The voluntary organisations continue to face challenges all over the world. Rotary continue to fund raise for both home and aboard.
Sue Ezra over the year is pleased to say that the membership has stayed level, but we are always looking to increase our numbers. Throughout the year we have enjoyed fellowship and continued in activities both local and international. The club always goes to the pantomime at Frome for a thoroughly enjoyable fellowship evening.
We joined with the ladies of Inner Wheel for their International Day where we enjoyed a lunch, followed by an afternoon of skittles.
The Westbury Rotary Imber Ultra Run, which is part of our yearly calendar in March with the help of The Avon Valley Runners, is over 33miles. Runners start at Leighton Sports, go around the edge of Salisbury Plain and return to Leighton Sports. Our participants come from all over the south-west.
Our club entered the Inner Wheel quiz evening which included a fish and chip supper
In May, our club visited Landerneau, France, which is our twin club. The members enjoyed the weekend although it was tiring.
Kids out, which is a national event, took place in June and the children from our local school were taken to Longleat for a day out. Both the children and Rotary members enjoyed the day.
In July, both Rotary and Inner Wheel held an event to raise funds for the Guide Dogs for the Blind. It was a great day for the families to enter a blind skittle match and meet some of the dogs.
During the year we had various speakers covering many topics from the friends of Erlestoke Prison, Bee Keeping to Parkinson’s Disease and Dorothy House.
November is our International Cuisine Evening, held yearly, which covered sample dishes from four corners of the world. As usual, the tickets sold out really fast and the money raised will be going to many charities supported by Rotary. During this month we have planted over 4,000 crocus corms at the bottom of Prospect Square on the green by the car park. This is in aid of Polio, which Rotary support to hopefully eradicate the disease though out the world. When they come up, it will be a blaze of purple.
In December we hold our Carol Concert with the help of Matravers, Westbury C of E Junior and Bitham Brook Schools and if the children have been good, we have a special visit from Santa.
The following have received donations from the club totalling over £5,800; Shelter Box, Bristol Museums, World Waterworks, bibic, Bugoga Trust, Dorothy House, British Legion, Prostate Cancer, RUH Charitable Fund, Wiltshire Wild Life Trust, Fairfield Farm, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, Rotary Foundation, Crosspoint (Westbury), and Legs4Africa. We also contribute to Kids Out funding.
Should you be interested in learning more about Rotary please visit the and click on the photos and stories. For more information regarding membership please call David Pike on 01380 830055.