Lunch time ZOOM meeting - 1pm - Shirley Paterson 1st Vocational

On Thursday 8th April 2021 President Geoff Sampson. welcomed a great turnout of 24 club Rotarians to this lunch time meeting held by ZOOM.

Our speaker this week was Rotarian Shirley Paterson who gave us her vocational. Shirley attended Buckhaven Primary and then High School before heading off to Dundee to do a languages course in French and German and then Aberdeen for further education. On completion of her courses, she came back to work in Glenrothes with Rodime where she was eventually able to use her languages. She left Electronics to work in the Personnel dept at Distillers Company now Diageo at Banbeath, after 11 years there she went on a secondment to John Dewar in Perth. Shirley married George in 1988 and went on to have children with the birth of son Ross and then twin girls Kelsey and Amy. Shirley is now a Green Deal Energy Assessor.  She founded nextGenergy in 2012, inspired by reducing her family’s annual energy bill by nearly £2,500 having invested in a renewable technology and having implemented several energy-saving improvements too. Shirley has developed over time the services which nextGenergy offers.  Her company offers Green Deal Assessments resulting in Green Deal Advice Reports, which help customers access Scottish government funding to make home energy-saving improvements.  Also, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are offered, which help customers access interest-free loan funding in Scotland for having renewables installed, and an EPC is also essential for tax-free incentive income applications. NextGenergy also supports the installation of energy-saving improvement measures such as boilers, glazing and insulation as well as the installation of heat-generating and electricity-generating technologies.  When having an energy-generating technology installed, you are eligible to apply for a tax-free Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and/or a tax-free Feed-In Tariff – each a nice bonus in the UK for adopting renewable technologies!  nextGenergy can support you throughout this process – we work in tandem with highly reputable MCS Accredited installers of renewable technologies. Contact Shirley for an assessment in your home, give her a call on 07800 801151 to discuss.

The Rotary vote of thanks was given by Brian Johnson.

Wilna Roger advised that our Books abroad project has commenced and that all kinds of books would be accepted but in the main we would be looking for Educational books.

The Old Tools and Sewing machines project lead by Rotarian Iain Oates (phone 07423 195333) in conjunction with The Ecology Centre at Kinghorn’s Tool Shed who are refurbishing old tools donated by the public and, with the help of the charities Tools for Self-Reliance and the Global Concerns Trust, are shipped out to people with physical disabilities in Malawi. This is an ongoing project with a focus also on haberdashery / patterns.

This coming week Thursday 15th April 2021 our meeting will be held on ZOOM at 1pm and will be our AGM when we will receive annual written reports from the committees for the current year • To receive details of the General Budget for the succeeding year and agree the Annual Subscription • To confirm the Office bearers appointed at the SGM • To Elect the members of Council for the succeeding year • Electing any honorary members. • Appointing a person or persons to examine the club’s annual accounts. • Electing one representative (and substitute) of the club on the district council, and one additional representative (and substitute) for every 25 or major fraction thereof of its active members. Usually, minuted as the President and President Elect or their substitute.

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.