As I near the end of my year as President of this great club, I would like
to share with CHAIN MAIL readers what we have done during the past year.
The club has 36 members, having grown by four during the year.
We aim to help others through fun, fellowship and fund-raising, and we
have certainly had all three in the past year. We hope that others have
enjoyed
the events we have organised, including a Russian Evening in Croft Hall,
a Quiz Night at The Bear, a “Safari Supper” around members homes,
a Games and Social Evening at the Royal British Legion, the St George’s
Day Dinner in the Corn Exchange, and we shall round off the Rotary year
with an Evening of Magic in the Croft Hall on 29th June.
Other highlights include organising a day of Metal Detecting at a farm
near Ramsbury (with lots of interesting finds), and a coach trip to Buckingham
Palace. I was delighted to attend the Annual Prize-giving at John o’Gaunt
School, where the Hungerford Rotary Shield was presented.
The club has been able to collect and distribute about £10,000 in charitable
funds through the year. We are very grateful to the community of this wonderful
town for its generosity. We are especially grateful to one anonymous member
of the Hungerford community who has donated £1,000.
This has enabled us to give donations to a variety of organisations, international,
national and local. These include:-
• The Rotary Foundation Annual Programme – Rotary International’s
central charity which distributes money to large world-wide causes,
• End Polio Now Campaign – This Rotary initiative started in 1985
and is very close to achieving total irradication worldwide.
• ShelterBoxes – we have sent three ShelterBoxes, following the Sumatra
and the Haiti earthquakes.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Multiple Sclerosis
Society.
• Cumbrian Flood Relief.
• Brendoncare Froxfield, Chestnut Walk Care Home and Morley Lunches.
• Royal British Legion.
• Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust
• John o’Gaunt School and Croft Nursery School
• Hungerford Primary School – for aids for children with special
needs.
• Hungerford Cricket Club – for their wonderful effort in helping
youngsters learn the skills and pleasures of cricket.
I have been hugely grateful to the support I have had from the excellent
Council (committee), and all the club members through the year. I wish my
successor Graeme Sleeman well for the coming year - the programme looks very
exciting.
We have had such support from Tesco, who have allowed us to collect at
their doors on several occasions this year, and, of course, from CHAIN
and CHAIN
MAIL – whose readers have contributed in so many ways. Thank you
all, and thank you David Piper.
Hugh Pihlens