Asda Community Fund Update

Dear Mark

Bramley Parish Council is pleased to provide an update on the work of its subcommittee as follows:

BACKGROUND

In late 2024 following the fuel leak from the village petrol station, the Bramley community was promised the sum of £512,500 by Asda Stores Limited (“Asda”). In response, Bramley Parish Council (“BPC”) established a dedicated Asda Community Fund Committee (“Fund Committee”) to steer this fund, with the goal of maximising benefit for Bramley.

The Fund Committee is chaired by BPC Vice-Chairman, Dr. Bob Stern, and includes representatives from the Parish Council as well as members of local village organisations.

Over the past 18 months, the Fund Committee has worked diligently to ensure that funding allocations support a broad cross-section of our community - across all age groups and backgrounds. As part of the process, Asda must be invoiced directly, which has added an additional layer of complexity and, in some cases, caused delays. This remains an ongoing and carefully managed process.

There was a consultation by BPC and projects chosen have regard to suggestions received during that process.

To date just over £380,000 has been spent on, or committed to, the projects listed above.

We are making progress and I hope you are enjoying the repairs and improvements taking place across the village. Many of these projects require a great deal of work behind the scenes, so I would like to extend my personal thanks to:

• Fund Committee members who have participated in detailed and sometimes difficult discussions - all with the shared goal of doing the right thing for Bramley, especially thanking Dr Robert Stern as Committee Chairman.

• Bramley Parish Council

• Bramley Village society

• Bramley Business Network

• Our Clerk, Debbie Ersser, who continues to chase payments from Asda and help drive projects forward.

Project Summary

Please see below a summary of projects and funds spent or allocated to date. If you would like further detail or have additional suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

A reminder that if a project you are interested in does not appear on this list, it may fall under the responsibility of a local authority such as Waverley Borough Council or Surrey County Council or may be being actioned separately via different funding sources.

Best wishes,

Jane Austin

Chairman, on behalf of Bramley Parish Council

The Fund Committee is made up of representatives from Bramley Parish Council and members of village community organisations:

• Chair Cllr Bob Stern - Bramley Parish Council

• Helen Melia - Bramley Fete, Bramley Residents Action Group (BRAG)

• Gill Longdon - Bramley Business Network, BRAG, Bramley Wheels

• Sharon Withers - Bramley Business Network, BRAG

• Liz Sutherland - Bramley Village Society, Bramley Helping Hand, Gosden House, BRAG

• Margaret Darvill - Wey and Arun Canal Trust, Bramley Fete, Bramley Village Society & Bramley Helping Hand.

• Holly Lewis - Bramley Infant School PTFA

• Cllr Jane Austin - Bramley Parish Council, Bramley Helping Hand, BRAG, Bramley Fete

• Cllr Francesca Stern - Bramley Parish Council