Wednesday 4th July saw the annual changeover of the Inner Wheel of Warsop president. This year sees Ruth Riches take the lead raising money for her chosen charity MS, a charity very close to her heart as her mum suffers with this illness. A message from Ruth:
“My journey to becoming the President of Warsop Inner Wheel started some years ago at the tender age of 18 when I joined Rotaract with a bunch of school friends. We had a great laugh meeting on a regular basis, the occasional posh frock do, one too many lemonades and ultimately raising money for charity with a group of friends… So not much has changed really!
“Rotaract was a time in my life where the ladies of Inner Wheel were a thing of magic and mystery. Very rarely did we see them, but they were there, behind the scenes keeping everything going. I remember saying to myself ‘one day I’m going to be one of those Inner Wheel ladies’, but at the time it meant marrying a Rotarian. I have incredibly fun memories of my time with Rotaract.
“Thankfully several year ago, the membership rules for Inner Wheel changed and open membership was granted. I joined, together with Immediate Past President Helen in the February, in the year of now Past President Sue Lunn, who is now our International Service Officer. In my first year I saw and felt the same sense of fun, friendship and service to the community that I had experienced way back in Rotaract. Inner Wheel ladies still meet on a regular basis, we go to a few more posh frock dos, we drink something a little more lively than lemonade, but ultimately what we do is raise money for charity with a group of friends.
“My chosen charity this year is Multiple Sclerosis or MS as it is commonly known. MS is something I also knew from an early age as my mum Eira was diagnosed when I was nine. It didn’t really mean that much to me at the time and I didn’t really know what was going on. Thanks to my wonderful family, life was pretty much frantic and fun, and as it should have been for a nine-year-old with three older siblings.
“Mum battled on for almost 35 years without help. She soldiered on hiding any difficulties she was experiencing I was pretty much oblivious. As an adult, I made it my mission to understand MS and realise that for good or for bad, it has helped make me the person I am today. In my 30s I read quite a lot around the subject and followed many scientific studies in to ways to help. We introduced mum and dad to the Mansfield Branch of the MS Society, and the rest as they say is history.
“As my Inner Wheel dream to be a member has come true, I want to use this time to continue to help where I can If we raise awareness and help people understand, and raise money for this charity as we do, well I’ll be one happy Past President this time next year.
If you want to join me this year, please take a look at our joining page, get in touch, come to a meeting. We’d love to have you. More the merrier in my book.”
Sunday 8th July saw the annual Warsop carnival with the ladies of the Warsop Inner Wheel again providing refreshments for the crowds. It was a great day raising money for MS with club members, and helped by husbands.