Roger Mitchell writes:
Sussex Brass Raises £900 to bring water to schools in Hastings.
Enthusiastic singing of “High we exalt thee, Land of the free”, the National Anthem of Sierra Leone, set the tone for a splendid concert given by Sussex Brass at St Matthew’s Church, Silverhill, on May 24th.
Both the Mayor, Cllr. Nigel Sinden, and Deputy, Cllr. James Bacon, attended in support. Both always show a strong interest in the affairs of the Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link, having themselves taken part in visits to our friends in West Africa.
Varied styles of music created a fascinating programme of contrasts, from Paul McCartney’s sinister James Bond theme for “Live and Let Die” to Enrico Morriconi’s richly melodic “Gabriel’s Oboe” from the film “The Mission”. Neither can a concert given by Sussex Brass Band end without lusty audience participation in the rendering of “Sussex by the Sea”.
In the interval the audience enjoyed a tasty buffet of West African food prepared and brought from London by members of the Sierra Leone Hastings Association UK.
The purpose of the evening was to raise funds for the Link’s current drive to ensure a water supply and adequate sanitation for all twelve of our partner schools. It is difficult to imagine what it must be like for children and their teachers to attend schools without such basic essentials.
The evening raised £900. The costs of connecting schools to a water supply vary according to circumstances. For schools where there is piped water in the neighbourhood around £500 is needed. Where new wells or boreholes have to be sunk the costs are very significantly greater.
Members of the Link wish to express their gratitude to Sussex Brass and the PCC of St Matthew’s Church for their generosity in making this success possible.
Here are just a few of the photos taken by Derek and Yvette during the evening: 
