Hello, and once again we start with a big thank you to the people in our area for helping us to raise £2,600 for the East Africa Famine Appeal. This was raised with a street collection and a cake stall in the Pickering Market Place.  One young lady who was celebrating her birthday bought a big cake for her party but unfortunately we had to leave before she collected it. If this was you, then please get in touch with us as we have a replacement ready to order for you.

Two Girl Guides from Pickering helped us with car parking at the Ryedale Show so we have given them a donation towards their planned adventure to Mexico in 2012 for the Guide World Camp. We are looking forward to hear about this trip when they return to Pickering. Guides also assisted us when we collected for the Soldiers Charity – see below.

Another young lady from Pickering was sponsored to attend the Rotary Youth Leaders’ course during August. This is a six day residential course in the Yorkshire Dales, where, together with other similar young people from the Yorkshire area, initiative challenges and team building events take place.

In September, members of the Club spent a very rewarding day with the pupils of Welburn Hall School at Flamingoland. This is an annual event which the Club sponsors with help from Flamingoland themselves.

During the Railway at War W/E in Pickering, the Club raised funds for the Army Benevolent Fund, the original Soldiers’ Charity. The monies raised will go towards the development of the new Rehabilitation Centre currently being built in Catterick for all our armed forces injured in their service to the country, aptly named the Phoenix Centre we are still counting the returns and it is expected we will have raised over £ 2,300. We were helped on this occasion by pupils from Ryedale School who dressed up in 1940’s costumes and really looked the part. They will next year be heading of to Kenya to help on a community project.

October the 31st, Halloween Night, the Club provided a Children’s Pumpkin Party at the Pickering Recreation Club for school children in school years 3 to 6.

They have been invited from Helmsley; Kirkbymoorside; Pickering and Thornton Dale Junior Schools.  Thank you to the Recreation Club for hosting this event and the trades who supported us with prizes.

It gives our members great satisfaction to be able to provide help to all these groups, and our gratitude goes to all those from within our community who help us raise funds for the charities we have supported. Other donations included £1,000 for the Japan Tsunami disaster; £460 to support a Ryedale family and £500 to the Wilf Ward Trust.

   Ian Williams.