Somerset’s newest Rotary Club has made its first donation in the shape of a £425 cheque to BARB Search & Rescue, the Burnham-On-Sea charity that runs life-saving rescue hovercrafts and inshore rescue boats.
Axbridge District Rotary formed late last year and is a satellite of the Rotary Club of Burnham-On-Sea.
Aware that BARB Search & Rescue is run exclusively by volunteers and requires £50,000 a year to keep its rescue service running, the Axbridge Rotarians decided to act.
They staged a quiz in the local town hall and thanks to entry fees and other fundraising netted £425 on the night.
Club founder and Axbridge resident Ric Canham said: “We’re a small and very new group so to raise this much from our first event is terrific, many thanks to everyone who took part or contributed including help from The Lamb, The Crown, Alvis Bros and PNT Electrical.”
“The BARB volunteers do an amazing job. This April alone they were called out nine times to a variety of incidents ranging from rescues in mud to searches for missing people. Their funds come entirely from donations.”
“Rotary is about all supporting communities and the Axbridge Club is proud to be up and running and playing its part. Our future planned projects include maintaining local road signs, Christmas tree recycling and days out for underprivileged children.”
“We’re always looking for new ways to help and welcome suggestions from the public. Better still, come and join us for one of our very relaxed and sociable get togethers held every second and fourth Thursday of the month at 7:30pm in The Lamb, Axbridge.”
“It’s amazing how helping others can be such an enjoyable activity. If you’d like to talk to us then please call me, Ric Canham, on 07780 963738, I’d be delighted to hear from you.”
“We’ve big hopes for our club and so many initiatives we want to support, why not join us? Not only can we make a difference here at home but also overseas by working with our wider Rotary network. Trust me, helping others is wonderfully addictive, it’s a real win-win situation.”
A BARB Search & Rescue spokesman said: “We are hugely grateful to Axbridge District Rotary for this generous donation towards our life-saving work. As a small, independent charity we rely 100% on donations to keep running and so support like really does make a difference. Our thanks go to everyone at Axbridge District Rotary and we wish them well for the future.”
Pictured: Left – right Craig Dunbar and Pete Francois of BARB Search & Rescue and Ric Canham, Paul Bateman and Sam Bateman of Axbridge District Rotary
