Feoffees Charity
The Feoffees of Bluntisham can trace its roots as far back as 1629. They’re a registered charity who own, and lease out, small plots of land in the Bluntisham area. The income received is used to support local organisations and groups. They also fund and decorate the Christmas tree and light display at the barograph each year
In previous years, they’ve donated to Bluntisham Blasters, The Beer Festival, BaCStage, funded repairs to the children’s play area and helped equip the David Morris Community Room.
If you run a village-based group, organisation or something for the people of Bluntisham, and would like them to consider a donation to help you grow, upgrade or even get something new started up, please email BluntishamFeoffees@outlook.com
Bluntisham 100 Club
The 100 Club was established to raise funds for village projects and groups. The draw is made each month at the end of each Parish Council meeting and the cheques are signed there and then. The regular monthly draw prizes are £50, £20 & £10, and each quarter there is a draw for £200, £50 & £30. The entry costs £3 per month payable via direct debit or £36 a year. If you are not currently a member then please contact the 100 Club by emailing blunticyn@gmail.com and request a membership form or call 07962 216424 for an application form.
The fund accrues money throughout the year, and we invite any groups or individuals to apply for a grant. The process is straightforward, a simple email to blunticyn@gmail.com with details of the project and an idea of what funds are needed will be enough to start the dialog. The 100 Club is separate to the Parish Council, but we work together with the PC to ensure that any projects on Parish land or public spaces all meet the required permissions and standards.
We have given grants to the school, the heritage project, funded the Daffodil planting project, kids summer activities, provided community equipment for events and commemorative bench’s. We are always looking to help with new projects. The main criteria that all applications must meet is that there will be a tangible benefit to the people of Bluntisham in one way or another. Please get in touch if you would like to apply or if you have any suggestions and the committee will consider them all.
The Saywell Tillard Education Charity
The Saywell Tillard Education Charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 9th January 2023 when, under a new deed, they endowed the ownership of fourteen acres of land, gifted by the Rev. Saywell in 1708 into the Saywell Education charity, and ownership of the Old Day School, whose construction was paid for by the Rev. Tillard in 1842, into the hands of the newly named charity’s Trustees.
The Reverends gifts, originally created to support the education of poor children in the village, had been at the heart of village education for 259 years until St Helen’s School opened in 1967. The rent from the Saywell land in Earith Wash and the Tillard building on our High Street continued to serve the community by supporting village organisations such as play groups, the scouts, guides and latterly the BacStage Amdram group. However, with little or no income and a building falling into decay, it became necessary to use the gifts to support education in a way that was more suitable for the 21st century. Under the new deed, the field rent and the investment income from the money raised by selling the school is used to make grants to assist the education of any village resident under the age of twenty-five.
To date the charity has helped young people in a wide number of ways, including the buying of laptops, paying for school trips, covering the cost of extra tuition and funding educational needs assessments.
If you meet our criteria – which, in short, are resident in the village and under twenty-five years of age – and would like to apply for a grant to help you with your education, keep an eye out for announcements on the village Facebook group and the St Helen’s School newsletters. The grant application period will be open for three months starting early July, with successful applicants receiving their grants in October.
For further details and how to get in touch, please visit our website at www.saywelltillard.org