A GAUNLESS Valley history group’s expenses have been covered for the next year thanks to a generous sponsorship.
Members of Evenwood, Ramshaw and District History Society were grateful to receive £600 from one of the area’s major employers, CA Group, last week.
The gift is in recognition of the group’s contribution to the local community and was made through the firm’s social value committee.
Society treasurer Brian Carter said: “Our biggest expense is admin costs which includes the website, insurance for putting on exhibitions and printing costs.”
Other significant expenses include paying subscriptions for computer software and anti-virus programmes.
The donation came about while the group was documenting CA Roofing’s history.
Kevin Richardson of the society said: “On our website we have a section on companies, and we wanted to do something on CA Roofing because it has been going about 40 years. So, we drafted something and sent it off to CA Group, because they aren’t CA Roofing anymore, with a little rider, ‘we haven’t got any money’. They very kindly got back to us.”
CA Group’s social value committee has supported a host of projects in the villages, including providing tubs for community gardeners from Evenwood-in-Bloom as well as an annual children’s Christmas party at the Workingman’s Club.
Committee member Roselle Cox said: “We just manufactured and installed a shed for Ramshaw Primary School. They have got a forestry school and they are going to store all their equipment in there, like the kids’ overalls and the tools to make campfires, spades and all sorts. They were very grateful for it.”
A shed was also built by the firm for a local care home.
Of the value of the history society, Ms Cox said: “It is very important to remember the history and the roots of where you are, to know how people struggled to get to where we are now. It creates a buzz in the community remembering history and then putting the exhibitions on and getting everyone together.”
Stuart McConnell, also from CA Group added: “It is a reminder to people about what Evenwood was, and to keep the stories alive. There is a capsule to be opened in 25 years’ time and somebody might forget about it, but obviously these groups remember that and get that information out there.”
The time capsule was buried when a commemorative mining tub was unveiled at Ramshaw 25 years ago.
The history society is currently raising cash to have the tub refurbished and the anniversary of its dedication formed part of the group’s most recent exhibition.
