Rotary Zoom in on good causes

The Rotary Club of East Kilbride continue to have their weekly meetings via Zoom.

At one meeting the speaker was Steve Small, a member of the Rotary Club of Bournemouth North, who gave a very interesting presentation on the charity ShelterBox.

Since 2000 the charity has helped families in more than 314 disasters in 97 different countries and regions.

Another speaker was Jane Lloyd, who gave a presentation on the charity Canine Partners.

This charity, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, provides amazing assistance dogs to help transform the lives of people with physical disabilities.

The dogs are trained to carry out a variety of tasks, including helping with undressing, loading and emptying the washing machine, helping with shopping, retrieving money and the card from ATMs, pressing pedestrian crossing buttons and fetching help in an emergency.

The cost of each dog, from birth to 18 months training and to retirement, works out at £30,000.

Jane, who is wheelchair bound, described the many ways her dog, Aster, helps her on a day-to-day basis.

On the Friday when the club would normally have had its Burns Lunch, a virtual Burns Supper was held.

Up first was a video presentation of the late Past President Ian Macpherson MBE giving his“Address to the Haggis”.

After Past President Rev David Taylor offered up the Selkirk Grace, 11 members read a few verses of“Tam o’ Shanter”each.

Despite the reservations of club secretary Kath Shanks, who had organised the reading, everything went seamlessly.

The meeting was rounded off with a Burns quiz organized by president nominee Ron James.