History of the Association

In October 2005, SP Web Connections discovered that the existing Crawley Down website was to be de-commissioned on 31 December. After some discussions with the Residents Association and others the decision was made to design and build a new website which would give more comprehensive information than the original.

A crucial aspect of the site was the funding and the subsequent usage of those funds. The stated intention was to seek sponsorship from local businesses and then, at the end of each year's operations make donations to local "worthy causes" with SP Web Connections retaining a small proportion of the receipts to defray some of the costs of running the site. A target date of New Year's Day 2006 was announced and duly on that day the new Crawley Down Village website was put live on the internet.

Towards the end of 2006 we invited local organisations to apply for a grant, specifying what they would use it for if their bid was successful. We are grateful to Jon Hale for publishing this invitation in the Church & Village magazine and also to RH10 Uncovered for inclusion in their magazine. The only stipulation we put on applications was that the organisation must be Crawley Down based and to be for the benefit of some or all of Crawley Down. Accordingly, seven applications were received and assessed by an independent panel who made just one award of £500 to the Donkey Field Pre-School.

To date the Crawley Down Website has donated £25,105 to the community of Crawley Down.

In January 2022 we decided that now was the time to draw a close on local grants, partly as a result of our concern that many local businesses had suffered due to COVID restrictions and also the fact that we have raised a very considerable amount for the village organisations.

Click here to see details of all successful applications to date.

Towards the end of 2007 SP Web Connections decided, that due to the success of the website it was now time to take a legal step from the site and, with the valuable assistance of Gordon Hillier, changed its status to that of an Association. We now have a small management team who meet as and when it is necessary to make some operational decisions. The association came into being on 1st January 2008.

Constitution of the Crawley Down Village Website Association

The purpose of the Association's website is to be an information site and noticeboard for the village of Crawley Down, its residents, organisations and businesses and to act as a promotion to others requiring information about the village and its activities. Any surplus funds shall be distributed to worthy Village organisations, charities and individuals.

As from 1 January 2008 the website, which has been in operation for two years, will be known as the Crawley Down Village Website Association ("Association").

There are two classes of membership of The Association, Commercial Members and Non-Commercial Members each with a different rate of subscription being set each year.

The Management Committee will be elected each year from nominations made by the Members for two Members by SP Web Connections, one by Commercial Members, one by the Crawley Down Residents' Association and three others nominated by the Association's Members. The maximum number of Management Committee Members will be seven with the right of the Committee to co-opt additional temporary Members for specific purposes to serve for a maximum term of three months. Each Committee Member (other than co-opted Committee Members) will be appointed for a term of two years but at 1 January 2008 some will be elected for a term of two years and some for a term of one year. Retiring Committee Members may stand for nomination to serve for another term. The Committee shall be chaired by one of the two Committee Members nominated by SP Web Connections. Four Committee Members shall constitute a quorum and should any vote be tied the Chair shall have a casting vote. Vacancies occurring during a year shall be filled until the end of that year by nominations made by the remaining Committee Members.

The Association will maintain such bank accounts as the Management Committee consider appropriate with all cheques and other instructions being signed by one of the two Committee Members nominated by SP Web Connections and countersigned by the other Council Member as an authorised signatory. The accounting year of the Association runs to 31 December each year. Appropriate financial records will be maintained by a Committee Member and annual accounts produced. The Association's Annual General Meeting, at which all Members are entitled to vote, will be held before 31 March each year.

Towards the end of each year, the Management Committee shall elect a panel of three from Committee Members and others thought suitable to consider the responses to the Committees' invitation to Village worthy causes to submit applications for grants and to make awards after an estimate of The Association's surplus funds for the year has been made.

The website will be managed by SP Web Connections and the Management Committee (excluding SP Web Connections Members) will decide on the amount of retainer each year to be paid to them in consideration of the work carried out in maintaining and hosting the website. The ownership of the intellectual property of the website will remain that of SP Web Connections.