Projects continue during lockdown

Using Zoom, along with over 700 local Rotarians, I attended our annual District Assembly. OK - I missed the coffee and bacon roll on arrival, and the pleasure of meeting friends for lunch. What I did not miss was the early morning start, the journey to Loughborough, the time and the expense.

We were joined by our incoming leader (based in Germany) and an inspirational Rotarian from a club in Canada, both joining us live across the airwaves.

Could this be the new face of Rotary? - younger people with small children, possibly working long hours, able to join us.

Last week I introduced you to our E-Club, already meeting weekly via Zoom.

They meet face-to-face every so often, the venue varying as they live in different towns. These get- togethers can involve the whole family, BBQs, ten-pin bowling and other social events – Rotarians having a lot of fun, enjoying each other’s company.

So, what have members of this club achieved in the short time since they formed? This fun-loving bunch of Rotarians wanted to embark on a project involving a community. Someone came up with the bright idea of an eco project, namely a wildflower meadow. Why a wildflower meadow? Well, the “State of Nature Report” published in 2013 said: “The area of lowland meadow in England and Wales declined by 97 per cent between the 1930s and 1984 – a total loss of 64,000 sq km. A huge number of wildflowers and insects were affected, including the once widespread scabious cuckoo bee, which is now extremely rare.”

Members of the club researched what was needed to develop a wildflower meadow, and identified a suitable site. Permission was obtained from Towcester Town Council and flyers delivered to local households.

Action started with a community “Sausage Sizzle” raising money for the project. The following week work started with the town mayor, cutting the first turf in the pouring rain. The rain was so bad that, with the first quadrant cleared, they called it a day. That didn’t stop them! Work continued with a final push in October, raking the site and sowing the seed. Once the seeds grow everyone can enjoy it including local residents, some of whom came out to help. It should be a very colourful spring and summer.

Other projects: collecting for the food bank before Christmas and, on Christmas Eve, helping prepare food for the homeless on the big day. A comedy night at the British Racing Drivers Club in Silverstone raised enough money to buy a boat for Sailability (sailing for the disabled). They have refurbished a school in Mexico. Last, but not least, the E-Club worked with the community in Brixworth, helping raise £200k for the treatment of a boy with neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer (he’s in remission now). Wow!