The Hedon Haven Trust distributed its annual funds to local worthy causes on Wednesday, January 29.
The trust is Hedon’s oldest charity by virtue of its succession from the borough’s Haven Commissioners. Hedon’s existence and initial wealth came from its waterways and in the Middle Ages was a far more important port than Hull and was one of the largest in the country. By the 12th century, according to some historians, the port was the 11th busiest in England.
An Act of Parliament in 1774 established the Hedon Haven as a trading port that needed improving and maintaining. The driving force behind the reorganisation of the port and the political action was the Haven Commissioners set up by businesspeople in Hedon.
They would levy tolls on passing traffic using the waterway to carry coal, timber and other goods, and collect fees from traders using the port facilities. One of the key tasks of the Haven Commissioners was to prevent the build-up of silt which threatened the efficiency of the waterways.
The Haven Commissioners continued existence for 200 years but became the charitable Hedon Haven Trust when the waterways did eventually silt up in the 1970s and the Hedon Haven closed. The trust now uses the accrued interest on its funds to make its annual charitable donations to organisations operating in the town that benefit its people.
The Haven Trust does not meet every year to distribute its donations. It last met in 2019 but trustees felt the time was right to bring beneficiaries together and to meet up and hear the stories of how the donations were being used in the town.
Altogether there were 10 good causes benefiting from a combined total of £4,800 donations: the town’s churches, St Augustine’s, Hedon Catholic and Hedon Methodist were all cheque recipients. So too were the Hedon Scouts, Hedon Guides, the Hedon Detachment of the Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, the Amy Black Community Centre, the Pantry at St Augustine’s, the Hedon Bellringers and Hedon Museum.
One group receiving a charitable donation from the chairman, Geoff Norrison, was Hedon Guides. This year marks their 80th anniversary having been founded in 1945. Victoria Walsh and Andrea Vickers represented the group and said they were holding a celebration party in April and were keen to contact past members and others who had memories to share of guiding in the town.
In addition to disbursing funds annually, the Hedon Haven trustees hold a general business meeting once each year. This annual meeting is marked by drinking the “Hedon punch,” a secret recipe handed down through the generations of Commissioners. Reputedly the meeting also warrants the traditional smoking of old special clay pipes, also hand-me-downs from the commissioners of old.
The Hedon Haven Trust and its traditions represent a link to the unique history of the ancient borough. However, the trust is also modern in supporting current and important community groups in Hedon.