Lunch time meeting - ZOOM Talk from Sheila Rennie on Gilvenhouse

On Thursday 6th August 2020 President Geoff Sampson welcomed 12 Club Rotarians and guest speaker Sheila Rennie to this lunch time meeting held by ZOOM.

Today’s meeting was our first business meeting albeit on ZOOM since the Presidential handover on 2nd July. We have had 3 meetings since, where Jim Boyd gave a lovely talk on lesson’s he had learned from his holidays, followed by one music quiz organised by Wilna Roger’s husband Andrew and a General knowledge quiz organised by Iain Haywood, this was then followed by one week off.

Since last going to press way back in March, although we have not been reporting on weekly events, we have still been highly active in the community. Since taking over as President Geoff Sampson has been looking for our organisation to get more involved in the community. We have always been good supporting the schools and fundraising for special and needy causes locally and abroad. During the summer and really since COVID19 kicked off way back in March we have approached Go Glenrothes to see if we could come together with organisations in the Town with regards to planning events after the lock down eases. We have been involved with, Collydean Community Centre doing leaflet drops and phone befriending with those identified as requiring hearing a friendly voice. We have supported FVA , Fife Voluntary Action group, where we gave £1500 to support their good work £500 to Gilvenbank Hub, over £600 food and cash to Glenrothes Foodbank, supporting the care homes by spending over £300 on bird feeders and the purchase of food and organising ongoing entertainment for them. We have been assisting Leslie community pantry with networking and provision of some food. We have been collecting old computers and laptops from individuals and businesses to support HAGO computers with the school’s project. We are now involved with Collydean community centre and Go Glenrothes in the COVID19 Art project. We are also involved with FORP Friends of Riverside Park to see what we can do to regenerate an ailing parkland area and beauty spots. We have also been approached to see how we can help at the, Stenton, Lochty pond area. We are always looking for new members and volunteers and funding to enable us to support our community. 

Our speaker this week was Sheila Rennie Lead officer and housing support officer from the Gilven house Project in Pitcoudie previously run by The Scottish Christian Alliance (SCA), but due to lack of funding eventually taken over by Fife Council. Gilven House, in Iona Park, has space for 10 homeless women aged between 16 to 35 who are experiencing hardships, including health problems. As well as offering accommodation, staff teach vital life skills to ensure the women can cope on their own once they secure their own tenancies.

The building was gifted to the charity free of charge  and while there are other places in Fife offering high quality support there is nowhere else quite like Gilven House the project operates exclusively for the use of those referred by Fife Council and is now considered the flagship for homeless women in Fife but of course their top priority is ensuring the ongoing well-being of those who live there than those who work there.

The Rotary vote of thanks was given by IPP Ewen Macdonald

This coming week Thursday 13th August 2020 at 1pm on ZOOM we will hear further from Kenny Murphy of FVA, Fife Voluntary Action group.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.