Same great charity, different name from now on. The trustees and committee took the decision at a recent meeting to change the name of our charity from The Royal Oak Charity Fund to St Silvan's Area Charity.
There's a lot behind it, but in short - we continue to raise money to help local people and great causes within around a 10 mile radius of Staffhurst Wood in Surrey (RH8 0RR). This hasn't changed. Our committee hasn't changed - Judy, Mark, Emma and Alan continue to lead the fundraising and award-making activities, and we intend to do so with plenty of enthusiasm and commitment to our cause.
Our little charity was started by the locals of The Royal Oak Inn at Staffhurst Wood. As with so many pubs these days, it's had to change to survive. Our country pub that used to welcome all and sundry to its warm and beery embrace is not the same place it once was. A destination gastropub is its current fate, with drinkers discouraged and the little community of locals now dispersed to find more welcoming watering holes.
So it seems the right time to change our name and look forward to our next chapter. Why St Silvan's? Well, there was once a little church in the woods near the pub. It's long since been sold and now become another rather expensive 'luxury woodland residence' but it did once welcome everyone as a church. And it's a little bit of local landmark and history that we'd like to remember.
St Silvan was an 'incorruptible' saint. (https://reliquarian.com/2012/11/17/saint-silvan/) That meant he was so very holy that his body didn't decompose when he died. We also quite like the idea of being 'incorruptible'!
