LETTERS – We are alive and kicking

I was delighted to see the recent letter in The Voice from Steve Colby, of South Holland Rotary Club, summarising the good work, activities and donations which his club is involved in year-on-year.
Rotary Clubs seldom have an opportunity to inform the general public of the extent of their activities both locally and internationally, and the opportunities that exist for like-minded local people to share in these activities in a friendly and sociable environment either as a friend of Rotary, or indeed as a full member.
We at the Spalding and Welland Rotary Club formed the South Holland Rotary Club in 1983, and have ourselves been a Rotary Club since 1937 and have served the community since that time.
There are, therefore two Rotary Clubs in our town which work happily side-by-side and sometimes in joint ventures.
We generally help with the South Holland Club’s Santa Sleigh at Christmas times.
Individually, the Spalding club has raised significant funds for relief in Ukraine, solar village lighting in remote villages in The Gambia, shelter boxes in flood/earthquake disasters around the world, portable refrigerators for our local Scouts for camping activities, support for Boxes of Hope who help locally with alleviating poverty in less fortunate families as well as victims of abuse in dysfunctional households.
We also use funds raised locally to put something back into the community, by means of our ongoing free, and now growing annual pro-am variety concert for senior members of South Holland filling the auditorium at South Holland Centre, and also our annual sports day for the local Gateway Clubs for those needing special care, at Castle Sports Centre, including much loved medals for winners, and a much-appreciated buffet tea!
We also encourage cookery and presentation skills to secondary school age students locally in the Rotary Young Chef Competition held annually at either the High School or the Spalding Academy.
So, we may not be as visible in the town as we might like to be, but we are alive and kicking and serving our community and indeed the world, not least by almost having rid the entire globe of polio!
There are great opportunities for those of like mind who have the time and the enthusiasm to share our endeavours and enjoy a good social background with new friends along the way.
Please visit our website at www.saw-rotaryclub.co.uk or our Facebook page at The Rotary Club of Spalding and Welland for more information and either contact us via these routes or email john@fen66.co.uk

Trevor A Clay
The Rotary Club of Spalding and Welland