causes. The work that the Oving Parish Community Watch does for their community really stood out to us and provides a real lifeline for those that find it hard to get out and about by themselves. Community is at the very centre of our ethos at CALA Homes, and we are over the moon to have found a local organisation which encompasses this so well.”

Sandy Parkinson, volunteer secretary at Oving Parish Community Watch, said: “We are very grateful to CALA Homes for their donation. Reducing isolation of local residents by bringing them together once a month at the tea party make a real difference for the people we help. Our tea parties are usually funded by a raffle we hold each month so this was a fantastic boost to make sure we put on a lovely afternoon for all of our guests.”

CALA Homes is an award-winning, upmarket housebuilder with developments across Sussex. For more information, visit www.cala.co.uk