July is a busy month for all the clubs in Inner Wheel. It is when all officers attend their meetings at district level to learn about the different roles and state their charitable preferences. This year, of course, has been a little different with all new officers meeting by Zoom.
Over the last year more than 30 charities have received Inner Wheel support despite our stay-at-home months. The collecting of vital items has not stopped even though their delivery was delayed. Intercare, one of Retford Inner Wheel’s charities, has finally been able to deliver a container load of goods along with their usual medical supplies.
Inner Wheel collects all sorts of items over our district; adult and children’s clothes, hats and scarves, bed linen and blankets, educational and school supplies, sewing machines and sewing items as well as mobile phones, hearing aids, stamps, ring pulls and foreign coins. All these are of benefit to their international projects. This year the district has chosen to support The Butterfly Tree charity in their fight against Malaria. COVID-19 has been devastating, but Malaria affects thousands and thousands. In 2018, over two million cases resulted in over 400,000 deaths and over 67% of these were children under five years old. The Butterfly Tree supports orphans and communities in Zambia with feeding programmes, clean water, educational and health facilities, sustainable community projects. It provides mosquito net coverings for each child where possible, safe insecticidal coating in huts and a larvicide in ponds and streams to stem the developing mosquitos. In the Retford club they are promoting ‘Penny Put the Kettle On’: Every time you put on the kettle, put a penny in a pot to collect for the fight against Malaria.
Inner Wheel is for women of all ages. The age range in Retford goes from 25 to 95, so if you are looking for a new way to make friends and help others in need, get in touch by email, retfordinnerwheel@gmail.com, and join them. You will be made very welcome.