Community Grant Awards: Hailsham & District Twinning Association

Hailsham Town Council has provided funding of £1,500 to the Hailsham & District Twinning Association, one of a number of recent grants given to local community groups and voluntary associations as part of the Council’s 2025/26 Community Grants Scheme.

A total of £12,215.47 has been awarded to a wide range of non-profit organisations, aimed at enhancing facilities, activities, and projects that benefit the residents of Hailsham. Such funds are intended to assist organisations that rely on public donations, fundraising, and volunteers to deliver valuable services to the community.​

The Hailsham & District Twinning Association was delighted to receive the grant from the Town Council, which will help towards the costs of organising the Association’s 25th anniversary celebrations this year.

Hailsham is twinned with Gournay-en-Bray, a small town in Normandy, France. The original Twinning Charter was signed in Hailsham in October 2000 and was officially renewed in October 2011.

Through links with Gournay-en-Bray, the Association organises individual and group exchanges, and a number of cultural visits in both directions take place each year. The Association also arranges trips for large or small groups to visit Gournay-en-Bray. Outings include sightseeing, carnivals, music festivals, choral events, sporting events and other events.

Several social and fundraising events are held throughout the year, including quizzes, cream tea afternoons, picnics, cycling trips and more.

Association membership costs £10 per person per year and £40 for groups.

“The Town Council is pleased to offer a grant of £1,500 to the twinning association, which does an excellent job organising cultural exchanges between Hailsham and its twin town in France, Gournay-en-Bray,” said Town Mayor Cllr Paul Holbrook. “The 25th anniversary of the signing of the twinning charter will be a celebration of not only the enduring friendship between the two towns but of the values that bind us. The link between our towns is reflected in official visits and exchanges, as well as in the friendships and exchanges that have flourished through the years.”

“Here’s to the next 25 years for the Hailsham & District Twinning Association and we’re sure our grant will help them significantly in terms of organising the big celebratory event to celebrate the anniversary this October!”

Councillor Gavin Blake-Coggins, Chair of the Finance & Governance Committee commented: “Our grant scheme is the main way in which the Town Council provides funding and support to the voluntary sector. Small grants such as these are a valuable addition to this mix and can make a considerable difference to them when planning and funding a worthwhile project.”

“The Hailsham & District Twinning Association and other local non-profit organisations are assets to the local community, and I’m proud the Town Council can help them to keep up their excellent work.”

A full list of recipients of the Community Grants Scheme can be found here.

Due to an underspend in the 2025/26 grants budget, a second round of grant applications will commence later this year whereby the remaining £3,784 (with a starting budget of £16,000) will be shared amongst successful applicants. The new deadline for applications will be announced soon.