Castle Manor Academy has received a £5,000 Community Investment Grant to enhance their school library and the impact has been immediate.

The funding has enabled the school to purchase 782 new books, ensuring each year group has ten copies of a range of engaging titles. From manga (a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels), and crime, to contemporary fiction and fantasy, there’s now something for every reader to enjoy.

The school shared how grateful they are for the grant, which has helped remove barriers to reading and given every student access to books they love.

“We are so incredibly grateful to Havebury for the grant,” said Mrs Whitcombe, Headteacher at Castle Manor. “Reading has always been important, and now we can enable our students to read books they genuinely want to.”

Miss Sparks, the school librarian, added:

“We haven’t even had a chance to check out the books yet, but many students are already waiting patiently to borrow them! Our library is open before and after school as well as at lunchtimes, and we know these new books will be just as well loved as our existing collection. We’ve been able to offer a wider range of genres to appeal to everyone, and we’re even planning to set up a student book club.”

Students Seth (Year 10) and Lulu (Year 9) told us how much they enjoy using the library, with both playing an active role as student librarians, and how the new books have inspired more of their friends to start reading too. When asked to describe the impact the new books have had, Seth chose “Imaginative” and Lulu said “Encouraging”, two words that perfectly capture the renewed excitement for reading across the academy.

Home-Start Suffolk received a £4,895 Community Investment Grant to fund their Mums in Mind courses. The grant will enable them to help local mums access free, friendly guidance close to home.

These courses typically run for 8–10 weeks and are designed to support parents transitioning to parenthood who are feeling isolated and want to connect to others

Over the weeks, mums begin to relax, open up and share their experiences. They offer each other support and exchange tips that make everyday life easier. One of the course facilitators said, “The atmosphere is incredibly supportive, you could see the confidence growing every week.”

By the end of the course, strong friendships had formed. All mums reported feeling more confident as parents and less anxious when meeting new people.

Here’s what some mums had to say:

• “Vikki has been amazing. So friendly and caring. She created a safe space for us to share how we feel and any concerns we have.”
• “Thank you for helping my anxiety with new people.”
• “Please continue with these as the group has been a real lifeline to new mums like us.”
• “This has been the best group I have been to. It builds confidence and offers support. We loved every session!”

Gaynor Vincent from Home-Start says, “Thanks to Havebury’s continued support, our next course in January will allow Home-Start Suffolk to keep offering early emotional support to new parents in Haverhill and the surrounding area. It will reduce isolation, build confidence, strengthen peer networks, and help babies thrive through positive early interactions.”

“Without this funding, these mums wouldn’t have had access to a space like this. It gave them friendship, confidence, and a real sense of community.”

Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club is celebrating the success of its walking rugby initiative, which has been helping local people stay active, make new friends, and enjoy the spirit of the game in a relaxed Way. The project has been supported with a £5,000 grant from Havebury, helping more people take part.

Walking rugby is a non-contact, slower-paced version of the sport that replaces running with walking and tackles with a two-handed touch on the torso. It’s designed to be inclusive and accessible for adults of all ages, physical abilities and genders. Whether you’re recovering from injury, retired from playing, or completely new to the game, walking rugby offers a supportive and fun way to get involved.

Players can join either on Monday evenings 5pm – 6pm or Wednesday mornings 9.30 – 10.30 (and there is usually a well-earned cuppa at the end), making it easy to fit sessions around work, family, or other commitments. Numbers continue to grow, and the club is always keen to welcome new faces, including more women, with one participant sharing, “I enjoy coming to these sessions so much, I would love to see some more ladies involved.”

Participants say the benefits go far beyond the game itself. One told us, “It’s been such a help for me mentally as well as physically,” while another commented, “I am retired and this gives me something to look forward to each week.”

When speaking about the support from Havebury, participants shared just how much it has meant:“I am so grateful to Havebury for supporting our walking rugby, it means so much to us.”

If you’re interested in giving walking rugby a go or would like to know more, send an email to rdo@bserufc.co.uk.