Following the article in Rye News by Kevin McCarthy, the Directors of The Rye Partnership would like to express our gratitude to its staff for all their hard work during this challenging period and offer an update on the situation as follows:

Over the past decade, the Partnership has undertaken to fulfil its remit to support local business and community activities. We have worked towards a sustainable business model and have, for the past five years, returned a small surplus in order to reinvest in upgrades of its property portfolio.

The Directors of the Partnership hold regular meetings with the membership, providing an open book on all financial matters and the Directors and Officers have additionally offered the opportunity to all members to inspect accounts outside of formal meetings.

The Partnership took on the former Tilling Green School site, undertaking a buildings improvement programme in order to support its development as a community facility utilised by a number of groups whose activities include healthcare, welfare support, provision of accessible computer classes and a photography club, as well as providing the residents of Tilling Green with a Community Centre.

Recently, as part of its ongoing property maintenance programme the Partnership has installed new windows in Rye Harbour stores and upgraded the affordable housing residential flats at Rock Channel.

With reference to the Business Plan, this was prepared for distribution to members in the Spring of 2020 but due to the lockdown and consequent business interruption, including the closure of Tilling Green, the Directors of Rye Partnership chose to delay and review in line with the changing situation, informing the members as part of an update circulated in the latter part of 2020.

We acknowledge that the website is in need of refreshing. A website designer was engaged to do so in the latter part of 2020 and we look forward to going live in due course, although home working with connectivity issues has proved challenging.

The Directors of Rye Partnership would welcome anyone interested in becoming a member to get in touch, please email admin@ryepartnership.org . Any members interested in becoming Directors of the Company have the opportunity to stand at the AGM when all Directors are elected.