Rotary round-up

Diss Waveney Rotary Club

It’s been a busy year for the Diss Waveney Rotary Club, despite the restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

Last autumn, they delivered over 250 Usborne Illustrated English dictionaries to Year 5 pupils in 10 local schools (receiving over 70 thank you letters from pupils in return). Working in partnership with Diss & District Rotary Club they then went on to plant 75 trees on Brewers Green to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day – there are plans to install a memorial plaque later this year.

Unable to undertake their usual bucket collections in local stores, the club found an alternative way to raise money for Polio Plus. Inspired by the 1240 miles of the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, the Foundation Team encouraged members to empty pockets and purses of loose change and tip the money into jam jars. The aim was to collect 1240 coins by World Polio Day on the 24th October. The target was reached and more. 2018 coins were collected, amounting to £218 for Polio Plus. The Gates Foundation matches each £1 with £2, so the total for Polio Plus now becomes £654. Then there was Christmas a time most associated with the Rotary Club. Determined to bring some Christmas cheer to Diss, the Deneside Ramblers, organised by the club's International Team, performed Christmas carols outside the United Reformed Church.

This was followed later in the month by Santa’s special appearance at Mere’s Mouth. (We’ve checked his diary, and he’ll be there again this year on the 18th, 20th and 22nd December from 10am to 2pm.)

More recently, the club has been involved in supporting the Computers for Schools initiative. Early this year, club president, Beverley Blake, presented computers donated by club members to 121 Computers in Diss for refurbishing and sending onto local schools for pupils to use during lockdown.

Donations made by Diss Waveney Rotary Club between Oct 2020 and April 2021 include: Diss Salvation Army, Diss Citizen Advice Bureau, Banham Zoo Conservation Project,Leeway, (a womens' refuge in Norwich), Lend with Care, (an international microfinance charity,) End Polio Now campaign, Polio Plus and The Rotary Foundation. As soon as all COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, the club has a full programme of fundraising activities planned. Watch this space!

Find out more about Diss Waveney Rotary Club at: disswaveneyrotary.org.uk

Diss & District Rotary Club

A farmer for 50 years and a Rotarian since 2007, David Gooderham from Tibenham has always enjoyed drawings cartoons. It’s a talent his fellow Diss & District Rotarians only discovered through COVID-19. “Due to the pandemic we haven’t been able to meet in person,” said David. “We’ve been using Zoom, but we also thought that having a newsletter would help us keep in contact and keep the group spirit alive. The members discovered by chance that I liked to draw cartoons and suggested I include some in each newsletter. I started off doing some of the members. They went down well and they’ve now become a regular feature. “As you can see from my drawings, I get inspiration from the news, as well as everyday situations around me. After a while, we thought we could try and use the cartoons to raise some money for charities – particularly those people most impacted by COVID-19. So, we created a downloadable pdf of them. It’s a lighthearted record of events as they unfolded since last March, plus a few others for good measure. People can download the cartoons for a voluntary donation (suggested £5) and the money is split evenly between Cancer Research UK and the Norwich Hospitals charity. We’ve raised £1080 so far.” Over the years, David has drawn cartoons of, and for, all of his children and grandchildren.

“Most of them are cartoons of them having fun on the farm,” said David. “This Christmas, they all received personalised copies of them on coasters, which they loved.” David’s collection of cartoons is available at: www.dissrotary.org.uk

Simply Walk 2021

The second annual Rotary Club of Diss & District walk is due to take place on Sunday June 27th. It’s free and there are distances for all abilities. It starts from the new beacon in Diss park between 8am and 10am. There are no entry requirements, so you can just turn up and join any of the route options. Groups, clubs and families are invited to make up a team, maybe in fancy dress, and raise sponsorship, which will all go to the club’s charity account. For route details, full instructions and sponsorship forms go to: www.dissrotary.org.uk This year, the Rotary Club of Diss & District has distributed nearly £25,000 to local, national and international charities.