ADDRESSING the club’s 35th annual meeting at The Ship Inn, Burcombe on April 28, president Chris Lush reflected on a successful year of community service and associated fundraising and fellowship activity.

A record profit of nearly £15,000 from its car boot sale on August Bank Holiday Monday combined with more than £6,000 from the Rotary Spireworks event had enabled the club to benefit a number of charities in addition to making a donation of more than £6,300 to the Stars Appeal CT Scanner campaign.

Vice-president Aubrey Steele, chairman of the community service committee, reported that since the beginning of the club year last July donations totalling £22,692 had been made to 29 beneficiaries.

Seven donations of £1,000 or more had been made and the average amount donated was £782. Local causes received 76 per cent of the total, national charities 16 per cent and international charities eight per cent.

He added that by the end of June the club will have marshalled three major fundraising events for other charities, which can be expected to raise more than £100,000 for the beneficiaries, namely Walk For Wards in aid of The Stars Appeal, the 2013 Wessex Country Fair in aid of the Salisbury Hospice Charity, and the Wilton House Walk for Parkinson’s UK.

The club also helped with Wilton Carnival, sponsored a performance of the Coombe Bissett & Homington Drama Society’s Christmas pantomime, served mulled wine at the ceremony to switch on the Wilton Christmas Tree lights and helped Wilton Riding For The Disabled set up their Christmas Nativity scene.

Founder-president Arthur Bowden, noted that the number of club members was 29, the same number as when the club was formed in 1979 and appealed for a more concerted effort to be made to attract younger members.

Anyone interested in joining the club can apply at wiltonrotary.co.uk.