ROTARY BAKEWELL

Support for the Farming Life Centre with a Club Community Grant

Rachel Metcalfe, an Edale farmer’s wife and Charity Manager for the Farming Life Centre joined our lunch meeting at the Rutland Arms Hotel, Bakewell on 18th February to receive the £400 community grant and tell us more about their work. They are a rural support charity aimed at improving health and well-being for farmers and to create opportunities for social interaction to connect members of the farming community and is now based out of the Bakewell Agricultural Business Centre. The money is to establish a “Farming Life Games Hub” to reduce isolation and improve mental wellbeing – and to purchase games and provide a deposit for the Hall rental in Ashford-in-the-Water.

Bakewell Rotarian receives prestigious Scouting Award

Our member, and past President of the club, Evelyn-Rita Northage-Hickin was awarded the Silver Wolf which is the highest honour and recognition in scouting and only awarded by the Chief Scout for exceptional service. The award was presented at Edensor, Chatsworth on 22nd January, and she has more recently attended a service at Westminster Abbey, London. Evelyn-Rita has been working in scouting for over 40 years in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

She was also our speaker at the evening meeting at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell on the 25th February and covered “Security behind the Scenes” – the background activity to her work at various race-courses and Arena events. A light-hearted and fascinating insight, both informative and entertaining. It was a reminder to take a snap of grandchildren so you would always be able to give accurate dress information if they got lost. And if in trouble to always “Ask for Angela” – code alert to the organisers

Looking ahead

A party of Club members are attending the opening night of Grease at the Bakewell Medway Centre – and to support the Bakewell Youth Theatre who also recently received a community grant from the club. The ever-popular quiz night returns to the Medway for the first one this year on Friday 15th May – and the annual “Bands in the Park” concert on Wednesday 1st July during Bakewell carnival week.

Lady Manners’ School will be joining us for the annual excursion for youngsters to the Sailability day-out at Carsington Sailing Club in June – and also the national Rotary Youth Leadership weekend course at Dukes Barn, Beeley at the end of May.

Further ahead we have tentative plans to bring back the Duck Race along the River Wye in Bakewell in the summer – and then a joint venture with the Cupola, Stoney Middleton for a Harvest festival event.