Rotary Club of Forres invites new members

The very busy Rotary Club of Forres is on the lookout for extra members to add to its ranks.

The club celebrated its 70th birthday last year with a series of 70 challenges which could still take place despite the pandemic.

Now, it's looking to attract new blood so it can keep going for at least the next 70 years.

Sheena MacGillivray, Club Secretary, said: "The anniversary was an ideal time to look back and see what the club has achieved and how it's changed.

"In 1951, the year the club was chartered, it had 23 members.

"They were all men and one could belong to each individual profession, such as doctor, baker or banker.

"Today, by contrast, we have 39 members, of which over a third are women, and your profession is no longer important.

"All that matters is that the people who join want to help the community."

The Rotarian motto is 'Service above Self ', and that's an attitude which has been put to good effect in Forres over the years.

For instance, in 1951, the club raised money to aid the victims of a famine in Greek, while subsequent years saw it assist refugees from Cyprus and Hungary.

In 2014, the club raised £16,000 – £10,000 of it in one day – following the Boxing Day Tsunami.

Meanwhile, a recent collection at the Forres branch of Tesco raised nearly £4000 to help the people of Ukraine.

For over 30 years the club has also supported the very successful Rotary campaign to eradicate polio globally, seeing annual cases plummet from an initial 300,000 to just single figures.

Closer to home, the flooding in Forres in 1997 saw Rotarians help with the clear-up and raise money for those affected.

Bringing this up to the present day, members now organise competitions like the inter-school primary school quiz, as well as bus trips and afternoon teas for the elderly.

What's more, Rotarians have taken over the planning and running of bonfire night as well as Santa's sleigh.

Over the years they have also been involved in small but lasting projects.

These include providing the plaque and seats for the war memorial, the draught board for the Tollbooth Street pavement, a park bench for the Mosset rose garden and a defibrillator for Forres Community Centre.

Allied to all that, the picturesque Helge’s Hole area in Cluny Hill is looked after by Rotarians

However, being a member is not solely about serving the community and fundraising.

Fun activities are also laid on throughout the year, such as car treasure hunts, Burns and safari suppers as well as competitions with other clubs.

Find out more by typing 'Rotary Club of Forres' into Google.