Shropshire Rotary Club faces record funding requests
Members of a Shropshire Rotary club have navigated a year of unprecedented demand for charitable funding, dedicating an entire recent meeting to reviewing a record number of applications for the next 12 months.
Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club ultimately agreed to distribute a total of £5,900 to various local charities and organisations, including supporting three local causes for the first time.
The single largest donation, £1,000, is designated for a Shropshire charity whose name is being withheld at a member’s specific request and will be announced at a later date.
Among the new beneficiaries is the Lyneal Trust, which will receive £500. This donation will facilitate two narrowboat trips on the canal to Ellesmere for 24 elderly and disabled individuals, including two wheelchair users.
The club also pledged £250 to the Food Hub’s Big Green Match Fund for a week as another first-time contribution.
A request from a 14-year-old Shropshire student planning a trip to Kenya for cultural activities and community volunteering projects was also approved, with the student set to receive £100.
Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club will continue its established support for several initiatives, including the Shrewsbury Colleges Group Star Awards (£600) and The Grange School, which receives £1,000 for uniforms and an additional £500 for Christmas books.
Further recipients of funding include the Minsterley Eisteddfod (£400), Barnabas Foodbank (£500), Crucial Crew (£350), and support for a seniors' Christmas party (£700).
The total financial commitment from the club to charities and other organisations over the coming year amounts to £5,900.
Rotarian David Morris, Club President, commented on the challenging but rewarding process: "This has been a particularly challenging year for us as we have received a record number of applications from charitable organisations both locally and nationally."
Mr Morris paid tribute to the efforts behind managing the finances and allocations. "I pay particular tribute to our club treasurer Willie Strachan for his superlative management of our income sources and navigating us through the really difficult funding allocation process," he said. "His efforts have been truly invaluable in this most difficult of years."
Anyone interested in finding out more about Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club can make contact via gdmw@hotmail.co.uk.
