A big thank you

The Rotary Club of Malvern would like to thank everyone who donated to its two major annual Christmas projects.

Despite the difficult times currently faced by many, donations from the Tree of Light were only slightly down on last year and the club was able to make the usual generous donations to Acorn Children’s Hospice and St. Richard’s Hospice, both of whom provide amazing services and support to families in the local area.

The Christmas Hamper Appeal was again well supported by donations from the public as well as from Audley Ellerslie Retirement Village, Waitrose and Schmersal Ltd. This time, 160 hampers were provided to local families who welcomed the help and support.

A lot of effort was invested during the year to provide support items to those defending their homeland in Ukraine – typically, items such as clothing, medical products and baby milk formula as well as support for the Ukrainian Independence Day Celebration at Malvern Rugby Club. Very recently, a Malvern Rotary Satellite Club was formed, with the majority of its members coming from the local expatriate Ukrainian community.

Other donations during the year included Malvern Special Families, Shelter Box and support for a youth initiative in conjunction with Malvern Cube. Practical support was given to Rotakids groups at local primary schools and the Malvern Hills Access Project – supported by The Land Rover Experience Eastnor and the Malvern Hills trust – enabled approximately 60 people who could not otherwise have managed the ascent, to reach the summit of the Malvern Hills at the Worcestershire Beacon.

Keith Spencer, President of Malvern Rotary, said “I hope for the continued support and generosity of the Malvern community. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Bruce Banister-Harding for his long-standing commitment to the Tree of Light project; it would be extremely difficult without his involvement and experience. Also, many thanks to Ruth Smith for her selfless work on the Hamper Appeal, particularly in extending its reach this time, and all our members who continue to support the club’s projects. Everything has been a real team effort, but we have also managed to have fun while helping others.”

The Rotary Club of Malvern welcomes new members who want to make a difference in the community. Please visit the website for more information.