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Grant for Wey & Arun Canal bridge

17th Jan 2012

Local people have selected the restoration of a historic bridge over the Wey & Arun Canal for a £6,275 NatWest Community Force grant. The project came top in a vote between 58 charitable causes in the area of Crawley, Sussex.

The Wey & Arun Canal Trust (WACT) is fundraising in order to build new parapets for the Loxwood High Street Canal Bridge. The parapets will be constructed from locally-made brick to fit in with the nearby 17th-century Onslow Arms Pub and the award-winning Loxwood Lock.

Community vote

Len Milsom, chairman of the Loxwood Society and local resident, is unsurprised that the canal bridge won the vote. He said: “We love our village and we want future villagers to be proud of what their 21st century predecessors achieved.”

The WACT had already received donations towards the parapets, including £5,000 from Chichester District Community Chest and £7,500 from its own ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign.

WACT Chair Sally Schupke said: “Everything is gradually falling into place. With planning permission granted and more than 80% of the necessary funding raised so far, our goal of putting the finishing touches to the Loxwood High Street bridge has never been more achievable. We now just need one final push to raise the remaining money and start the work.”

Any donations to the Loxwood Canal Bridge project should be made payable to “Wey & Arun Canal Trust” and sent to Sally Schupke, The Granary, Flitchfold Farm, Loxwood, Billingshurst RH14 0RH. Using Gift Aid, UK taxpayers can increase the value of their donations by 25% - please ask for a Gift Aid form or use the one available on the Wey & Arun Canal Trust website.

Last updated: 19/01/2012

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