Citylife in Rugeley and Cannock Chase March and April 2022

During the lockdown, Cannock & District
Men’s Probus introduced weekly Zoom
meetings. These proved a resounding success
in maintaining member contact and in attracting new
members and have given the club a unique quality.
When life returned to normal we resumed our
fortnightly live meetings in the Cannock Conservative
Club however, due to popular demand, we have
continued our Zoom meetings on alternate Mondays.
These Zoom meetings have acquired a life of their own
and have given us the freedom to study and discuss a
wide range of interesting, controversial, and sometimes
taboo subjects!
If you would like to join us at our next Live or Zoom
Meeting, please contact Barry Dowell on 01543 503320
or bg.dowell@icloud.com.
20
Cannock & District
Men’s Probus
By Peter Arnold
Cannock & District
Ladies Probus
By Alison Cardy
Since the 2021 AGM,
the world has
changed but despite
a pandemic, our Club has
survived and even grown,
with membership
increasing.
Anne and Sheila
During her term of office Anne Bumford, as Chairman,
had to find new skills as she together with her committee,
got to grips with Zoom. As not all members were
comfortable with the technology enforced by lockdown, we
also had to establish new ways to communicate, to ensure
all members were included.
There was much hilarity as fingers learnt to dance either
on keyboards or tablets but we persevered and the early
days of ensuring the camera was not pointed skywards and
learning to mute when we welcomed a Speaker, now seems
a distant memory.
Sheila Burrows, the new incumbent Chairman, presented
Anne with a Thank you Card and Gift of appreciation from
the Club. Handing over, Anne thanked her Committee and,
as she has done following each meeting shared a thought for
the day – “Life’s like a Camera. Focus on what’s important.
Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives and if
things don’t work out. Take another shot!”
Retired or semi-retired, professional or business ladies
meet on the first Thursday of each month at The Chase Golf
Club at 12 noon, where they share a meal and fellowship
with Speakers on interesting topics. New members are
welcome. Contact Barbara on 01889 882166 or Sheila on
07814 102767.
Rugeley WI
By Margaret Bennett
Rugeley WI had a good turnout for its January
meeting. The speaker for the evening was Jean
Morris giving a talk on ‘Stafford Street
Pastors’.
Jean told members how in 2009 the churches in
Stafford came together to provide Street Pastors to go
out to care for the community; working together with
the local police and the local authority to make Stafford
a safer place.
There are approximately 250 Pastor Groups working
in towns and cities all across the UK. A team of three
Street Pastors can be found in the towns between
10:30pm and 4:00am, usually on a Friday and Saturday night, but this can alter to
include Bank Holidays and special events. They are non-judgemental and care for the
vulnerable who may have had too much to drink or just need help.
The group gives out flip flops for tired feet, water, lollies, space blankets for
warmth and sick bags to enable those who would otherwise be refused transport
to go home safely by taxi.
WI members thoroughly enjoyed Jean’s talk and a vote of thanks was given by
Barbara Johnson. A raffle and quiz was held during the evening and refreshments
served.
Rugeley WI meets every last Wednesday in the month at St. Paul’s Community
Hall in Rugeley at 7:30p.m. If you would like to join please call Barbara Johnson on
01889 586855 or Barbara Coppard on 01889 804889.
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