Charitable donations from the proceeds of the Society’s productions is an objective in our constitution and it has always been an important consideration, particularly with a local theme.

In 1988 £1,250 was used to purchase a complete softball play area for the Children’s Portage Scheme at Pembury hospital.  This was the start of a long association with Pembury Portage and in recent years the Society has provided a Christmas party (and Father Christmas!) for the children as well as various pieces of vital equipment. We are also delighted to help The Autistic Society a charity also supported by our President Lady Astor.
 

Hospice in the Weald has also benefited from the Society’s activities and we recently gave £3,000 to buy special equipment for two beds.   We have also supported Kent Air Ambulance – last year we provided £3,000 for new ventilator equipment and this year we have donated £1,000 towards the cost of a paramedic.

The amount TWODS can donate to charity depends entirely on the cost of our shows and the support we get from our audiences buying tickets to see us perform.  As a result of putting on two productions in 2001 which did not require significant royalty payments, the Society was able to donate almost £10,000 to local charities. Arising from shows in 2002 (a more ‘normal’ healthy year) we were able to nominate about £5,000 for charitable purposes. As well as those charities already mentioned, the main beneficiaries were British Heart Foundation Tunbridge Wells branch, Demelza House (children’s hospice), St John’s Ambulance Tunbridge Wells, Step by Step, Paula Car Trust, Chicks, Compaid, the Soup Kitchen, Talking Newspapers for the Blind and Cystic Fibrosis Trust Tunbridge Wells. We bought a printer for the Tunbridge Wells branch of the British Epileptic Society and curtains for a ward at the Kent & Sussex Hospital.

In addition to monetary donations, we give complimentary tickets to local charities for them to bring residents and associates to see our shows or to sell the tickets on and retain the proceeds.  For the last production we gave tickets to Good Companions Club (British Legion, Tonbridge), Mission to Seamen, Age Concern (Southborough & High Brooms and Tunbridge Wells), Clic (Tonbridge), Seven Springs Cheshire Home, Larkfield Hall, PHAB (Tonbridge), the Tunbridge Wells branches of British Heart Foundation, Parkinsons Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Children’s Society and Voluntary Services Unit, Friends of Crowborough CAB, Headway, and Rusthall Lodge.

We are delighted that we can support such worthwhile charitable causes from our hobby – but it is mainly thanks to our loyal audiences that this is possible.