The Premier Charity Fundraising Car Show in East Anglia
The Rotary Club of Bury St Edmunds Abbey
The Classic Car Show is run by The Rotary Club of Bury St Edmunds Abbey. We are a group with approximately 50 members who, in the last year, have raised over £80,000 for local charities.
Last year we won the 'Event Organiser of the Year' in the Suffolk County Council Community Awards.
For the last two years we have won the 'Best Event by a Community Group' category in the Bury Town Council Awards. We were also 'Highly Commended' in their 'Best Community Group' category.
The car show is just one of our many events. Please take a look at our website to find out more.
Car Show Charities
We are pleased to announce that this year we are supporting two headline charities, 'Brave Futures' and 'each'. Please take a few minutes to look at their websites to see what wonderful work they do.
Headline Charity 2026
Brave Futures
Brave Futures is a specialist support service for children and young people up to the age of 18 who have experienced sexual abuse. We work across Suffolk and Norfolk, with a dedicated hub in Bury St Edmunds supporting children and families throughout West Suffolk. We provide a safe, welcoming space where children and young people can begin to make sense of the confusion they feel. Through specialist support, we equip them with the skills and tools they need to manage the trauma they have experienced, rebuild their futures, and move forward from victim to survivor.
Website www.bravefutures.org
Headline Charity 2026
East Anglia's Children's Hospices
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) provides care and support to children, young people and families, ensuring the best possible quality of life and making every moment count.
It has three hospices, including The Treehouse, in Ipswich. Care is also provided in the family home, in hospital and the community.
EACH supports both bereaved and non-bereaved families, and its services include expert nursing care and short breaks, symptom management, family activities and events, physical therapies, wellbeing support, care at end of life and bereavement support.
This year promises to be the start of an exciting period of change as major expansion work is now underway at The Treehouse, including a larger hydrotherapy pool, a wellbeing and therapies suite and a bigger, separated care activity area.
EACH relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income and every year needs to raise around £8 million from donations and fundraising and £9.8 million in retail income. It only receives 15% of its income from the government.
Website www.each.org.uk
We support over 50 local charities. Here are just a few:
Depden Care Farm
Depden Care Farm in rural Suffolk, providing supportive, hands-on opportunities for adults and young people with a range of additional needs – including learning and physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries and those recovering their mental health. Through working with animals, horticulture, and practical farm activities, we help people build confidence, develop skills, and improve their wellbeing in a safe, inclusive environment.
Our approach is person-centred and non-judgemental, enabling individuals to progress at their own pace. Farm helpers take part in meaningful daily tasks such as animal care, land management, and craft projects. A typical day might involve feeding lambs, collecting eggs, growing vegetables, or working alongside others on practical projects. These shared, meaningful tasks create a sense of purpose, belonging, and achievement — often for people who haven’t experienced that for some time.
Website www.depden.com
Bury Drop In
Bury Drop In supports homeless and vulnerably housed people in Bury St Edmunds and surrounding areas. We provide drop in sessions twice a week, year‑round, working in partnership with West Suffolk Council rough sleeper service, NHS Health Outreach, and other local agencies to help people access housing, health and practical support. Alongside providing a safe space and nutritious meals, we offer emergency provisions such as tents and sleeping bags, food vouchers, mobile phones with credit, clothing vouchers, toiletries, and underwear. We’re here in moments of crisis, supporting people as they take steps towards rebuilding their lives.
Website: www.burydropin.org
Gatehouse
Gatehouse Caring in East Anglia is a registered charity supporting vulnerable people across west Suffolk since 1986. Founded by Sister Helena, the charity helps individuals and families affected by poverty, illness, disability, age and loneliness. Based in Bury St Edmunds, Gatehouse operates four core services: a Food Bank providing emergency food parcels; a Home Store offering affordable furniture and recycled household goods; Community Wellbeing activities promoting physical and mental health; and an annual Christmas Project delivering hampers and meals to local people in need. The charity relies heavily on donations and community support to sustain its services.
Website www.gatehouse.org.uk
Samaritans
Samaritans is a 24-hour service offering emotional support for anyone struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. They give people ways to cope and the skills to be there for others. And they encourage, promote and celebrate those moments of connection between people that can save lives. While affiliated to the national service, our branch is an independent charity and totally self-funding. In an average year our branch volunteers take 20,000 calls from people in distress and at risk of suicide.
The branch holds 100+ volunteers with the majority answering the telephone, while some help with administration, IT, and fundraising or both. All come from the local area and help to keep the phone lines open and operating 24/7, 365 days of every year. There are three training intakes each year to increase listener numbers and replace those who retire or move away.
Website www.samaritans.org
SARS
At SARS Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, we provide specialist clinical responders who assist the East of England Ambulance Service at the scenes of serious incidents In the home or at the roadside. SARS members include anaesthetists, critical care paramedics and other clinicians with enhanced prehospital skills. SARS responders carry items of lifesaving equipment and drugs not normally found on the frontline ambulances. Our clinicians volunteer hundreds of hours each year to maintain our service. Over the last 53 years, SARS clinicians have treated thousands of patients and provided a high level of advanced medical care, which has helped save countless lives. We are also committed to sharing knowledge and promoting life- saving initiatives in the local community.
Website www.sars999.org.uk
St Nicholas Hospice Care
St Nicholas Hospice Care is an independent charity based in Bury St Edmunds that provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care for people across West Suffolk and surrounding areas. The hospice supports individuals living with long-term or life‑threatening illnesses, helping them to live as well as they can, while also offering vital support to families, carers and those experiencing bereavement.
The hospice delivers care in a variety of settings, including in patients’ own homes, through community services, day services and its inpatient unit at Hardwick Lane. Care is holistic, addressing physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs, and is provided free of charge to those who need it.
St Nicholas Hospice Care is also committed to education and community engagement, supporting professionals and encouraging open conversations around death, dying and grief. As a charity, much of its funding is raised locally through donations, fundraising events, retail shops and the dedication of volunteers, all of whom play a crucial role in sustaining its services
Website www.stnicholashospice.org.uk
Suffolk Family Carers
For over 35 years Suffolk Family Carers have worked to ensure unpaid family carers of all ages across Suffolk are visible, valued, supported and connected. Our Young Carer project works with children aged 4-16 who are impacted by a family member who has a disability, long term illness, mental health, or misuses drugs or alcohol. Support may be provided through our in-education support offer, one-to-one sessions and respite opportunities. The Bury Abbey Rotary Club have supported our respite delivery in Bury St Edmunds through their devoted fundraising for many years, providing opportunities for children to have nights away on activity residentials, sailing sessions and our yearly trip to the pantomime. These opportunities provide the young carers a break from their caring role, as well as a chance to make friends and gain peer support from other children who have shared life experience.
Website www.suffolkfamilycarers.org
Theatre Royal
Our beautiful theatre, of which we are so proud, is the only working Regency theatre in the country and one of only nine Grade-I listed theatres in England. It is the only theatre in the National Trust’s portfolio and is considered to be one of the cultural sector’s ‘crown jewels’. A major cultural and social asset, it is a key part of Suffolk’s culture, heritage and tourism offer.
Theatre Royal’s mission is to shape, produce and showcase high quality, diverse theatre and participation activities that reach all corners of our community. Through courageous storytelling, we spark positive change. We welcome audiences of over 75,000 each year and we work with over 13,000 young people and adults in the community. We aim to inspire young people, to give local people a voice, to serve our community and to reach out to those for whom theatre and the arts may otherwise be inaccessible.
Website www.theatreroyal.org