Guildford Chantries Rotary Club’s Donation To Salvation Army’s Food Bank

Published on: 4 Aug, 2020
Updated on: 7 Aug, 2020

Guildford Chantries Rotary club has make a donation of £1,000 to Guildford Salvation Army towards providing food parcels to the most vulnerable in the local community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to the lockdown, members of the club have been unable to meet and its normal fundraising activities and community work had to be cancelled.

The club’s president, Jim Scudamore, began chairing meetings via the online platform Zoom, enabling the re-booking of some of its speakers for presentations.

Its regular meeting time of 8pm on a Thursday evening was adjusted to 8.15pm to allow for the weekly clapping in support of healthcare and other key workers, during this crisis.

Jim asked members if they would be willing to contribute some of what they would normally have paid for their meals towards a Covid fund, initially to donate to the North Guildford Food Bank, that has collection points in Park Barn, Bellfields and Bushy Hill in Merrow.

Those members who were in a position to do so willingly contributed £500.

Funds continued to be raised and Rotary District 1145, that brings together 90 Rotary clubs in six Greater London boroughs, Surrey, East and West Sussex and neighbouring parts of Hampshire to develop fellowship and service opportunities, offered a Covid-19 grant to its groups.

Guildford Salvation Army’s centre in Woodbridge Road.

The foundation chairman of the club, Fiona Miles, said: “As the North Guildford Food Bank was in no immediate need of further support, we learned that the food bank run by Guildford Salvation Army was in urgent need of supplies.

“They had gone from sending out parcels at the rate of 15 to 20 per week two years ago, rising in the last six months leading up to Covid-19 to 30 to 35 parcels per week, to then helping 250-plus since the pandemic.

“It was put to club members that the Salvation Army’s need for support would be a worthy cause, and that we could increase our donation through a district grant.

“The members agreed and the grant was applied for, with a successful outcome enabling us to donate £1,000 to Guildford Salvation Army.

“Major Catherine Rand sent a letter of thanks for the donation, which enables them to continue with their work in and around the community in Guildford.”

Guildford Chantries Rotary is one of three clubs in the town, the others being Guildford, and Guildford District.

Click here to find out more about them.

Further donations can be made directly to the Guildford Salvation Army, click here for details.