The beginning of February brought news of the devastating earthquake that affected Turkey and Syria. The Rotary Club of Retford immediately applied for a street collection licence and on Saturday 11th about 30 members of the Club were out in Retford collecting funds to provide much needed relief to the area through an organisation called Shelterbox.
A massive thank you is due to the generous and kind-hearted people of Retford, who donated £2,331 on the day. Further personal member donations and Giftaid brought the total even higher. In total the funding for nine Shelterboxes was donated from Retford.
The funds raised through the Santa Run held in December have now been distributed. On Tuesday 28th February, Club members visited Focus on Young People in Bassetlaw and the Bassetlaw Food Bank. Both organisations received donations of £450.
The final February meeting saw teachers from the RotaKid schools attending with an opportunity for sharing experiences of being a Rotakid school. Teresa Critchely and Derek Turner demonstrated how contaminated water can be pumped through an Aquabox filter to deliver safe drinking water.
It wasn’t all work though, as on 10th February the 86th Charter evening was held at Ye Olde Bell. 117 people representing 13 Rotary Clubs attended this very special occasion, alongside the Chair and Vice-Chair of Bassetlaw District Council and the Retford Mayor. A delicious meal was enjoyed, followed by entertainment.
Finally, the Swimathon took place on 4th March at Retford Leisure Centre. About 300 swimmers took part in 25 teams, representing 19 different organisations. A tremendous community effort was made, resulting in more than £13,000 being pledged for local organisations and charities. A full report next month!