Meridian Line

Meetings

Meridian Line
the monthly newsletter from Meridian Rotary

September 2023

On 6th September EG Town Mayor, Cllr Frazer Visser, was our guest speaker. He gave an extremely interesting, and entertaining, talk. He has lived in East Grinstead all his life. A professional photographer, last year he started working at QVH as a Medical Photographer. He became a Councillor in 2017 and described being elected Mayor as “wonderful and humbling ... I’m so excited for the challenges that lie ahead of me.” He explained that the Mayor has to be politically impartial. His Mayoral Charity is the QVH Charity helping children and adults who have suffered burns and trauma.

At our Business meeting discussed the plight of by the recent earthquake in Libya, and agreed a the charity that provides relief, including tents, sets and water filters to urgent needs.

on September 20th we communities affected in Morocco and flooding donation to ShelterBox, international disaster tools, blankets, cooking help meet peoples’ most

We also decided to increase our ‘loan’ to Lend with Care, a charity that makes small interest-free loans to entrepreneurs in low-income countries. Applications are vetted, and lenders like Meridian Rotary choose which they want to support – e.g. construction of a new greenhouse, purchase of more seasonal clothing for a retail business. The recipients pay back their loans in small instalments. We have made several such loans and the recipients have paid them back in full.

Support for Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance

Two Rotarians assisted the charity with a bucket collection at the Dormansland Horse and Dog Show on 3rd September.

What are we doing in October?

Our Charity Golf Day is on Monday 2nd October at Sweetwoods Golf Club. We are delighted that 18 teams of 4 are taking part. All proceeds, after deduction of expenses, will go to charities nominated by our President Phil Baker.

On 4th October our Rotary District Governor (Leader), Annemarie van Bochove Allen, will give us an update on plans and projects that clubs in our District and Rotary in Great Britain and world-wide are supporting.

18th October is a Business meeting, members only.

Looking Ahead

Christmas is coming! We do need more drivers to tow our musical sleigh around local estates. If you, or someone you know, has a vehicle with a tow bar and might be

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able to tow the sleigh on one or two evenings in December, we’ll be delighted to hear from you, and give full details. The sleigh is accompanied by Father Christmas (who walks the route) and a collecting team. Please contact us at info@meridianrotary,co.uk

More about Christmas! We are holding our Christmas lunch on Wednesday 13th December, and hope partners, former and Associate members and friends will join us at Hever Golf Club. We will send out the menu and prices shortly. Please contact us as below if you’d like to join us.

Rotary on the Radio, our show on 107 Meridian FM, is broadcast every Friday 2 – 4 p.m.

We meet on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 6.45 for 7 p.m. If you’d like to come along we’ll be delighted to welcome you - please e-mail us at info@meridianrotary,co.uk

Further details about us, our meetings programme and activities are on our website

www.meridianrotary.co.uk