One Hundred good causes across Tunbridge Wells have received a share of a £100,000 community fund set up after water supply issues in the area at the end of last year.

South East Water joined with the town’s MP Greg Clark to distribute the cash to 100 charities with sums ranging from £500 to £5,000.

Groups and organizations were chosen by Mr Clark and a judging panel after being invited to apply for a share of the fund. It was set up to thank the community for its patience when a rapid freeze-thaw weather event in

December caused widespread interruption to tap water supplies.

Representatives from the charities received their cheques at a ceremony at the Trinity Theatre, in Church Road, which itself got a £1,500 grant.

South East Water’s Customer Service Director Tanya Sephton said: “We know it was a very tough time for the whole community, especially as it happened during the festive season.

“The weather is outside of our control and when sudden, big changes in temperature happen, it can have a huge impact, causing leaks and bursts both on our network and on customers’ pipework. This is what happened in December.

“We take our role as a responsible water company seriously and wanted to thank Tunbridge Wells residents for their understanding. This is a gesture which will have a long term benefit for everyone – and there’s no better way than to support the tireless work of the great causes which are right at the heart of the community. A big thank you to them all.” 

Mr Clark said: “Following the water outages last December my priority was to ensure that individual households were compensated. South East Water listened to my concerns by going beyond the statutory minimum and paying households up to £250 – more than the average bill for a year. This resulted in £1.8 million paid out in compensation to households in my constituency.

“However I am delighted that South East Water have gone one step further and recognised the impact that these outages had on the community as a whole, by generously endowing this community fund which will benefit so many good causes.

“Moving forward we must ensure there is good resilience in our local water network and I will continue to work with South East Water to ensure that this is delivered.”

What some of the charities said:

Nourish Foodbank: "This grant is amazing and will ensure we can provide the extra essentials needed to support households during school holidays as part of our ongoing  "holiday hunger" campaign. It will also allow us to continue our slow cooker project, helping those struggling with the affordability of cooking a meal."

Mental Health Resource: “Tunbridge Wells is the 3rd ranking district across Kent and Medway for prevalence of serious mental health disorder. However, with grants such as this award from the South East Water Tunbridge Wells Community Fund, Mental Health Resource can reach even more people in our town who desperately need support at this challenging time, through providing free & confidential safe spaces and wellbeing activities.” 

Southborough & District Lions: "Thank you so much on behalf of Southborough & District Lions Club for the wonderful donation of £500.  We are so grateful and we will ensure this money goes towards local people in need. Where possible we help individuals and families who are in urgent need of clothes, furnishings, white goods etc...  We have also recently helped provide school uniforms and supplemented the money needed for two children to accompany their piers on the school residential trip."

Royal Tunbridge Wells Orpheus Male Choir: "The grant will enable us to reduce the fees we charge charities for performing at their fund-raising events.  It will also help enable us to increase the number of concerts we give each year both for charities and for other organizations."

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Charitable Fund: "Your kind donation will enable Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Charitable Fund to be there for patients and their families in their time of need with outstanding hospital services delivered by exceptional people.  The Charity provides additional resources above and beyond what the NHS can currently provide which will lead to an improved environment for patients and staff; additional equipment that can make a real difference to patient care and additional opportunities for staff training and support."

Groombridge Village Hall: "Our Village Hall provides a high quality, low cost venue for local Societies and people, including Nursery and Pre-school, Badminton and Table Tennis, for the young- and a lunch club, weekly cafe, exercise class, and entertainment for the older generation. With the rapid increase in running costs we are having to dip into our reserves, and postpone some of the improvements we had planned. Your kind grant will help us keep our charges affordable."

Tree of Hope: "Your grant will help fund Tree of Hope’s vital family fundraising support work in Tunbridge Wells for specialist equipment, operations and therapies to improve the health and quality of life of sick and disabled children in the local area. We are very grateful for your support as we rely purely on donations to be able to make our life changing work possible." 

West Kent Mind: "West Kent Mind are very grateful for this donation towards our work delivering vital support and services to people in our local community experiencing mental health problems. We are here to ensure that no one faces a mental health problems alone, and we support our community to get well, stay well and thrive."

