Evening Meeting - Live

ROTARY CLUB OF CHESTFIELD

Evening Social Meeting 18.30 for 19.00 Thursday 20th April 2023 @ The Plough

Present:               Andrew B, Andrew M, Chris, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Ian S, Jean M, Kathryn, Maureen, Margaret, Marian, Pat, Sue, Pete, Robert S.

Apologies:           David K, Gerri, Nick, Godfrey, Hilary, Iain M, Lesley, Myfanwy, Pippa, Reggie, Spyros, Trevor, David B, Paul.

Guests:                Pat Brealy, Peter Taylor-Gooby (Speaker from the Canterbury Food Bank)

Grace:                   Andrew B

MEAL:

Business:             Pat welcomed everyone, including our two guests this evening.  David M circulated a choice of possible designs for our Christmas card at the end of the year.  Dave C commented that this wins the prize for the earliest mention of Christmas under 'business'. 

                                Pat completed her acrobatic flight in a light aircraft out of Redhill aerodrome this morning.  This involved a loop-the-loop, barrel roll, stall turn, and spinning dive.  Apparently her stomach coped OK with these manoeuvres.

                                TWAM is this coming Saturday.  Members of the public can drop off tools at the green from 10.00am until 13.00.  An extra volunteer is still needed for outside Stocks.  Nex t week end will be Gardening at the Whit & Tank hospital.

                                David M confirmed that the Race Night has been booked for Saturday 8th July 2023 at the All Saints church hall.

                                Members are reminded that there is an extra Car Parking session booked for the Bank Holiday Monday 8th May.  Can volunteers please put their names on the sheet in the Events Folder?

                                Andrew B said there isn't confirmation of when our friends from Apeldoorn will be visiting, 'though Robert did have Eric visit briefly at the week end.

                                Pat and Andrew B will be attending the 'do' at the British Museum to see more of the work of Shelterbox.  Jean and Andrew M are going to the local event at Canterbury.  Andrew reminded members that representatives from the schools involved in Walk4Water will be joining us for breakfast on 15th June.

Any Other Business:        Sue asked advice on how to tell the organisers of the PET meeting on Saturday that she can't now attend.

Speaker:              Peter spoke to us about the Canterbury Food Bank.  This serves the whole of the Canterbury area, and as such is one of the largest in the UK.  Everyone her is familiar with the yellow donation bins at the entrance to whichever is your local supermarket, and elsewhere.  There is one in The Plough. 

                                The charity's main purpose is to supply people in need with food parcels; the later contain the makings of nine meals, ie three meals a day for three days.  Some parcels go from a distribution point, while others are delivered by volunteer drivers.  This can be quite distressing since many recipients have multiple problems.  The Food Bank is therefore increasing in its ability to signpost service users to other sources of help.

                                The charity reckons to deliver over 100,000 meals per year, despite a 37% rise in the cost of basic foodstuffs in the last year.  The charity has nine part-time staff and 175 volunteers, performing 20,000 volunteer hours in a year.

                                Service users can ask for a maximum of five food parcels in a 12-month period ('though exceptions can be made).  People can make direct contact with the charity or they can be recommended by agencies, including:

                Schools

                Churches

                Social services

                Health services.

The reasons people ask for food assistance may include:

                Debt

                Family crisis

                Benefit issues

                Housing issues.

                To donate            £1           text        FOOD1                  to            70201

                To donate            £3           text        FOOD1                  to            70331

                To donate            £5           text        FOOD1                  to            70970

                To donate            £10         text        FOOD1                  to            70191

                Food stuffs for which there is a need at the moment include: long life milk; long life orange juice; tinned baked beans; pasta sauce in jars.  This is constantly changing.  There is an app you can install on your phone which will alert you as you enter a supermarket about what you local Food Bank currently needs.  It's called 'Bank the Food'.

Final Toast:         Pat thanked our speaker tonight, before giving the Final Toast.

Next Meeting:

07.30am for 08.00am Thursday 27th April 2023 @ The Plough