Although August is traditionally a quiet summer month, there has still been quite a bit of social activity going on at Retford Rotary Club.
The Annual Bowling competitions took place featuring two evenings of play at South Wheatley bowling green. Two-wood and four-wood competitions were keenly contested, and members enjoyed both the bowling and the social activity.
The environment committee has been working hard this year to improve awareness amongst members around the reduce, reuse, recycle agenda. The second shoe collection of the year took place and a boot full of shoes was delivered to Shoe Aid in Nottingham. The charity works to provide footwear that is fit for purpose and free of charge to reduce footwear poverty. A book exchange picnic also took place with the donated books being given to the second-hand book shop in Clumber Park.
The club was pleased to receive feedback from some charities that have received donations over recent months.
Jamie’s Legacy is a charity supporting vulnerable young people in Uganda. £400 was donated from the proceeds of the 2022 Golf Day and has been used to support part of the £900 cost of training six young people and setting them up with sewing machines. The Club agreed a further total donation of £400 from this year’s Golf Day, increased to £1,000 from the Percy Laws Trust.
Percy Laws Trust also provided tools and secure storage for the Bassetlaw Food Bank grow it / fix it project that enables local people to learn to refurbish equipment, including white goods, to sell back into the community. Through practical workshops, people have opportunities to learn new skills and interact with others with the objective of reducing mental health issues, loneliness and isolation.
The Club also heard from their ongoing project in South Africa that provides porridge for young children to eat breakfast before school, and also heard that a consignment of warm knitted items had arrived just in time for the winter months.
Other activity has been focused around planning for some autumn events. The much-enjoyed Victorian Christmas Fayre, held at Ye Olde Bell, Barnby Moor will make welcome return on Thursday 16th November, with a festive lunch also available. Please contact rotariandanby@gmail.com as soon as possible if you would like to attend the lunch.
Finally, save the date for Sunday 10th December when there will be another opportunity to put on a Santa Suit and participate in the Retford Rotary Santa Run. This event could also be used as an opportunity to raise money for your own favourite charity. Whether you are interested in running by yourself, as a team, for charity or just for fun, sign up at www.rotaryclubofretford.co.uk/pages/santa-run.