Swaffham Newsletter

Even ironing!
Tracy: 01362 820 966
Caroline: 01953 882 154
Mobile: 07927 161 201
Swaffham
Branch
01760
725801
http://www.family-action.org.uk
familyactionswaffham
building better families
Merle Boddy Day Centre
The Merle Boddy Day Centre provides
a warm and friendly Social Day Care
Service for people living with dementia
including mental health problems,and physical
disabilities, in Swaffham and the surrounding area.
Last month we told you about the Rotarians’ Club
‘Men of Steel’ who were taking up the Norfolk Three
Peaks Walk challenge to raise funds specifically for
us. Well, they made it and in the process lots of
donations have been coming in via their JustGiving
page; more on this next month. Well done guys!
Talking of the Rotarians, we took up their offer
of having a stall at their Christmas Fayre on 27th
November. It was great fun for all who attended,
and enabled us to
meet up with many
of our friends and
supporters. Our
raffle offer was a
magnificent hamper
full of goodies for a
cosy night in, including
games and a snuggly
blanket, which was
won by Niki Dawkins.
She certainly looked chuffed when she went to the
Centre to receive it. Thank you to the Rotarians for
organising the Fayre.
Meanwhile, some of our clients with Georgie and
Steph attended the Swaffham Lions’ Annual Seniors
Christmas Lunch held at the Nicholas Hamond
Academy on 5th December, and had a fine time.
Thank you to the Lions for their kind invitation and
a lovely Christmas lunch.
During the beginning of December we again had
a decorated Christmas Tree in St Peter and St Paul
Church, in the church’s annual Christmas Trees
event, raising awareness of the Centre in the local
community.
Georgie, Steph and the staff at the Centre extend
their warmest wishes for a Happy New Year to all
our clients, and their families and friends.
If you are interested in our work and would like to
be involved, we always welcome volunteers to help
with fund raising.
If you want to know more, find us on Facebook
– @merleboddycentre – or see our website -
www.merleboddy.org.uk - or call the Centre on
01760 724527. Also you will find on our website
a fundraising page, where you can click on the link
to donate.
17
Rotary
5
CELEBRATING President’s Corner
Swaffham Last month it was my privilege
to make cheque presentations
to two local charities on successive days. The monies
were received at the Celebration and Thanksgiving
Service for the life of Barry Briggs, one of our members.
His family had requested that the funds be used to help
those suffering from cancer in our community. It was
envisaged that the Club could help with the costs of
travel to appointments; or for visitors; providing meals
for family carers; or meeting the costs of a night sit etc.
Whilst the Club has been able to make several such
donations, the combination of the Covid restrictions
of every kind with the difficulty in identifying cancer
sufferers due to GDPR constraints has severely limited
our ability to help all those who could benefit.
At the same time, Club members were increasingly
conscious that the fund-raising opportunities of most
deserving causes have been much reduced since Spring
2020 and continue to limited. So, in consultation with
Barry’s Widow, also a member of our Club, and family
we have decided to utilise the remainder of the fund to
make donations to two Norfolk based charities which
support those suffering from cancer.
The first cheque was presented to Swaffham & Litcham
Home Hospice, a much-treasured local organisation
which hardly needs introduction to readers as it is a
regular contributor to this Newsletter. The range of
support they provide for patients diagnosed with cancer
or terminal illnesses and their families is comprehensive
and much appreciated by the whole community.
The second presentation was to Priscilla Bacon Lodge in
Norwich, delivers specialist end-of-life care for the people
of Norfolk and Waveney.
The Lodge was built over
40 years ago, following a
county-wide fundraising
appeal led by Priscilla, Lady
Bacon. The Lodge has now
become inadequate both
in scale and configuration
and the building cannot
be extended in its current
location. So, perhaps not
as we had originally envisaged, we are delighted that
we have been able to have used the funds entrusted to
us to support cancer sufferers and their families in our
community.
Finally, I wish everyone a healthy New Year. Let us hope
that this Covid beast will soon be tamed so we can all
resume social gatherings without fear and charities can
once again resume their fund raising activities.
If you want to find out any more about our Club, please
visit our website: swaffhamrotary.org.uk. There is also a
link where you can send me message.
John Wallace
YEARS