As we start a New Year, it is nice to reflect on what The Rotary Club of Weald of Kent has achieved in 2022. Our main fund raising event is the North Downs Walk which is held in June. Not only did we raise £13,200 this year for our own charity Cancer Research, but shared sponsorship meant that our walkers also raised a further £8,000 for almost 40 different charities of their choice. The weather held up and it was a good day. The walkers had a choice of 3,6 & 9 mile walks, at the end of which they were able to enjoy a ploughman’s lunch, followed by strawberries and cream thanks to our sponsor Family Funeral Service. We have now raised over £350,000 for Cancer Research which has earned us their Flame of Hope Award.
Almost certainly you will have seen the blue Rotary Gazebo at several events in both Headcorn and Lenham. We attended the May Fair, held a charity Fish & Chip Supper, provided Hot Dogs at the Apple Days in Headcorn and Lenham and at the end of the year ran our traditional Carol Concert in the Village Hall. The last event was in competition with England’s World Cup Quarter Final Match. Despite a very cold evening we managed to raise over £300 – a big thankyou to all those who turned out. During the year we have raised in excess of £5,000.
Ukraine has been very much in our thoughts – this year we have gifted £1,500 towards emergency shelter, medical supplies and more recently for generators. Additionally, we have helped individual Ukrainians who have arrived in the UK with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. It doesn’t stop there. We run the local Sainsbury Food Bank and have made donations to the Aspire Group of Primary schools to provide food for children in the school holidays and learning equipment for those with special needs. We were proud to contribute to the Headcorn Seniors Lunch Club Christmas Dinner.
Rotary have been active in the community as well. In the Spring we helped plant 60 metres of hedgerow for the Lenham Meadows Trust. At the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee we acted as street marshals for the Lenham Street Party. Autumn saw us at Days Green collecting over 50 bicycles and countless unwanted tools for despatch to Africa. Finally, as Christmas approached, we put the lights on the 80+ Christmas Trees at Headcorn Church.
One of the Weald Rotary’s best kept secrets is the Michael Collingwood Memorial Trust. This fund gives grants to young people to assist them in taking part in an activity which increases their physical, mental or spiritual capacities and help them develop as an individual. This year 16 young persons received a total of £9,900 to take part in life changing opportunities.
The Weald Rotary is open to all, either as a member or as a helper. We are currently a group of 20 men and women of varying ages who are determined to make a difference to the community, enjoying ourselves in the process. We meet most Tuesday evenings at 7.30 at the Who’d a Thought It at Grafty Green enjoy a meal together followed by a talk from a guest speaker.
More information is on our web site www.wealdofkentrotary.org.uk or you can contact our secretary Chas Bedford secretary@wealdofkentrotary.org.uk Better still why not join us for a meeting at the Who’d a Thought It and try it for yourself.