Leytonstone and Woodford Rotarians to stage quiz for good causes

One of the club’s major fundraising events is the annual Big Quiz held every March at Trinity School.

Like last year, the event will not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic, so it will a quiz on Zoom will take place on January 29 instead.

It a is fun and an inexpensive evening indoors with the opportunity to socialise with your team members from other households. Full details can be obtained from peter.blake97@outlook.com and local good causes will benefit from all monies raised.

Organisations in the area will also benefit after a bingo evening raised more than £1,000. Another fundraising bingo evening is being, circumstances permitting, planned for February.

As noted in a previous club column, member Myra Williams was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship with five sapphires, this being in recognition of her many years of outstanding service to Rotary Foundation.

A further prestigious award has also been given to Myra. This award is the Surya Varsani Trophy for services to the Foundation.

Surya Varsani died suddenly in 2009 at the age of 39 and was full of enthusiasm for all matters Rotary, in particular to Foundation. It was agreed that a trophy should be awarded annually in his honour.

Club member Esther McCafferty

For the past five years the club has marked World Polio Day by planting crocus corns on the central reservation on Broadmead Road with the junction of High Road, Woodford Green.

On this occasion no fewer than 700 crocus corns were planted. Together with those planted in previous years a fine, colourful display will soon be evident which will help to cheer up the community during these currently difficult times.

The club extends its thanks to Redbridge Council for their agreement to this annual planting event.

A plaque to mark the crocus planting

Another Christmas contribution was to the Rotary Christmas Toy Box Initiative which provided children with their parent who have fled domestic violence and are living in a safe refuge with a brand-new box of toys.

In the run up to Christmas the club made donations to two food banks in Leytonstone, at the Salvation Army and the Elim Church.

A donation was also made to a Single Homeless Project from which 29 residents were able to benefit.

Operation Bernhard was the name given to Germany’s plan to flood Britain with forged money during the Second World War.

Woodford Green’s Rotary president Barrie Lazarus gave a most interesting and informative presentation on this subject.

Another very informative speaker was William Kennedy, an Epping Forest verderer. A verderer is a forestry official in England who deals with common land in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of the Crown. The office was developed in the Middle Ages to administer forest law on behalf of the King.

To find out more about the club, visit www.rotaryleytonstonewoodford.org or call John on 020 3597 2921.