How Knaresborough Rotary helped distribute £22,000 worth of M&Ms

It’s not what you know but who you know!

The closure of shops during lockdown produced problems for retailers including Mars (UK) Ltd, who found themselves with a surplus supply of M&Ms at their flagship Leicester Square store in London. The company wanted to donate the M&Ms to frontline staff and those in need… but how?  They turned to Rotary, through a family connection to Knaresborough Rotarian Mike Wilkins. Contact was made with Tony Sharma, last year’s London Rotary District Governor. Initially the store had £2,000 worth of M&Ms which were quickly distributed by Rotary to a Health Centre in Essex, a Hospital in Harrow, a Hospital in Denmark Hill, and to the London Fire Brigade at Ruislip. Having distributed all the consignment within three days, Tony Sharma received another call from Mars (UK) Ltd, who were so impressed by what had been achieved in such a short space of time that they offered Rotary more stock to distribute, with an estimated retail value of £20,000. All of the stock was collected from the London store, it was taken home, packed into boxes, each valued in excess of £500. London Rotary clubs were invited to apply for the boxes stating where they would be donated. “Within two hours all of the boxes had been allocated to clubs,” explained Tony. The M&Ms were distributed to locations in the London area including Hospitals, Care Homes, Nursing Homes, Hospices, The Salvation Army, a Women’s refuge, Food parcels and Ambulance Stations. Knaresborough Rotary Club received nearly 30 Kg of M&Ms  which were given to Resurrected Bites to be part of their Xmas parcels delivery to families locally.

Photo Shows Knaresborough Rotarian Mike Wilkins delivering M & Ms and Facemasks to Resurrected Bites in Starbeck.

Knaresborough Rotary Club is currently meeting online. Anyone wishing to know more about Rotary and how to become a member should contact rotaryknares@gmail.com or visit www.knaresborough.rotary1040.org. Rotary is a Worldwide Service Organisation for people who care. Providing opportunities to put something back into the world with involvement in projects that address critical issues. Rotary is non-political, non-religious, open to men and women of all cultures, races, and creeds. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self Knaresborough Rotary Club was formed in 1962. Members are drawn from a wide cross section of the community