Fellowship Meeting + Cheque Presentations

Rotary club of Stirling meeting of 1st March 2019.

VP Ranald Ross-Watt welcomed three guests to our meeting, Rotarian Neil
Panton from Pitlochry, Gail Barton from Town Break, and Sandy Reynolds
from the Salvation Army.

Sandy Leven was pleased to tell us that the replanted bulbs at Stirling
Station are now thriving.

Both our speakers represent organisations which have benefited from
money raised at our Xmas collection at the Thistle Centre, and we were
pleased to present each with a cheque.  Gail Barton spoke to us about
Town Break where she is a manager responsible, among other things, for
fund raising. This year they will need £210,000 to cover running costs.
It is important to them that each client's individual needs are
addressed, whether by a short period of cover or a three-day break,
relieving the carers and expanding the horizons of the housebound
clients. They have seven staff, 65 volunteers, and help 130 families,
but the need is great and at present they are looking for more
volunteers to act as befrienders.

Sandy Reynolds, a long-term Salvationist, has worked from the church on
Drip Rd for many years. As with Town Break they are very dependent on
donations, limited in their case by not accepting money raised from any
form of gambling, including national lottery awards. All their money is
spent locally, providing a free three course lunch five days a week,
supporting those in poverty, often associated with drugs or gambling.
They run a second-hand clothes store at Drip Rd as well as a furniture
recycling centre at Springkerse, which will take any reasonably useful
item including electrical goods.  Although they no longer sell the War
Cry in pubs, they do go about the town centre looking for those in need
of help. Money is not given out, but food, goods, and services are
available, always with a realistic but non-judgmental view of what is
realistically possible.  Both speakers demonstrated a high level of care
and devotion for those in need in our community.

Next week 8th March, Speaker's host Tom Wilson, Visitor's host Alex Galloway