“Happy Birthday Your Majesty”, Kirkby Style

Around fifty senior citizens gathered in Kirkby’s Trinity Methodist Church on June 9th to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday on that day and her coronation on June 2nd 1953. The event was organised by Kirkby Rotary Club with help and support from Kirkby Inner Wheel Club, Central Co-op and Morrisons.

On arrival the guests were handed sweet and savoury nibbles, followed a little later by sandwiches, sausage rolls, pork pies, scones, butter, cream, jam, cakes and cups of tea.

Rotarian Revd Eric Ashby gave a talk illustrated with slides on how as a Special Constable he was on duty at the Coronation, helping to line the processional route in London. Kirkby Colliery Band entertained with a selection of favourites old and new. Then the oldest person at the event, a nonagenarian gentleman, cut the cake specially made for the occasion by Rotarian Nigel Aston. The afternoon culminated in a sing-along of wartime songs such as White Cliffs of Dover and Lili Marlene, and ended with enthusiastic renderings of Land of Hope and Glory and the National Anthem.

The event was organised by Kirkby Rotary Club’s projects team led by Rotarian Melissa Blythe. She commented: “It was marvellous to see how much the guests enjoyed everything. We had so many lovely comments. It was even more successful than we had hoped and we’ll certainly put on the same kind of event next year. Thank you to everyone who contributed.”

Kirkby Community Fair

Kirkby Rotary is organising an event designed to give local groups, agencies and charities a showcase for their services.

Kirkby Community Fair, which is being supported by Ashfield District Council, will take place in the town Plaza on Saturday September 3^rd from 10 am till 3 pm.  Among the 20-plus organisations already signed up are groups for young people, retired adults, veterans and women, as well as several churches and public services.

President of Kirkby Rotary, Philip Hurt, explained:  ‘We looked around the Kirkby area and saw that there were so many providing great opportunities and service to the community. We felt that we wanted to give those organisations the chance to let people know what they do and how the community might join or support them. At the same time, being Rotary, we wanted to make it a fun event, so many of those organisations will also have things to sell and games and tombolas to play.’

The Rotary Club, celebrating its seventieth year, has a record of supporting the local community, as well as national and international good causes.  One of the most recent examples is the “Know Your Blood Pressure Day’ in Kirkby market place, in co-operation with the Stroke Association, when dozens of Kirkby residents were given free checks and several were alerted to see their doctor.

President Philip added: ‘A bonus of Kirkby Community Fair will be the live music provided by a section of Kirkby Welfare band, and the practical opportunities for young people to see and learn what the Scouts and Army Cadets do. There’s something for all ages.’

Santa Helps Sick Children

A children’s hospice charity has benefited from a Santa’s Grotto created by a local garden centre and run by a Rotary Club.

At the Reuben Shaw garden centre in Moor Green, Kirkby Rotary Club recently presented a cheque for £2000 to Emma Vizor, chief fundraiser at the Sheffield-based Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. In the four weekends leading up to Christmas, around 800 children visited the grotto, which was set up and decorated by garden centre staff, with Santa, his helper elves and children’s presents provided by Kirkby Rotary.

Ms Vizor said:” We have now received donations totalling £9,500 from the Rotary club over the past three years. This massive contribution makes a huge difference to our work of offering care and support to children with a shortened life expectancy and their families”.

Roger Pursey, president of the Kirkby club, responded: “The 2014 grotto was a superb success and achieved all we hoped for”. He presented the garden centre’s owner, Mr Reuben Shaw, with the club’s Certificate of Appreciation. Mr Shaw in turn commented: “The opportunity the grotto gives us to blend charity with the commercial aspect of Christmas is fantastic.”

With Emma Vizor and Santa Claus are Reuben Shaw (left) and Roger Pursey