Theatre Club gets £3,000 for air conditioning after heat cancelled two shows. All 12 Burgess Hill Town Council grants listed, and when the next round opens.
Twelve Burgess Hill groups are sharing £13,042 from the town council. The money was agreed by the council’s Grants Committee on Tuesday 15 September, in the first round of its 2026/27 grants programme. (Burgess Hill Town Council press release, 21 September 2026)
The biggest award is £3,000 to Burgess Hill Theatre Club for air conditioning in its theatre and dressing room. The club told the council that two performances had been cancelled during hot spells earlier this year.
Who got what
| Group | Award | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Burgess Hill Theatre Club | £3,000 | Air conditioning for the theatre and dressing room |
| Say Aphasia | £2,000 | Its sessions for members, with a break for partners and carers |
| Family Outreach, The King’s Church | £1,200 | Family groups including Noah’s Ark, Little Footsteps and Baby Love |
| Mid Downs Radio | £1,000 | Replacing ageing equipment |
| Mid Sussex Brass Band | £1,000 | Transporting the band and instruments on twin-town visits to Schmallenberg |
| Burgess Hill Rugby Club | £960 | Tackle shields and other kit for safer tackling, and the women’s game |
| Mid Sussex Community Radio | £932 | New equipment for covering local events |
| Burgess Hill and District Probus Club | £800 | Social activities for its members |
| Time 4 Children | £750 | Not stated in the release |
| Home-Start CHAMS | £700 | Running costs of its family groups |
| Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity | £500 | Not stated in the release |
| Burgess Hill Artists | £200 | Not stated in the release |
Source: Burgess Hill Town Council.
A note on the total
The council’s headline says £13,042. The first line of the same release says £13,062. We added up the 12 awards it lists and they come to £13,042, so the headline figure is the one that matches.
The groups behind the numbers
The release gives a little more detail on several of them:
- Family Outreach at The King’s Church says more than 180 Burgess Hill families had come to its groups by the end of July 2026.
- Mid Downs Radio is a volunteer-led station coming up to its 50th anniversary.
- Burgess Hill and District Probus Club has around 44 members, retired business people who meet to socialise and go on activities and trips. It told the council its activities help to reduce loneliness.
- Say Aphasia runs sessions for people living with aphasia, a language disorder usually caused by a stroke or other brain injury. The council says the sessions also let partners and carers share ideas and take a break.
- Home-Start CHAMS supports families with young children, and the council describes its work as early intervention.
“We are very grateful for the support, which will help us continue providing social activities and opportunities for our members,” said David Gee of the Probus Club.
Councillor Matthew Goldsmith, who chairs the Grants Committee, said the round supported “a really varied group of organisations, from sports clubs and community groups to those providing support for families and older residents.”
The second round this year
This is the second batch of town council grants in 2026. In March the same committee gave £16,735 to 22 groups, including £1,000 to Hurst Hedgehog Haven for vets’ bills and £2,000 to Dicker House Nursery. (Burgess Hill Town Council, 9 March 2026)
That brings the total across the two rounds to £29,777 for 34 awards. Three groups were funded both times:
- Say Aphasia: £500 in March, £2,000 now
- Home-Start CHAMS: £400 in March, £700 now
- Burgess Hill Artists: £200 each time
At the March meeting the committee also moved the grants calendar forward. Applications now open in April and close in June, and the committee decides in mid-September. That is why this round landed now.
What it means for you
If you run a club, charity or community group in Burgess Hill, the next chance is the 2027/28 programme, which opens on 1 April 2027. According to the council’s March release there are two sizes of grant:
- Minor Grants of up to £1,000, for running costs or capital spending
- Major Grants of £1,000 or more, for capital projects
Details and the application form are on the council’s grants for community groups page, and questions go to grants@burgesshill.gov.uk.
If you want to see where some of the money goes, Burgess Hill Theatre Club, the brass band and both radio stations all put on events through the year. Our things to do in Mid Sussex page lists what is coming up.
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