Community Service Report to AGM 2022

Despite the now nearly full lifting of restrictions, the Covid 19 crisis continued to have an effect on Community and Vocational service during this Rotary Year. 

As in previous years, we have continued to seek opportunities to lend assistance throughout the whole of our catchment during the past year, albeit with limited success in some of the West Fife villages, however we have been reasonably active through the year. 

Robin has continued to be very active in promoting our Club in the Limekilns, Charlestown and Pattiesmuir villages and coordinated our assistance with the works to convert the Limekilns telephone box, ably assisted by other Club members. We also made a donation for required materials for repairs to the walls at the Limekilns War Memorial and assisted with the beach clean-up and “Great Nurdle Clean Up” in Limekilns organised by the CLP Nature Conservation Group. 

We once again repeated the laying of 4 Poppy Wreaths on Remembrance Day and supported the Salvation Army with fuel card donations, gift boxes for young adults and their Christmas Toy appeal. Thanks to Helen for continuing our links with the Salvation Army. 

We haven’t been as active in Valleyfield as in previous years but made a donation to their Haloween events for the local children and we have been told how much they appreciated our help in getting the Valleyfield Club back up and running during and after the lockdowns. 

Thanks to Morag, we contributed a donation for a bench for the West Fife Woodlands trust and have made a donation for a new defibrillator in the Carnock/Gowkhall villages, with regular updates from the organisers on progress. 

As a new venture during the year we have been assisting the Forth Bridges Club in their New4U Children’s clothing project, with assistance in sorting the donated clothing at the Hub in Dalgety Bay to preparing and delivering clothing donations, not exclusively in the West Fife catchment. We will continue to try to spread the word about the Clothing project through our catchment. 

It was disappointing that the Fife Festival of Music was cancelled this year, but the Clubs donation will be carried over to next year. 

Many thanks to everyone who has helped with the Community and Vocational work this year, but with particular thanks to fellow Committee Members Ewan, Ken Cowe, Janice Helen, Morag and Robin, plus all other members assisting with New4U. 

Neil Spriddle
Rotary Club of West Fife
Community and Vocational Service Committee Convenor 2021-22