Rotherfield St Martin is a Church-in-Community project, set up under the auspices of the local Parish Church of St Denys', and is a Registered Charity (No: 1119458).   The aim of the project is to provide on-going social support, care and wellbeing for senior citizens in our community and the surrounding areas.

From humble beginnings we are now well established in the community having a permanent base from which to deliver our services and care.  We are grateful for the support we have received by way of grants from various organisations, including the Parish Council, St Denys' Church, The Big Lottery, Sussex Community Foundation, and donations from local groups and individuals.

Harry Martin

From small beginnings - six people at a tea-and-cakes afternoon – the Project has grown to become a strong, supportive and caring facility for senior citizens in Rotherfield.  By 2010 numbers had grown with around sixty people attending each Monday session, enjoying a range of speakers, entertainment and activities that include local businessmen, musicians and artists, in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. This is supported by a band of volunteers, business and local organisations, groups and individuals.

The next exciting stage of the Project, to provide more comprehensive services, required a permanent base from which to operate, and a full-time project co-ordinator.   This was a giant step that required substantial on-going funding which was beyond the Project to raise.   An application was made to the Big Lottery Fund - Reaching Communities, and we were delighted to learn that the Project had been awarded £77,151 to cover substantially three years’ salary, rent and overheads for its operation, starting in January 2008.

Since then we have also been greatly supported in our endeavours by grants and other assistance from a number of organisations including Rotherfield Parish Council, Sussex Community Foundation, St Denys’ Church, Lloyds TSB, the Mercers Company, Comic Relief, Awards for All, The Tudor Trust and numerous local organisations & individuals.

In the Autumn of 2011 we won the Sussex Community Foundation Photographic Competition.

The brief was to submit a photograph and fifty words which encapsulated the work done by our charity.

Here is our winning entry...

Church in community charity, providing support and care to Senior Citizens.

A friendly face,

A helping hand,

A visitor,

A smile.

With vulnerable and elderly

We’ll sit and talk awhile.

We’ll volunteer to help today

Before the race is done

Companions along life’s road

At the setting of the sun.

There is a printable copy of this as a PDF file on our Downloads page

Rotherfield

Rotherfield is a rural village in Wealden and the Parish itself is the largest in area in East Sussex. The nearest main towns are Crowborough (3 miles) and Tunbridge Wells (7 miles). You can find us on a map here.  The Parish population is around 3,500 of which approaching one third are over the age of 65