CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Harrogate Brigantes Rotary ready to 'make a difference' in any way during troubled times

Charities across the Harrogate district have had a tough couple of years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we want to highlight those who need your help and support in 2022.
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Harrogate Brigantes Rotary exist to help where help is needed, or as they say “to make a difference” whether that is in the local community, nationally or around the world.

The Rotary movement is based on the premise that through regular meetings and what is called “fellowship”, they develop friendships which enable them to achieve far more together than what each could on their own.

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Like most Rotary Clubs across the country, much of their time and effort is given to raising funds to give to worthwhile causes, filling funding gaps where they can.

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiativesThe Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiatives
The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiatives

If there is a local crisis, they will try and help and if there’s an international disaster, they will also do what they can.

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary organise a number of popular events across the district including the annual Remembrance Service at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Stonefall, the annual Technology Tournament for secondary schools and the Kids Aloud programme.

Like many charities and community groups across the Harrogate district, the Covid-19 pandemic affected the way the organisation worked and they had to adapt their services to ensure that they could still operate and help those who needed support.

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Mike Hammond, Chair of the Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Covid Response Team, said: “During the Covid-19 pandemic, Harrogate Brigantes worked hard to help mainly charities that had suffered a huge loss of income and we also sent funds to Nepal where the situation was particularly tough for them as a country.

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiativesThe Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiatives
The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiatives

“In the difficult times, we managed to source much needed PPE for the local NHS and care homes and raised and distributed over £20,000 to local charities that found themselves faced at the same time both with increased demands for their services and a major reduction in income.

“It has not been easy as we were not able to meet together for many months, many of our events had to be cancelled and we also sadly lost two of our members to the disease, but we found ways to continue both with our fellowship and our service to the community.”

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Emerging from Covid, the country now finds itself faced with rampant inflation and a recession as needs are increasing but funds are in very short supply, just as they were during the pandemic.

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiativesThe Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiatives
The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary aim to make a difference to the community through a number of great initiatives

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary’s focus over the next twelve months is now on their own community in Harrogate - helping the old who need it and the young who have missed out on so much during their short lives.

While they are helping the local community, they are also continuing to respond to major world crises and have this year raised several thousands of pounds for Ukraine and its many refugees who are being forced to flee their homes.

Their major project that they are currently working towards is Kids Aloud 2023, a special concert which enables children to perform to a audience at the Royal Hall and help raise money for good causes.

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Guy Wilson, Project Leader for the concert, said: “Kids need to get back to working together, re-discovering social skills and increasing their self-confidence following Covid.

“So building on our experience, we want to give hundreds of local children the experience of creating and performing at such a prestigious venue here in Harrogate.”

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary are always looking for people who want to get involved and help to make a difference to the community.

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If you’re interested in joining them to use your time, talents, professional skills and energy to improve the lives of others, then they would love to hear from you.

The club meets on Tuesday evenings at The Crown Hotel in Harrogate and new members are always welcome.

You can enjoy the benefits of business networking, personal development, meeting new friends, hearing inspiring speakers, having a great deal of fun and experiencing that special sense of fulfilment that comes from achieving something really worthwhile.

To find out how to join the Harrogate Brigantes Rotary, head to https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/membershipenquiry.php?ClubID=201

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For more information about the Harrogate Brigantes Rotary, visit https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=201

Are you working with or getting any support from a charity in the region that deserves some support and credit after the difficult Covid lockdowns? We would love to hear from you.