Mary Donates Hamper
The Rotary Club of Oban can confirm that the Spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Oban. At the OLDS Christmas Lunch in the Oban Bay Hotel on Monday, 2nd December, Oban pensioner May Hardy won one of the six food hampers in the Rotary club’s raffle and immediately donated her fantastic prize to Hope Kitchen.
The Rotary Clubs motto is “Service before self “and May demonstrated she would make a fine Rotarian with her lovely gift to Hope Kitchen.
In years gone by in Oban, lots of people had very little, but didn’t want for much, because people shared what they had and looked out for each other. This spirit is alive and kicking in Oban, thanks to people like May Hardy.
Our photo shows Rotary Club President Peter Tosh presenting May’s hamper to Catriona Petit of Hope Kitchen.
Well done May Hardy for fellowship and caring before self.
Link and Connect (Developing Potential SCIO)
Link and Connect are a small local charity with two strands to the work they do. Link is the Link Club which is a small mental health support group and Connect is connecting older people to their community with social activities like the Monday lunch at Soroba House.
The Link Club meets on a Wednesday at 2pm at the Baptist Church Hall. There is a joint ‘Wellbeing Café’ with Hope Kitchen in New Hope on a Thursday at 2pm and they meet in the Perle Hotel for coffee and chat on a Friday from 11 till 2. New members always welcome.
The lunch is hugely successful and attracts up to 50 people every week. Those attending are mainly more senior and many have dementia and there are also younger people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or poor mental health. The group is totally inclusive and welcoming to all. The lunch needs to be subsidised and the more successful the lunch becomes, the more it runs at a loss so financial support is always welcome.
The lunch depends on a wonderful group of volunteers who help serve, do baking and provide entertainment. They are invaluable in keeping the programme running.
Link and Connect recently applied to the Rotary Club of Oban for financial assistance, who were able to support to the sum of £2000. Rotary Club President, Ciorsti Baxter, and Senior Vice President, Peter Tosh, attended the lunch recently where they presented Maggie Dougal and folks from Link and Connect with a cheque.
The Rotary Club of Oban raised £260 from the raffle at its annual Charter Dinner and this sum was donated to Hope Kitchen.
Rotary President, Iain Mac Intyre is seen here handing over the cheque to Hope Kitchen manager Lorraine MacCormick with colleagues also in the picture, Ann Forbes and Fiona Ferris. Supporting Iain are Rotarians David Finlayson, Ken Moncrieff, Ken Oxland, Peter Tosh and Ronnie Frew.
A further sum of £200 forming part of the donations received from Oban Rotary's annual Christmas Carol Concert was later donated to Hope Kitchen in line with the club's commitment to support local good causes.