Age UK Tunbridge Wells: "Age UK Tunbridge Wells provides a range of services designed to support local older people and maintain or improve their wellbeing, this donation is a welcome addition to the support needed to keep our “free to the client” services afloat such as Befriending, Information & Advice and Advocacy. In addition to these services, we also provide practical support services such as Day Care, Dementia Day Care and outreach, Dementia Cafes, Help in the home and shopping services and a Community Hot Meal delivery service."

Brains Matter: “This grant from Southeast Water will allow us to support adults in West Kent affected by brain injury including families and carers. We are completely self-funding and it is through the generosity of South East Water and others that we are able to provide meaningful, fun activities for our clients that help with rehabilitation and give people a chance to socialise with friends in a safe, non-judgemental space.”

Tunbridge Wells Mental Health Resource: "This award means we are able to continue to support refugees in many areas including improving their English skills and helping them into work. The refugees are keen to develop these skills as they are grateful to be here and want to be useful members of the community."

Paddock Wood Community Advice Centre: "The award will enable us to enrol three new volunteers in robust training at a time when we are experiencing exceptional demand for our services."

The full list of charity recepients is:

1. Nourish Food Bank
2. Hospice in the Weald
3. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Charity Trust
4. Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees
5. Tunbridge Wells Mental Health Resource
6. Trinity Theatre
7. Paddock Wood and District Lions Club
8. Paddock Wood Community Advice Centre
9. The 3H Foundation
10. St Philip's Church Community larder
11. Tunbridge Wells Air Cadets
12. Tunbridge Wells Sea Cadets Unit 350
13. Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons
14. Royal Tunbridge Wells District Scout Council
15. Number One Community Trust
16. Churches for Tunbridge Wells
17. Brains Matter
18. Tree of Hope
19. DAVSS
20. Compaid
21. Age UK Tunbridge Wells
22. Fegans
23. Community Car Service
24. Friends of Tunbridge Wells Hospital
25. Aspens
26. St Matts Community Larder
27. Pickering Cancer Drop In Centre
28. Tunbridge Wells and District Samaritans
29. Tunbridge Wells Baptist Curch Community Larder
30. Local and Live
31. Citizens Advice in North and West Kent
32. Tunbridge Wells Sea Cadets
33. West Kent Debt Advice
34. Pembury U3A
35. Junior Parkrun Dunorlan
36. AIM Achieve, Inspire, Motivate
37. Cats Protection
38. Emerge Advocacy
39. Goudhurst Scout Association
40. Protection Against Stalking
41. Slide Away
42. Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Community Responders
43. Claque Theatre
44. Friends of Calverley Grounds
45. Refresh Tunbridge Wells
46. Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society
47. Restore Counselling Services
48. YMCA West Kent
49. Thrive Langton
50. Matfield Vilage Hall
51. Pembury Baptist Church
52. Pembury Village Hall
53. Speldhurst Recreation Ground
54. West Kent Mind
55. Speldhurst Village Hall
56. King Edward VII Institute
57. Lamberhurst War Memorial Hall
58. Sunnyside Hall Rusthall
59. Langton Green Village Hall
60. The Red House Stepney
61. Charles Amherst Almshouses
62. 1st Speldhurst & Langton Scout Group
63. Hawkhurst Community Trust
64. King Charles the Martyr Church
65. 14th Royal Tunbridge Wells (Calverley) Scout Group
66. Friends of Dunorlan Park
67. Southborough and district Lions Club
68. Sens Hub TW
69. Jamil Trust
70. Orpheus male choir
71. Applause Rural Touring
72. Rusthall Community Cinema
73. Folly Wildlife Rescue
74. West Kent Radio
75. CJ Gallard's Almshouses
76. Baby Umbrella
77. Toc H
78. St Paul's Church Rusthall
79. Dunk’s Almshouses
80. Change Grow Live
81. Taylor Made Dreams
82. Pembury Scout and Guide Hall
83. RTW Symphony Orchestra
84. The Counselling Centre
85. Tunbridge Wells and Eridge Railway Preservation Society (Spa Valley)
86. TWODS
87. Imago Dei
88. Goudhurst Village Pre-School
89. Claremont PTA
90. The Friends of Oakley School
91. Broadwater Down PTA
92. Horsmonden Kindergarten
93. St George’s Childcare
94. Bidborough Church of England PTA
95. Speldhurst Primary School PTA
96. The Friends of Horsmonden Primary Academy
97. Pembury School House Nursery
98. Groombridge Mens Shed
99. Association for Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Disorders (AMEND)
100. Juvenile Arthritis Research