Inauguration of the Satellite Club of Dunmow Takeley

Inauguration of the

Rotary Satellite Club of Dunmow Takeley

3rd March 2021

On Wednesday evening we finally inaugurated the new satellite club of Dunmow Takeley!  The meeting was attended by most of the Dunmow Club, the satellite club members and several past District Governors, showing the importance seen in the creation of the new club. 

It was a long time coming!  We have long identified the opportunity to create a new club in the area, meeting at a different time and targeted more to families and younger members.  Great Dunmow and the surroundings areas have had several new housing developments and the tone has more or less doubled in size.

During the summer of 2018 we planned an advertising campaign using the local parish magazine.  We unfortunately were caught out in the there was no magazine published in August so that there was no reminder in time for the planned first meeting in October at the Lion and Lamb pub.  At that meeting we had seventeen people present with several from the District but no new members turned up, despite promises in advance.  We had two non-members present, both wives of existing Rotarians, who have eventually become members of the new club so all was not lost! 

After having had our fingers burnt, we left it until the following year to try again.   The “following summer we placed a post in the social media platform ‘Nextdoor’ as a punt to see what would happen.   I was delighted to find that we had an immediate response from eight people, seven of whom were women!   Encouraged by this, we spoke to several friends and acquaintances who had expressed an interest in rotary.  We set up a first meeting for September at the Takeley Sports and Social Club.  In the event 14 new people came along and we discussed the way forward.  For the next three months this new group met on a monthly basis gradually getting to know one another in social meetings.     We were beginning to plan a start the new club in that summer and unfortunately then down came Covid 19 and the lockdown which stopped everything.

Unfortunately interest not surprisingly began to drift away.   In the autumn I tried again and we set up a litter pick as an activity we could do in the limited circumstances of the pandemic.   This was well attended by the new potential members and several members of the Dunmow club, and was well received the residents in Priors Green.   We were encouraged by this and set up a collection from the area for the Uttlesford Food Bank.  This was extremely well supported and we were able to collect over 600 kg! 

It became clear that the opportunity to meet person to person for a long time.  We were in danger again of losing more potential members by waiting too long.    We talked together as a group and were able to identify a Chairman, Vice-chairman and Secretary and with the requisite number of members we decided not to wait but to set a start date of the 3rd March. We held several fortnightly social meetings consolidating the group before the 3rd March. 

Now that the club has been inaugurated, there is a strong sense of ownership and anticipation.   We have planned a number of future meetings and look forward to the time when the pandemic is over.

Our thanks go to all who have been involved in the creation of the club and the perseverance of those involved to keep going despite the difficulties we experienced.  We look forward now to the opportunity to take a full an active part in Rotary life, within the District and the Dunmow Club as well as all our own activities to improve others’ lives. 

For further information and how to join the club, please contact John Versey through the contact link below.

Maureen Best - Chairman       John Versey - Secretary