£17,000 donated or invested in local causes since 2006
From 2006 to 2010 The Marple Website was able to make donations ranging between £500 and £1,200 a year with a grand total of £4,700 from sales of our Marple calendars. Beneficiaries included the Iron Bridge Restoration Project, Friends of Memorial Park and Marple Locks Heritage Society, Memorial Park Infants Play Area, Find a Cure for Martha (Kidney Research) and New Horizons.
Since 2011 donations have been made from the banner advertising income and that year £1,000 was donated to Friends of Marple Memorial Park for their Diamond Jubilee Project.
The grand total of funds donated to local causes by the Marple Website is now £17,000
In 2023 Marple Dementia Drop-In was supported with a donation of £125 towards the great work that they do and the brilliant Marple Scouts Adventure Film Festival was sponsored for £100. Donations of £100 each were also made to New Horizons, Marple Youth Project, Marple Fest's appeal for Festoon Lighting on Market Street and Derby Way and, last but not least, to Oliver's Army to help his family build a Lasting Legacy to a Beautiful Boy. Additionally, donations of £50 were made to Plastic Free Marple towards sustainable festival cups and to students shooting a short film called Heavy Head in Marple. 2023 contributions to local causes were rounded off with a donation of £25 to support Mr. Chips after the fire there earlier in the year, bringing that running total to £17,000 in 17 years.
In 2022 a donation of £500 was made to Brabyns BMX Bike Track - a new community initiative to refurbish the existing track in Brabyns Park. £152 was donated to Marple Swimming Club to boost their own fund-raising success to £1,000; £100 was donated to the Marple Platinum Jubilee Party appeal - to help Marple folk put on a big party on Market Street and Derby Way in the summer; £170 was used to pay for the limited edition Dedication and Historical Pageant Booklet to help Friends of Marple Memorial Park commemorate the park's 100th anniversary - sales have so far raised more then £428 for the park. £50 was donated to the Marple Poppy Appeal; Marple Scouts Adventure Film Festival was sponsored again for £50; £128 was donated to Friends of Marple Memorial Park towards the Outdoor Exercise Equipment Project and a Christmas donation of £100 was made to Marple Youth Project to help purchase sports equipment.
In 2021 a donation of £500 was made towards the set-up of Marple Youth Project - a new community initiative to create a youth club for the young people of Marple. £162 was spent on sponsorship of Mellor Open Gardens tickets, £100 was donated to this year's Marple Poppy Appeal commemorating 100 years of the RBL Poppy Appeal, £108 was donated to Friends of Marple Memorial Park towards events planned to commemorate the park's 100th birthday next year, the Marple Adventure Film Festival organised by Marple Scouts was sponsored for £50, a donation of £50 was made to Marple Bridge Association and a donation of £30 was made to Plan Bee Honey Bee Sanctuary to continue support of The Marple Website's own hive for another year.
In 2020 £120 was spent on materials for the refurbishment of the Albert Schools Plaques, a donation of £30 to Plan Bee Honey Bee Sanctuary secured sponsorship of the Marple Website's very own hive for a year, and the Marple Poppy Appeal 2020 was supported too with a donation of £25.
Christmas 2020 donations included contributions of £100 each to New Horizons, Mellor Country House and The Pantry (Marple's Food Bank run by All Saints' Church). To reach that amazing total of £14,000 in 14 years, a further donation of £35 has been made to Community Active Stockport CIC to help set-up a new Baby Group at Marple Sports Club.
In 2019 The Marple Website invested £1,000 on shares in the Wharf Marple Project.
In the same period the Treasure Hunt in Memorial Park was sponsored for £100 and the Marple Poppy Appeal for £20. In December 2019 £100 has been donated to Friends of Brabyns Park towards the project to refurbish the Iron Bridge Viewing Platform and £100 to Friends of Marple Memorial Park towards a new project to create a Sculpture Trail in the park. In addition, donations made to the web site by local businesses of £100 from Trident Electronics and £32.75 from John Oldham Plastering have also been passed on to Friends of Memorial Park.
In 2018 the Treasure Hunt in Memorial Park and the Street Poppy Appeal were sponsored for £50 each, tickets for Open Gardens in Marple were sponsored for £155, £100 was donated to Friends of Marple Memorial Park towards the new Ocean See-Saw in the Infants Play Area, £100 was donated to Marple Carnival to help keep it going in 2019 and 4 x £50 Christmas donations were made to New Horizons, Friends of Rose Hill Station, Friends of Marple Station and Compstall Community Council.
In 2017 donations of £40 were made to Mellor Archaeological Trust, £40 to Friends of Our Valley, £182 to Friends of Marple Memorial Park, £20 to sponsorship of the Marple Street Poppies and £50 to the Town Centre Defibrillator Appeal. In addition, an investment of £1,000 was made in the Northumberland Arms Community Pub by becoming a share holder. This took the running total of funds invested in the local community by The Marple Website to £11,382 in the last 11 years.
In 2016 a further £1,000 was donated to the Skatepark Project, taking the banner advert contributions over 6 years to £5,350 and the overall total donated to local causes by The Marple Website since 2006 to £10,050!
In 2015 £500 was donated to Friends of Marple Memorial Park and £350 to sponsoring Marple Athletic JFC Under 12s for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.
In 2014 a further £1,000 was donated to the Skatepark Community Match Funding.
In 2013 £500 was donated to Marple Skate Park Project - this was matched by Forever Manchester, effectively doubling our money.
In 2012 The Marple Website became the main sponsor of the Marple Christmas Cracker with a donation of £1,000 to Marple Business Forum.
There's no guarantee that this level of community support can be sustained in the future as things are getting tighter. If your local business would like to help please look at becoming a Marple Website Sponsor and taking out a banner advert on the site. It's currently great to be able to say:
An average of over £1,000 has been donated to local causes each year for the last 17 years!
How many other community web sites or Social Media platforms can say that!
