A reliable fixture at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show is the Church tent – a refreshment marquee run by the Church of England in Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Stour Vale. They provide a welcome opportunity to sit down and enjoy a coffee or tea and homemade cake. All profits are given to selected rural community charities.
One recipient in 2023 was The Student Fund, founded by the G&S Show itself in 2020. The fund helps to remove some of the financial barriers faced by students and trainees embarking on new careers in land-based industries such as agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Their needs are varied, from safety boots and laptops to travel expenses. Nothing is off the table – one student, with exemplary practical and technical skills but who struggled with dyslexia, was helped with private tuition to achieve the higher level courses.
The image is of Matthew Price, chairman of the Student Support Fund, accepting the cheque with a helpful band of Ouessant Sheep. The Church Tent will be at the G&S Show ithis summer and welcomes all to visit and ‘rest a while’. Please let us know if you have a favourite rural charity that we may be able to help.
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