Amberley Village
All about Amberley, West Sussex

The Amberley Society
Charity begins at home
The Amberley Society has vowed to continue its bid for
charitable status after the Charity Commission rejected its
latest application.
At a well-attended annual general meeting on March 17,
co-chair Ian Galbraith reported that the commission cited
two concerns: that the society’s stated objectives did not fully
align with recognised charitable purposes, and that links
on its website to the Save Our Sportsman campaign and
other village initiatives suggested activities beyond a purely
charitable remit. Mr Galbraith said the society had taken
great care in drafting its Objectives, modelling them on similar
groups that had gained charitable status, and remained
puzzled by the commission’s objections. He has asked for
a review, due by May, and plans to resubmit the application
if the refusal is upheld. Website links to local businesses -
another focus of the commission’s concerns – had already
been removed.
A revised constitution was ready, containing updated
Objectives based on wording recommended by the Charity
Commission but leaving the society’s aims and activities
unchanged.
It has been a busy year of meetings and local talks. The
Society ran three evening meetings and an outdoor event.
September saw a popular Downs Farm walk led by Nyetimber
Estate’s operations
manager Paul Gasson
and rewilding manager
Sarah George, offering
members a rare view of
the estate’s conservation
work on the Downs and
the Wildbrooks.
Wildbrooks’ natural processes
were explored
further in November, when
Sarah George delivered a
talk sharing her personal insights. Earlier in the year, Jim
Glover and Chris Skinner argued the case for the Wildbrooks
as perhaps “the most important wildlife site in Sussex”,
while in June, Mr Galbraith introduced residents to the
society’s archive.
A new series of lunchtime talks at the Sportsman was
launched in late 2025 and had proved popular. Limited to
about 12–16 attendees, the short talks have covered the life
of 18th century vicar Bell Carleton, the story of Jane Woodforde
- an Amberley woman who rose to social prominence
– and, more recently, the early churches of Sussex. The
series will continue in the autumn, with no shortage of volunteers
keen to present.
After several years during which expenditure has crept
above income, the society is increasing membership fees
from April 1. Last year’s income was just over £650 - similar
to 2024 - but the society recorded a deficit of around £50
following a £20 shortfall the previous year. With reserves at
slightly over £5,000, the committee hopes the increase will
stabilise finances.
Membership costs have remained largely unchanged for
more than a decade. The new rates are:
= Individual annual: £5 (up from £4)
= Family annual: £8 (up from £6)
= Individual six year: £25 (up from £20)
= Family six year: £40 (up from £30)
Life membership will no longer be offered to new members
due to concerns about long term income predictability and
accounting complexity.
The society’s extensive archiving project made significant
progress last year, with the bulk of its material now catalogued
and easier to navigate. Many items have been digitised,
though work continues as new donations arrive. Making
this digital material accessible online remains a technical
step still under development.
Two major digitisation projects remain outstanding: the
complete run of parish magazines, and the Janet Kelly postcard
collection. The latter requires only time; the former will
likely be sent for professional
digitisation. Both projects would
be supported more effectively if
charitable status is secured.
Transcription of historic interviews
also continues. While
many recordings have already
been transcribed, numerous
others await volunteers.
The archive received a major
boost last year with the arrival
of the Elizabeth and John Lyne Collection, donated by their
daughters. Assembled largely during John Lyne’s time as
headmaster of Amberley School, the collection includes
hundreds of photographs, press cuttings and pupil created
material. Cataloguing and digitising the collection will continue
into the current year, after which help will be sought to
identify people in the photographs.
Reporting as co chair, Jeff Feakins noted that the society
now had 182 members, including 36 life members. Over the
past year, it had supported several local campaigns, including
the Show Stoppers’ initiative regarding the South Downs
National Park Authority’s Land Availability Assessment, and
the successful campaign by Malcolm Pheasey to improve
the rail service to Amberley. It has also remained closely
involved with issues concerning the Wildbrooks.
The society has strengthened its relationship with Amberley
Parish Council to ensure coordination on planning and
environmental matters. Regular meetings have been held
to clarify how the society raises concerns and to avoid duplication
with the Greener Amberley initiative.
Recognising that Amberley Castle is central to the village
yet sometimes perceived as detached from it, the society
reached out to the Castle’s sales manager, Sally Waite, in
an effort to foster closer ties. The trustees recently held their
committee meeting at the Castle by invitation, and the society
hopes the venue will provide a speaker on the ongoing
castle wall renovation.
With Natural England’s latest assessment showing just 1.95
per cent of the Amberley Wildbrooks SSSI in “favourable
condition”, the Friends of the Wildbrooks (FoW) continued
to highlight the urgency of conservation efforts. Two society
trustees are members of FoW, reflecting the society’s
long-standing history of campaigning for the Wildbrooks’
protection.
Following discussions, the two groups agreed that FoW will
remain independent but act as an advisory body to the Society
on Wildbrooks matters. The society will help disseminate
information to residents and the wider public, using its
180 plus membership and the Amberley Village website to
present the “big picture” behind the often complex reports
published by Natural England.
The Society’s website, maintained by Jeff Feakins and
Catherine Cunningham, now contains more than 90 pages,
including visitor information, local maps, event details and
updates on planning issues. In early 2026 it moved to a new
web address – www.amberleyvillage.co.uk – to reflect its
broader scope and to meet Charity Commission expectations.
Society pages now sit clearly within this wider site.
Personalised e-mails are increasingly used to improve engagement
with members.
Following the AGM, Tony Whitbread, former CEO of Sussex
Wildlife Trust and now its president, took members on
a ‘virtual walk’ though some of SWT’s 32 nature reserves.
Entitled The Wild Life and Wild Places of Sussex, the informative
and entertaining talk examined not only the interesting
and unusual species and their rich diverse habitats,
but also the ecological relations underpinning these places,
including their geology, hydrology and climate.