Donington charity set to be wound down after more than 200 years

A charity which has cared for the needy for more than 200 years will be wound down.

Every year a donation from the Unknown Donors’ Charities is split equally between Donington, Quadring and Gosberton’s parish councils.

While the money – which could be approximately £500 per council this year – has traditionally been sent to different good causes in both Quadring and Gosberton, Donington’s share has gone gone straight to the village’s Vicar and Churchwarden’s Charity.

This charity initially offered a ‘bread and blanket on Boxing Day’ when set up in the late 1700s, but in recent years the cash has been handed out to a list of locals, who fit certain criteria in order to receive a share each December.

“Previously Donington’s third has been paid to the Churchwarden’s (charity), and it’s to see if that should continue or if that should be coming into the parish council pot for various things,” clerk Diane Fairweather told Donington Parish Council last Thursday.

“There’s nothing written in the constitution about where the money goes, it’s just been a gentlemen’s agreement.

“Gosberton and Quadring send theirs to different things in the villages, like the Brownies and other groups.”

Jane Pearson, who oversees the annual distribution of the fund, was at the meeting, where she told councillors: “The Vicar and Churchwarden’s Charity started in the very late 1700s.

“The vicar would describe it at one time as ‘there’s a loaf of bread and a blanket at the door on Boxing Day’.

“We take the money from the bank and distribute it to people on the list, but we haven’t had any money for about three years now, so we’re sort of rolling dry.”

It was confirmed at the meeting that the past three years of funds remained in waiting to be distributed to the charity due to Covid.

Councillors agreed the back payments would be made to allow the Vicar and Churchwarden’s Charity to continue supporting villagers for the next three years, but future monies would be distributed elsewhere in the area.