As the country prepares to enter another national lockdown the Rotary Club of Leicester is encouraging people to check out their local Rotary Club.
Leicester is perhaps the forgotten story of lockdown with the city, and parts of the country, having been in its own local lockdown whilst most of the country had been able to return to some kind of normal.
That extended lockdown meant that the Rotary Club of Leicester could no longer meet for its traditional Monday lunches which for one of the UK’s oldest Rotary Clubs was something of a shock as even the Second World War hadn’t halted their meetings.
Rotary Clubs may be seen by some as little old fashioned, but the Rotary Club of Leicester has been keen to embrace technology and immediately moved their Monday meetings online via Zoom.
Whilst some of the social aspects of the regular meetings are not the same, these online meetings have allowed members to keep in touch and hear from a number of great speakers.
President Elect Scott Gallacher explains that the club were very concerned about the effects of long social isolation on their members and the wider community. Gallacher is encouraging people to check out their local Rotary Club, many of which have introduced online meetings, as a way of engaging with others during these challenging times.
Gallacher says “Joining your local Rotary Club is a great way to make new friends, network, learn new skills, whilst also making a real difference to others. Unfortunately, some people don’t think Rotary is for them but it really is open to all and I would encourage people to check out their local Rotary Club”.
Despite the challenges of the lockdown, the Rotary Club of Leicester has still been very active in the community. The club has recently launched Rotary4foodbanks Leicester supporting five local food banks, they are working with university students looking to launch a Leicester Rotaract club and have made several donations to local and international good causes.
Whilst Gallacher is the first to admit that the online meetings are not quite the same as their normal face-to-face lunches, they do given people the perfect opportunity to check out their local Rotary Club from the comfort, and safety, of their own home. There is no requirement to join in order to simply attend a meeting you just have to approach your local club and request an invite.
Gallacher believes that “we are arguably Leicester’s best-kept secret” and to help address that the club is planning to launch a Corporate Membership. This will give local businesses and organisations a new opportunity for Rotary club membership. Corporate memberships give local businesses, charities, non-profits, and government entities the chance to give back to the community while developing their employees’ personal and professional skills through Rotary.
To enquire about attending a meeting please contact us
