Pages last updated: 

 15th January 2025

THE ROTARY CLUB OF LEEDS ELMETE

We meet  in person at the Bingley Arms, Bardsey, Leeds LS17 9DR every Thursday at 12.30pm 

for a snack lunch.

W

e also meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month
by ZOOM at 7.00pm for a business session and possible speaker presentation.

Please email for details of the next meeting venue/time/day etc. if required:

email: leedselmeterotary@btinternet.com  

Website address: www.leeds-elmete.rotary1040.org

Registered Charity Number 1033420

OUR CLUB

We are a very small Club of 10 Members, 2 of whom are Honorary, and all are active Rotarians! Like many Rotary Clubs we are growing old together (our average age is about 80!). We are not in a position to do what we have done in the past, and unlikely to attract new members. Our resolve is to continue for as long as we can, enjoying fellowship and helping others where and when we can in the true spirit of Rotary: “Service above Self”. 

MINCE PIES GALORE!!!!

FESTIVE CHEER, AS WELL AS FEEDING NEEDY PEOPLE

" Dear Anne, As you know we are a tiny Club of 10 members, with an average age of about 80yrs. People may think we are past our best years for Rorary Service. However, in the past couple of weeks we have given special festive cheer to a large number of people who use the food bank we support, based at St Richards Church, Seacroft. East Leeds. We have been assisting them materially and financially for a number of years [See story below -Ed].

A couple of weeks ago, one of our members was alerted by a charity based in Leicester (called Giving World) that there was a pallet full of mince pies (sell-by date end 2024) going FREE. Giving World is a marvellous charitable organisation which has made food items available to us from time to time over the years, for us to pass on to the Food Bank without cost to us - apart from shipping costs. 

The charge of £75 was duly paid, and the pallet of (ASDA) mince pies was delivered to our Treasurer's home, and then transported to the Food Bank courtesy of a local farmer! The pallet held 6336 individual mince pies!! President Martyn had hoped to supply a photo, but suspects that the pies have already been distributed, and some eaten!!"

Anne replied:

"Impressive Rotary action. Age is no barrier to great work."

 Let us hope that this little treat will lift the spirits of the recipients, as well as providing some nutrition.

CLUB PRESIDENT 2024-25

Martyn is a recently retired solicitor, having practiced for most of his career in the Cross Gates and Kippax areas of Leeds. He joined the Rotary Club of Cross Gates in 1994,  (President in 2002-3). He transferred to the Leeds Elmete Club in July 2010 - when the Cross Gates Club was disbanded. He is a stalwart member of our Club, and is currently responsible for our largest Charitable income stream, since he runs the Club's very successful '100 Club'.  He can always be relied upon for an 'expert, considered opinion', and is a thoroughly nice bloke! He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Club in 2021. 

This will be his third term as our Club President, and we wish him every success for the coming year.

This year's Rotary International Theme Logo.

President Martyn reports on our first meeting on Zoom of this Rotary Year on 2nd July 2024

A new Rotary year. Let us all hope for a happy and healthy year for ourselves, our wives and families.The theme for last night's Club meeting on Zoom was "Desert Island Discs". 

Those present had to indicate which 4 songs they would have on the island, a book of their choice and an object to take with them. It was all very interesting as each Rotarian had to give reasons for their choices.

Here below is what people chose (reported with their permission) [Those Rotarian who could not attend are invited to let me have your selection, Martyn].

MARTYN'S selections:

Songs :-  Volare

                My Way

                New York, New York

                All my Loving  - Beatles

Book - Camping for Dummies (Needed to be able to put up a tent!)

Object - Solar energy powered fridge freezer for ice cold water mainly 

NEALE

Songs:- Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring - J S Bach

Diana - Paul Anka 

Tell Laura I love her  - Ricky Valance

True - Spandau Ballet

Book - Campbell`s Kingdom

Object - A Phone (solar powered to be able hear song collection!)

PETER

Songs:- Crying - Roy Orbison

Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

                 Mrs Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel

                 Duet - Pearl Fishers

Book - The Man who wrote Dirty Books - Al Dresner

Object - A painting of an Italian peasant girl. (Peter did explain the reasoning behind this choice).

