Each year the club attends two services over Remembrance weekend. On the Saturday members were at St Mary’s Parish Church, Woodford, and on the Sunday at Harrow Green, Leytonstone. This year was particularly poignant, being the centenary of the signing of the Armistice. President Barry Coppock laid a wreath of poppies on behalf of the club at each of the two ceremonies.

With December just around the corner, the club gears itself up for a busy month. Fundraising collections at George Lane, South Woodford, High Street, Wanstead and Tesco, Leytonstone.

Members will also be assisting Leytonstone Salvation Army in wrapping around 400 Christmas presents for local children and also at their children’s Christmas party and at the South Leytonstone Area Development Association’s Christmas party for older people.

An entertainment-themed quiz, compiled by the club’s quiz compiler King Tony Chester, raised over £600 for local good causes. Our thanks to Woodford Green Athletic Club for the use of their facilities.

A longstanding tradition of the club is to treat the previous year’s president to a day out, with destination unknown to him, as a thank you for the work he has undertaken during the previous year. Immediate past president Rashid, together twenty eight members and partners, went to Huntingdon for a day at the races.

The monthly Memory Café celebrated six years of providing those in the early stages of dementia, together with their carers, with a mix of socialising, quizzes, bingo and a sing-along. From a handful of guests at the first café numbers rapidly grew and now regularly thirty or more attend. Within Rotary, the club was the first in London to start up a Memory Café. It is very pleasing to note that other clubs have since followed our lead. All credit goes to three times past president of the club, Alan Barnett, whose brainchild this was. Do you know someone who could benefit from this monthly social occasion? Contact John on 020 3597 2921 for more details.

The club has welcomed a number of guest speakers in recent weeks.

DG Mike Wren gave a very entertaining talk whilst also including the theme for this year, Be the Inspiration.

The club’s Foundation Scholar, Malika, visited to take the opportunity to meet members and for members to learn a little more about her. We look forward to a return visit by Malika to hear about her year in the UK.

Michael Aeyemang, from World Child Cancer explained the important work which this charity carries out.

The Rotary Club of Leytonstone & Woodford meets on Thursdays at 6pm for 6.30pm at Chigwell Convent, 803 Chigwell Road, IG8 8AU. Club contact: John Bracken 020 3597 2921, info@rotaryleytonstonewoodford.org, http://www.rotaryleytonstonewoodford.org