Our Activities in the last Quarter

In January 2023 we joined with five other local Rotary Clubs to sponsor "Ravens Chat " at Bromley Football Club ( the "Ravens").

"Ravens Chat" is just one of the activities run by the Bromley F.C. Community Sports Trust. It is a forum enabling those suffering from loneliness to meet on a weekly basis to chat and socialise. This has a direct positive effect on their mental health and improves their social lives. The number attending is growing.

The end of January and moving into February saw us fundraising for the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. We also helped the Friends of Blakes Park in West Wickham with litter picking and coppicing trees in the park.

In March our efforts to help others were concentrated around fundraising to provide a generator for families in war torn Ukraine and some of our members also completed a sponsored walk to raise money for the Special Olympics South East Ski Group, an organisation helping children and young people who have special needs.

Socially we enjoyed visits and talks by two different speakers. The first was Malcolm Wells  who gave us a really entertaining talk entitled "So Far, So Good" about his life as an Army musician, but with a difference as he was a cellist entertaining at state functions at Buckingham Palace and overseas. He also undertook (quietly and privately) charity work- some quite near to West Wickham- and was awarded an M.B.E for what he did by the then  Prince of Wales, now ,of course, our King.

The second was by Trevor Sayer representing SERV (SERVICE by EMERGENCY RESPONSE VOLUNTEERS)  Kent , more popularly known as "Blood Runners". Trevor's group is based in Kent, but Blood Runners, operate throughout the U.K. transporting blood, blood products and other requirements to hospitals, other medical institutions and Air Ambulances (and a teddy bear to a little girl who had forgotten to bring it with her when she had to go into Demelza Childrens Hospice). In many cases a 24 hour service is provided , linking at times with other groups. They are all volunteers and pay for their own fuel , insurance etc. for the vehicles used to save the charity additional expense.

More news in 3 months time!