Club Meeting

On Thursday 15th April, President Irene Brownless welcomed members and guests to the virtual meeting of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry. In his introduction, Alan Brown mentioned that speaker Euan McIntyre, from Crossreach, was involved in the 2018 Abseil when Crossreach was a charity partner in the event and Euan's daughter  abseiled from the Forth Bridge. In his presentation, Euan explained that in 2005 the Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility was renamed the Social Care Council of the Church of Scotland, trading as Crossreach. This continued the Church of Scotland's long tradition of providing care and support dating from 1869. Crossreach is a social care charity with seventy services that help people with everything from drug and alcohol problems to social isolation and loneliness, which has been on the increase during a year of Covid-related lockdowns. Crossreach is the second mental health care provider in Scotland outside the NHS and employs more than 1,800 staff supporting some of the most vulnerable people in the country. It receives referrals from NHS, but people who need help are welcome to approach Crossreach directly. Crossreach provides services at various locations across Scotland. For example at Perth Prison Visitor Centre, Crossreach staff ensure prisoners' families get the right support and help young children adjust to visiting a family member in prison. The mental health work undertaken by Crossreach includes counselling and it runs twenty homes for people living with dementia. All this comes at a cost. The annual expenditure of Crossreach is over $46 million. Around 3% of their funds come from the Church of Scotland, most of the rest comes from local authorities, donations and legacies. They also take part in fundraising events such as the Rotary Forth Bridge Abseil, and this year, Euan is doing the Kilt Walk. Sybille Handley-Schachler proposed the club's vote of thanks to Euan for such an informative  presentation.

In other business, President Irene thanked Grainger Falconer for all his work in organising the Annual Photographic Competition which will be held on 22nd April. Immediate Past President Jim McCulloch attended the Rotary Club of Dalkeith  for a virtual whisky tasting! Samples were sent to participants by post and the tasting took place on Zoom with a representative of the Scotch Malt Whisky Association talking people through the whiskies from the Vaults in Leith. A most unusual and enjoyable evening.