This section of the website is going to provide a more in depth look at the committee that oversees District 5 and also the clubs within our district.

Focus On Hazel Grove Club

Our club was started in 1959 and since then has gone from strength to strength.

At the moment we have 30 members, 15 of whom have been president once or twice over the years.

Some members of our club have served on the District Council as Chairman, Treasurer or Editor.

We are well represented at District Meetings and events and many of our members enjoy attending conference.

We support and have supported many local and international charities through fundraising, but also meet together socially for coffee mornings and sharing meals together.

Our book club meets once a month and is very successful with 16 members.

It allows our members to read books that they may not choose for themselves or put forward a book that they enjoyed and leads to interesting discussions. 

During the summer months one of our members organises a trip along the Macclesfield canal on a narrow boat. This is a very gentle and leisurely way to spend a day with friends, watching the local wildlife going about their business. An afternoon tea is ordered beforehand and delivered to the boat to enjoy later.

Annual Boat Trip on Macclesfield Canal.

Since 2007 the club has supported an Inner Wheel club in Harare, Zimbabwe. At that time, the situation was dire with no food in the shops and inflation growing day by day.  To raise funds, we have a shopping morning in late October where all things Christmas can be bought; cards, cakes, puddings, gifts and jewellery are for sale. To accompany this coffee and scones can be enjoyed whilst waiting for the raffle to be drawn. The money raised means that the Harare club can support 2 nursing homes, sometimes buying equipment and taking in cards and cakes for residents birthdays. They also collect layettes and other things for the women and babies in Chikurubi prison in Harare.  

The fund raising helps to pay for building improvements in the Jairus Jiri School for physically disabled children and St. Catherine’s school where there are children with other difficulties – blind, deaf and mental problems. This is amazing seeing that they only have 8 members!

Like many Inner Wheel clubs and individuals, we have supported the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia by knitting shawls for the mothers and babies. Over the years we must have completed many dozens of shawls. In the beginning it was just for the mothers, some of whom had travelled a long way to get the treatment they needed. Then later when women returned to have subsequent babies, smaller shawls and matinee jackets were produced. A charity that changes not only women's lives but the whole family.

In 2018 the Rotary club of Hazel Grove sadly had to close. For over 40 years they had taken Father Christmas and his sleigh around the streets of Hazel Grove, bringing joy to children and adults alike. It would have been such a shame to see this Christmas tradition disappear so our Inner Wheel club decided to take over the running of this happy event. The first year, 2019, was a very steep learning curve with many sleepless nights and rainy evenings. However, our collecting teams turned up and cheerfully walked with the float, knocking on doors with their collecting tins. It was a great success and we raised a lot of money for a variety of charities. We looked forward to the following year 2020 – little did we know what was just around the corner! It was a difficult situation but we managed to take the float round the area in a very different way, no knocking on doors, no getting close to Father Christmas, lots of social distancing. Children were able to post a letter to Father Christmas into a sack and wave as he went slowly past. Let’s hope 2021 will be more normal when the children can enjoy meeting Father Christmas once again.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of the proceeds of the Christmas collection is Francis House Children’s Hospice, a local charity which has been dear to our hearts for many years. Support for the charity comes in a different form at Easter when we get out the knitting needles to make many chicks and bunnies which are filled with cream eggs and sold in schools and offices. This year this was not possible because of lockdown. Instead, we knitted them and sold them to family and friends (and anyone else who would buy them!) so at least Francis House received some much-needed funds.

60th Charter Celebration in 2019

This year during lockdown, we were able to support St. Ann’s Hospice by organising an extremely well attended on line whist drive. The club hopes to repeat this on a yearly basis.                                                                                

Stockport Without Abuse cares for and supports women and their children who have escaped domestic violence. Each Easter and Christmas the club puts together a gift bag containing seasonal chocolates, toys, games and toiletries to add a bit of cheer in difficult times. 

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Through lockdown, we did manage to deliver Easter treats and afternoon teas to those who we couldn’t meet on line. Zoom has been wonderful for keeping in touch and listening to speakers and organising events but we look forward to getting back together for our monthly meetings, coffee mornings, outings, fun events, fund raising activities and meeting those who are not able to get on zoom. Having a chat on the doorstep or the phone is no substitute for getting together in a group and enjoying each other's company.