ALASTAIR

Songs:- Softly Softly - Ruby Murray

Anyone Who had a Heart - Cilla Black

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Song of the Angry Men - from Les Miserables

Book - Pride and Prejudice

Object - A Spade

BILL

Songs:- Penny Lane - Beatles

Theme from the Film 'Pretty Woman' - Juggernaut

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Book - Songs and Poems of Robbie Burns (or, if a collected works was not allowed, Catch22 - Joseph Heller )

Object - Binoculars with a tripod (and star charts if possible).

Very interesting selections, and all in good fun. Now we need the choices of those Rotarians who were not present.

I look forward to that.

Martyn.

Support for needy people locally with Food donations

How it all started, June 2020:

We, sadly, live in an era in which Food Banks are needed, and poverty and need in our communities is only too real, worsened by the effects of Covid-19 and more recently with financial and political uncertainties, many people now find themselves in real difficulty. Since June 2020, we have continued to support (with monetary and food donations) the Parish Larder at St Richards Church Seacroft, Leeds, where clients of the Leeds East (Trussell Trust) Food Bank receive their food donations.  We also provide gifts for children at Christmas and Easter. One of our Rotarians volunters to help at the Tuesday food distribution each week, and other Rotarians when they can etc..

 St Richard's Church is in the Parish of Seacroft in Leeds

UPDATES  2022-24 

Support continues - June 2024

The Club has continued to support the Food Bank - now called the Parish Larder - following the withdrawl of input from the Trussell Trust. One of our members attends every Tuesday to help with the distribution of food etc. We gave Easter Eggs for the Children again this year and sweets at Christmas. We give donations of milk, food, and monetarey support when needed. Our input has not been needed so much of late. We did receive a shipment of 'fruit biscuits' from "Giving World" in the spring, and these were gratefully appreciated by the Parish Larder clientele.

We plan to continue this support in the new Rotary Year.

December 2023
The demand for help from the food bank has slackened slightly in recent weeks, but many people still use this facility, which for them is vital. Our Club's involvement has been able to be less intensive of late. We have however kept up the tradition of providing a treat for the children at Christmas time - this year in the form of chocolate 'Selection Boxes'.

Food Bank report: Tues 2nd May very quiet, thought to be due to £300 Goverment payments going out. Neale did not attend on 9th, but his wife took food down (see Big Help Out). We have supplied a 2nd Tablet (iPad) to help with 'booking' people in. Lis B. has now left.

Call from Carole at Trussell Trust - they wish us to take part in a trial collaboration with Mind to have 2 caseworkers in the Food Bank helping clients with issues.

Big Help Out: Mike Crawford brought all the surplus food from his development's street party for use by the Food Bank. Well done Mike.

20th April 2023.

Demand on the Parish Larder/Food Bank continues to increase, with an average of about 240 people per week seeking help. (Total number fed in February = 935). Members of the Club continue to suppliment the UHT Milk reqirement each week, and Treasurer Neale helps out every Tuesday.The Club provided Chocolate Easter Eggs for the children at Easter.

The Trussell Trust and Rountree Foundation are pressing Government to increase help since more and more people are experiencing food poverty.

Lis Bowes, larder manager, will leave next week to move 'up north' to be closer to her family. She goes with our Best Wishes for the future and the grateful thanks of the hundreds, and hundreds, of people she has helped in the Seacroft Area. Good Luck Lis. xx

CLICK HERE to go further into the story so far.

AQUABOX

    (Click on the Aquabox logo to go to their website.) Our members used to try to fill three Aquaboxes each year and deliver them to the Aquabox Depot in Derbyshire. However, because of Corona Virus, we were unable to do this in 2020 - 22.  Now, Aquabox prefers to receive monetary donations, and to fill the boxes themselves with goods they have sourced (for completeness and quality of the items in the box).

WE DID FILL ONE BOX IN 2024, AND DELIVERED IT THEM.

Makes you feel good that the efforts of a few people in Yorkshire can have such an impact on the lives of people in need so far away! 

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