As the New Year begins, it is time to get back to our routines and for the Inner Wheel Club of Retford, it starts with the celebration of International Inner Wheel Day on 10th January. This date marks the founding of the club worldwide.
Founder Margarette Golding, was born in Wales in Blaenau Festiniog at 134 High Street, on 20th November 1881. A plaque to her memory was put up in 2017.
She spent her childhood there as a member of the Owen family. Later her family moved to Hay-on-Wye, where her father worked as a gas engineer. Margarette was a lively person and trained as a nurse and served all during WWI. She later moved to Manchester where she met and married Oliver Golding. Together they ran a business, the Nurses Outfitting Association Ltd.
She was an astute business woman and later founded Inner Wheel to unite wives and daughters of Rotary members. Her philanthropic nature wished to unite and foster peaceful co-operation and friendship between women of all nations and to do service where needed. Inner Wheel started in 1924 in Manchester by helping the Girls’ Orphanage and Ancoats Hospital and other good causes. It has grown into a worldwide organisation which does so many different activities of good works and friendship. It is quite separate from Rotary which now takes women, but does have close ties.
On the Retford club’s meeting day on the 10th, members wore something in the club colours of yellow and blue, welcomed another new member and had a book swap. On Tuesday 15th, members spent time together to build up their Baby Bundles, Joy Bags and Toy Bags ready for distribution in Africa. They are always grateful for the kind donations they receive towards these.
New members are always welcome. A speaker is planned for their next meeting on 14th February and A Sunday Lunch fundraiser will take place in Clarborough Village Hall on 24th February, at 12.00pm for 12.30pm, with funds going to Alzheimer’s Research. Visit their website to find out more, www.innerwheelofretford.co.uk.