Dear Centre Users

FUNDRAISING PROJECT - FESTIVAL OF YESTERYEAR

As you are all probably aware the Gosport Community Association is a registered charity and a voluntary organisation which does a tremendous amount for the people of Gosport.  The Associations roots go back almost 62 years starting life in surroundings not as palatial as those of today.  The Community Association is quite independent and stands or falls by its own efforts not being directly funded by either the Borough or County Councils.   It is a Community Centre in the truest sense of the word and is used extensively by many people including the very young, the very old, the physically disadvantaged, mentally handicapped, stroke victims, the blind – the list is endless.  Additionally, practically every Charitable Organisation in the area makes use of our premises at one time or another.

This year we are launching a major fundraising campaign to generate much needed monies to carry out essential costly works to the Centre.  We hope that the people of Gosport will support our efforts because without this the future of this Association may well be threatened.

The task ahead is a mammoth one. The most expensive project being repair work to the flat roof.  This work is vital and quotes received are over £170,000.00.  This is not all - there are many other major works to be carried out and on top of this we are also tied by so much new legislation that the implications of this will cause us to incur heavy essential expenditure.

So please, please help us!  In July we will be launching an appeal – the theme of which will be based on the Associations past.  All events held will be run as part of  a “Festival of Yesteryear”.  It is our way of celebrating our achievements of the past and looking towards new beginnings in 2009.  We want all the Clubs and Groups to participate in this  not only by supporting the events run by the Association but by putting on their own fundraising events and obviously donating the proceeds to the Charity.

This is your chance to help to ensure that your Association has a future.  It would be great if this year every single User Group took part in this major fundraising campaign to make this the largest and most successful Community venture in the history of the Association.  Your team spirit is needed and the interaction of all User Groups is essential if we are to succeed.   

To date the following events are already planned:

10th 11th and 12th July - Thorngate Panto and Variety Company  - Variety Show “Down Memory Lane”

13th July – GCA Summer Fete.  (All Day Event)

18th July – Blues Brothers Tribute Cabaret Night

19th July – Charity Summer Ball – Dinner and dancing to the music of Chris Smith and the String of Pearls

3rd September – GCA Open Night

27th September – the Bachelors Live with support Acts

9th November date - Wartime Memories Concert – Jill Daniels

7th December – Victorian Christmas Fayre

Other ideas in the pipe line are a Race Night, Wartime Dance, Grand Summer Raffle, a Christmas Carol Concert, Pearly Kings and Queens Cockney Night and other live gigs. Details will be released shortly.

There are many ways to get involved, whether as an individual or an organisation -  So please put on your thinking caps and help.  Perhaps you could put on an Event yourself, sponsor the entertainment for the GCA to run a Concert.  Maybe you could do a sponsored activity i.e. bike ride, run, slim or swim etc. run a raffle or even make a donation to the Charity.  Every assistance, however great or small will be welcome – the only thing we do ask is that you do not just sit back and do nothing!  If you are unable to commit yourselves to staging an event then please make sure you support the many activities that the GCA are running.

I do hope that we can count on your support for this project and I and the GCA Officers wait in anticipation of hopefully hearing from you with some kind of input to our fundraising campaign that will generate monies to ensure the future of this Association. 

I don’t believe that we always appreciate how lucky we are but Gosport is very fortunate in having such a lively and caring Association.  It operates an ‘open door policy whereby everyone is welcome to join. Its stated aim is to provide leisure, social and educational activities in order to improve the quality of life for Gosport residence – this it does in full measure.

Long may it continue!