Gordon launches Swale Arts Forum bursary for 2010

Gordon Henderson, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Sittingbourne & Sheppey, and James Apps, chairman of the Sheppey and Sittingbourne Writers Group, launched the third Swale Arts Forum(SAF) Bursary Award at an informal function held at the Ship on Shore Inn on Marine parade on Thursday 8th October.

In his address Mr Henderson said:

“I am proud to be associated with the Swale Arts Forum Bursary Award, and with this year’s organisers, Sheppey Writers

“It is encouraging that there is a body in Swale promoting the arts by giving local artists an opportunity to get some help toward their projects and as a writer it is especially encouraging that the £700 award will be going to a creative writer.

“Previous awards have gone to the performing arts and the visual arts and the 2009/2010 award is the turn of the written arts.”

James Apps, local writer and chairman of the Sittingbourne and Sheppey Writers Group (SSWG) welcomed visitors including Cllr. Gerry Lewin, Deputy Leader of the Swale Borough Council, and Sioux Peto, Chairwoman of the SAF and began the evening with details of the Bursary Award.

Mr Apps said:

“The Bursary is open to all creative writers resident in the Swale Borough over the age of 14 to assist them with completing a project ranging from poetry, shorts stories, novels, children’s books, dramatic works and biographies.”

He went on to thank Swale Borough Council for funding the award and Gordon Henderson for his enthusiastic support.

During the evening there were readings from both the members of the SSWG and visitors, amongst whom were members of the Sheppey Women’s Writers Group, the Save As writers group from Faversham and local writers, including Gordon Henderson.

Wally Newby, a former chair holder of the SSWG, who now lives in Tenterden, gave a brief outline of the Sheppey Writers history from its beginnings in 1982 and read one of his poems.

Details of entry and conditions can be found on: www.swaleartsforum.org or on the Sheppey Writers site www.freewebs.com/sheppeywriter