Winkle Club is able to offer moregrants to local good causes in 2017

Winkle Club Treasurer, Ian Porter explained that as fundraising activities had gone particularly well during 2016, there was more money than usual to make available to beneficiaries who met the Club’s criteria.

He said: “We are looking for further good causes to support and I am sure there must be other clubs ,societies, associations and/or groups that provide a community service who could benefit from our help.

“We are not talking about hundreds of thousands of pounds here but as has been proved in the past, small amounts can often make a crucial difference particularly where funding has been cut or withdrawn.”

Applications, which must be of a local basis, should be made as soon as possible to The Treasurer, Hastings Winkle Club, c/o The Fishermen’s Institute, 97, All Saints Street, TN34 3BE, Hastings.

Full details of the organization applying should be enclosed together with details of how any donation would be used.

A final decision as to who receives a grant from the Winkle Club will be made in March of this year and the beneficiaries will be announced at the Winkle Club’s AGM in early April.

Winkle Club Vice Chairman, Richard Stevens said: “The Winkle Club has been raising money for local good causes for 117 years.

“It all began with thinking of ways to fund an Old Town Children’s Christmas Party back in 1900.

“We are now able to broaden our horizons considerably and are very pleased to find ourselves in this position.”

The Winkle Club is an internationally famous charitable organisation formed by Hastings fishermen to help the under-privileged families of Hastings Old Town. Each member carries a winkle shell which they must produce when challenged to ‘Winkle Up’. Failure to do so results in a fine which goes towards local charities.

In December the Winkle Club held a special event, for the second year running, which involved a procession from the Priscilla MacBean lifeboat to Winkle Island in memory of local seafarers, including lifeboatmen.

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