We have our own Charity in the village, that is the Parish ( High Littleton, Hallatrow, Mearns, White Cross) has its own Charity to administer what aid it can give to the very poorest in our community. The Charity is run by volunteer trustees who give their time freely , so any money donated will go to those most in need.
Whilst we are fortunate to live in one of the least deprived neighbourhoods in the whole of the country, there are families among us who do struggle financially, the unlucky, the unfortunate and the unwell, and it is those families with children that we try and assist.
A Brief History:
“For the use of poor necessitous persons of High Littleton”
The Charity dates back to the 18th century. Mary Jones was a substantial landowner of the Parish and in her will left £500 in trust, the income of which was to be used for the benefit of the necessitous poor of the parish of High Littleton. During the 18th and 19th centuries the charity distributed blankets to the poorest villagers at Christmas, in some years this was to a quarter of all the households in the parish.
The Charity today:
We all recognise that the cost of living crisis has been difficult for most households. However, it is most difficult for those with the lowest incomes which are all consumed by the cost of food, fuel and housing. It is to those with the lowest incomes, who are therefore the most vulnerable in our society and it is those households that the Charity of Mary Jones tries to help. Needs may be different; language may have changed from when the Charity was formed but the objective is the same: to help the “necessitous poor” of High Littleton. To this end the Charity provides vouchers to the families of children at the Primary School who are in receipt of “pupil premium” at Christmas. We will provide support for these children to take part in residential school trips, so removing the stress from parents in trying to find a way to afford the cost. Additionally, we will continue support for those leaving primary education on the journey to secondary school. We have limited reserves and rely upon donations from the High Littleton Community and a small grant from the Parish Council. Your support is important to us.
If you want to donate, please contact the Parish Clerk. We are registered for ‘Gift Aid’
The Parish Clerk can be contacted here: http://www.highlittleton.org.uk/councillors-clerk/
Charity Reg No: 238473