Focus On Alsager Club
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.
The club was formed in 1976. We have three founder members remaining, two who attend regularly, the other, our founder President, Iris Barker, is taking a back seat due to health problems. We were proud to have Muriel Rhodes as a long-term member, serving on District and as District Chairman, recipient of the Margarette Golding award and always there to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Before Lock Down our meetings were held at The Horseshoe at Lawton Heath, in fact our youngest member is married to the proprietor. She is Turkish, as is her husband and she wanted to make new friends and improve her spoken English. Much to her delight, she became pregnant, not down to Inner Wheel, had a beautiful baby boy and so naturally Inner Wheel took a back seat, but we look forward to welcoming her back when times resume a recognisable normal.
Our well tried and tested activities for many years, whether for fundraising or in the local community have been varied and enjoyable, with many different charities reaping the rewards of our efforts and much enjoyment experienced by members.
For many years Alsager Rotary, Round Table and other organisations have presented a “Senior Citizens Party and Variety Concert” All local residents, over 65, are eligible to attend, transport is provided, if required. They are feted with sherry on arrival, an afternoon tea and a cabaret presented by members of the various organisations, talents are varied, same jokes told each year but all good fun. In the early days Inner Wheel used to take an active part with acts such as the Can- Can, Tyrolean dancing and even Policewomen in skirts split up to the waist!! Nowadays due to ages of members, we make cakes, serve tea and coffee and wash the dishes….. such is life. It is a sobering fact when we realise that most of our members are older than the audience, but still going strong.
Rotary organise an annual 24 hour Static Tandem ride and each year we have taken one hour of the 24, with many members sharing that time, except the last year that we did it, two members did the whole hour and the total age on the bike was 152 years. No mean feat.
We had a stall at the local Community market, with
homemade bakes. In November we have a Chocolate
Tombola at the village Lights Switch on, very popular with
children who queue up to buy tickets. We are always
represented at the Remembrance Parade, wreath laying and
Church Service.
We have had many interesting speakers, we have held
Fellowships and Coffee Mornings, supported many deserving
charities including:Motor Neurone Disease, in memory of a
members daughter who sadly died from the disease,
Vysion, a charity that councils young people up to fourteen
years of age, suffering with depression,Water Aid and
Railway Children. We donated money to a young student at
the local High School, who had had a leg amputation at the
age of 9 due to cancer, she wanted to become a nurse and
was saving to buy a bionic prosthesis. We were only too happy to help.
We have given to School in a Bag, Marys Meals, Action for Children, we have filled Shoe Boxes, knitted hats for premature babies, Fistula Blankets, Shelter Box, Sight savers, the list goes on, We recently donated to “Women and Girls” and bought food for a local Shelter for abused women.
During lockdown a member was given a huge donation of clothes, which we again donated to the shelter, amongst the items, delightful dresses for small girls, we like to think that these brought a little happiness to a dreadful situation and made some little girls feel special. Not forgetting the Mothers, we also donated twenty two coats and lots of new underwear!
We look forward to being back together again, whilst at the same time feel humbled when remembering all the members who have gone before us, the friendship that they have shared, the good works that they have done and the people who have benefitted.
