The past six months has proven to be a most difficult time and new ways and ideas have had to be considered and implemented in order to maintain some continuity, both with members and supporting local good causes.

It has, undoubtedly, surprised many of us as to how easily we have adapted to the medium of Zoom. The club now holds its weekly meeting on this platform, having done so from very soon after the restrictions on socialising took effect.

Fundraising has been severely affected but thanks to the generosity of members the club’s charity fund remains in a healthy condition.

Prize bingo night

On Friday October 30, the club will be holding a bingo evening. Entry costs £10 per person, which will include four games of bingo with six bingo cards per game. Prizes for one line, two lines and a full house for each game. Entry and joining instructions are available from peter.blake97@outlook.com. The availability of a defibrillator is an important health consideration these days and the club was pleased to be able to donate one to the Salvation Army in Leytonstone.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Sir Iain Duncan Smith

A visitor to one of the club’s Zoom meetings was honorary member the Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, who spoke about the current situation in respect of Covid-19 in this country and the problems currently being faced by the people in Hong Kong.

An advantage of Zoom is that a meeting can be joined wherever in the world you happen to be located.

The club’s Global Scholar for last year, Ariana Detmar, is undertaking a road trip around America prior to commencing her career in global health, and joined us from somewhere in Utah. Ariana reviewed her year with us in the UK.

Joining us, in what was the early hours of the morning in Korea, Eunji Cho is the club’s Global Scholar for this year. Eunji spoke of her involvement in health issue projects and looks forward to travelling to London in the, hopefully, not too distant future.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Yolanda King

Another world traveller, Yolanda King, joined a meeting (albeit from Cambridge!) and updated us on her work with the Guides from when she last visited the club around three years ago. Yolanda has been a team leader for Guiding Overseas Linked with Development (GOLD) and is the flagship programme from Girl Guiding UK, which enables young women to develop their potential and make a difference in the world. The club was pleased to have been able to offer to support to Yolanda when she led a project in the Maldives.

Rotary makes a difference. By joining Rotary, you could as well. Visit our website or call John on 020 3597 2921. http://www.rotaryleytonstonewoodford.org