Rogate Christmas market revival hailed as a triumph!

On Saturday, 25th November, the village of Rogate hosted its celebrated Christmas Market for the first time since 2019 and raised a whopping £6,790.71 in just three hours, thanks to the generosity of the many visitors who came and supported the event. After costs, over £6,000 will be donated to some very worthwhile local charities.

Rogate School Carol Singers got the event off to a festive start with a delightful selection of favourites, their voices filling the car park and entertaining the gathered crowd, and a queue had formed at the Village Hall even before the doors had opened.

Inside, the smell of mince pies and mulled wine filled the air and the hall was filled to the rafters with a gorgeous array of wares from gifts and crafts to bric-a-brac, sweets and toys. The ever popular home-made produce stall did a roaring trade with their delicious jams, chutneys and cakes that could win ‘The Great British Bake-Off’!

Throughout the morning, the hall was bustling with happy, smiling faces, as visitors tried their luck at the Bottle Tombola and the Grand Raffle, with its spectacular prizes donated by generous local businesses.

As anticipated, the Children’s Crafts Corner was very popular, as was the Toy Stall, where children picked up armfuls of pre-loved goodies at bargain prices.

The highlight for younger ones, was the arrival of Father Christmas with his Elf and his sack full of gifts for all visitors to his Magical Winter Grotto.

“As always, I am overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of all those involved in this wonderful event” said Revd Edward Doyle, one of the organising committee. “The local businesses who help to cover costs, local people who give up their time and talent and donate gifts and produce for sale, and of course everyone who comes along and happily supports the great causes, knowing that the monies raised will go towards helping others in need.”

This year the proceeds will be supporting two local children’s charities and the valuable work they do within the community - Family Support Work and Rogate School Family & Friends.

About the charities

Family Support Work (FSW): FSW is a registered charity in Sussex that supports children and families through difficult times in their lives including low income and poverty; mental or physical ill health; disability; learning difficulties; school non-attendance and exclusion; bereavement; family break-up and domestic abuse.

It helps children and parents/carers to resolve problems, develop confidence and resilience and improve relationships, working closely with schools to support children to stay in mainstream education and do well. FSW also provides food parcels, clothing, household goods and help with winter fuel bills where necessary. Its aim is to support parents as they try to ensure that their children have the best start in life – “A strong family for every child in Sussex”.

Rogate School Family and Friends (RSFF): RSFF is a registered charity, operated by local volunteer parents and carers. Its purpose is to enrich, enhance and improve the learning experiences of every child attending Rogate C of E Primary School. Its main function is to help raise funding for school projects and activities that would not otherwise be available to the children. It also has a commitment to raise the profile of the School and maintain and develop the strong relationships between the School and the community.