By Isle of Wight Observer
More than £1,000 has been presented to Mountbatten Isle of Wight by the Vectis Searchers Metal Detecting Club. The group, which has around 40 members, raised the money at regular meetings in Newport, and through detecting days across the Island. Members pay £5 to take part in a search, with the fee going to the landowner as thanks. If the landowner chooses not to accept some or all of the money, it is donated to Mountbatten, the Island’s 24/7 hospice charity.
The club has supported Mountbatten since it formed in 1985. In July, members visited the hospice to hand over a cheque for £1,205, raised over two years of meetings – the latest contribution in three decades of support.
Treasurer, John Flynn, said: “Metal detecting is a thrill. It could be a ring pull or it could be something special. We’ve welcomed many new members since the popularity of McKenzie Crook’s ‘The Detectorists’. Most importantly, we always declare our finds.”
Finds are logged with the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, and items at least 300 years old can be declared treasure by the Isle of Wight Coroner. Several club finds are currently on display at Newport’s Guildhall Museum.
Club member, Mark Smedmor, known as ‘The Goldfinder’, said his favourite discovery was a 5,000‑year‑old penannular ring, dated to 3,000 BC. Only a handful have been reported nationally, and their purpose remains unknown. He previously unearthed a 500‑year‑old Henry VIII coin.
John added: “The obvious choice for the Vectis Searchers Metal Detecting Club has always been to raise money for Mountbatten Isle of Wight. Over the years, loved‑ones of club members have been cared for by Mountbatten.”
The club is seeking new land to explore and encourages landowners to get in touch at johnflynnwight@msn.com. Members search every Sunday and meet monthly in Newport.
Mountbatten reaches around 70 per cent of all Island deaths, compared to a national average of 30 per cent, with most care delivered in people’s homes.
Isle of Wight Observer