Collections & Celebrations - Dec 2018

The Christmas Season starts in Beckenham with switching on the lights along the High Street.

Collections - Christmas 2018

1st December was the start of the festive season and time for the Beckenham Rotary Club’s Sleigh and Santa to be on Beckenham Green.
The local Residents Association had organised a Christmas Fair, where visitors could enjoy live entertainment, delicious street food, a craft market, children’s fair and a Primary School Choir Competition.

Throughout the afternoon Santa chatted to the children and handed out gifts.

As darkness fell the candlelit procession, led by Father Christmas, made its way through Beckenham Town Centre.

Police and members of Beckenham Rotary Club marshalled the procession of children through to Beckenham Green where the Christmas Lights were turned on as a joint effort between The Mayor of Bromley and Santa.

The afternoon fun concluded with a community sing-a-long of popular Christmas classics.

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Celebrations - Christmas 2018

6th December saw a convivial atmosphere accompanied by good food, drink and good company at the club lunch attended by 70 members, partners and guests. After the meal, honorary Rotarian, Rev. Bill Bowman shared some seasonal thoughts with everyone.

A selection of pictures taken at the lunch by Ken Peachey appears below.

President Tony accepts a cheque for funds collected by Rotarian Bill Fairhall's wife, Linda

Tony addresses everyone at lunch

Tony presents gratuities to the staff at the Park Langley Club

Pam and Jo, who look after us wonderfully all through the year

Rev. Bill Bowman with both serious and entertaining seasonal thoughts at Christmas.

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December is always a busy month for Rotary clubs as many collect for charity. Rotary Beckenham is no exception; each year we raise money for local children's charities by taking Santa's sleigh through the streets of Beckenham with Santa, his little helpers and Christmas music and by bag packing at several Beckenham supermarkets and collecting at Shortlands station in the evenings just before Christmas.

Meanwhile Rotarians are participating in many local activities including the Hayes Free Church Christmas Tree Festival, a Christmas concert at Langley Park Boys School, a carol service at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks.

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23rd December 2018

Message to club members

A big thank you from the Charity Committee for all of those who helped us with the sleigh and street collecting, bucket shaking at Tesco's and Shortlands Station, bag packing at M&S and Waitrose, and generally gave us the encouragement to complete all of our Christmas collecting activities. Our last 'outing' was to Tesco Express yesterday.

I am pleased to report that the sum collected totals £10,071.00!

A record amount, the first time we've reached a five-figure sum! And we still expect to receive some cash from Waitrose as a result of their 'green disc' scheme (we will hear about this some time in January).

Thank you again for all your support.

Nick Randall

Charity Committee

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18th January 2019

The Goodwill Christmas Tree dinner

A selection of pictures taken at the dinner.