This year the festival is supporting two local charities, which are very close to our hearts, the St Catherine of Siena Church Preservation Trust and Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare.

The St Catherine of Siena Church Preservation Trust

was founded in 2024 to maintain and enhance the building of Cocking Parish Church, first built in the 11th century (probably to replace a previous Saxon church, though some argue that there has been a worshipping community on the site since the 7th century) and then dedicated to St Catherine of Siena in 2007. It is still a functioning parish church today, with a beautiful open churchyard.

While the Parochial Church Council and the St Catherine’s congregation are responsible for the work of the church, and keep it open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; the Preservation Trust cares for its building and churchyard, ensuring that they will be available to all in perpetuity.

DONATE

Close-up of an old church window with arched Gothic design, stone frame, and leaded glass, set in weathered stone walls, with a cloudy sky and leafless trees in the background.

Tall, old stone building with small windows, arched doorway with the number 33, and a textured, weathered exterior.

Ancient wall painting with religious or historical figures, showing signs of age and decay, located inside a stone structure.

Sketch of a church with a steeple, surrounded by small houses and trees.

Sketch of a church with a tower and arched windows, surrounded by a fence and landscape.

An antique stone baptismal font with a metal top inside a church, near tall, arched, stained glass windows.

A stone wall with various sizes of rounded stones, some covered with moss, and partially covered with ivy vine, next to a moss-covered stone ledge and a black wrought iron fence.

A small chapel altar with candles, religious icons, and a crucifix in front of a stained glass window.

Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare

is a Sussex-based charity that aims to help animals through rehoming, rehabilitation and sanctuary, and give people the support and knowledge they need to treat animals with care and respect. Raystede cares for up to 400 animals every day, including cats, horses, dogs, rabbits, hens and exotic birds. Many of the animals have been neglected, abused or exploited.

Raystede helps most of the animals find new homes but also provides life-long sanctuary for elderly horses and other animals that cannot be rehomed. Raystede provides love and safety to those animals that would have nowhere else to go.

As a charity, Raystede is entirely reliant on the kind support and donations from our local animal loving community. To donate visit : www.raystede.org/support-us/

A woman with red hair tied up, wearing a black sweatshirt and boots, leading a brown and white horse on a grassy field. In the background, there are trees and a small structure, with another horse visible behind the lead horse.

Two gray rabbits with upright ears eating green leaves inside a barn with a dirt floor and wooden walls.

A woman is petting a gray cat on a colorful crocheted blanket with floral patterns, with a window in the background.

A woman in a black zip-up jacket with a dog harness kneeling beside a small, light brown, and white mixed breed dog with floppy ears and a pink harness in an outdoor training or play area.