Rotary club hands out funds for smoke alarms

Rotary Clubs in Suffolk have come together to raise a total of £11,655 to help provide more smoke alarms for vulnerable householders in the county.

Rod Curtis, the President of the Rotary Club of Stowmarket Gipping Valley on behalf of other Suffolk Rotary Clubs presented Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer of the Suffolk Fire Service with a certificate and a cheque (pictured).

Peter Andrews who co-ordinates the project mentioned that the Stowmarket club’s association with the fire service stretches over 10 years. 

Other Rotary Clubs have joined Stowmarket Gipping Valley’s efforts for the past seven years and in that time together contributed over £72,000 with the help of Rotary’s Foundation District grant. 

Also at the meeting was the Rotary District Governor Ian Elliot who was accompanied by his wife Jeanette, President of the Norwich Blackfriars club.

Mr Lacey, in his address to the club, stated how important smoke alarms were in the prevention of potential tragedies and that the partnership of Rotary Clubs in Suffolk with the Fire and Rescue Service was very important part of the equation. In particular the Stowmarket Gipping Valley’s inception of the scheme had led to a long-term relationship with Rotary.

Another surprise at the meeting was the presentation of the Paul Harris Award (pictured above) to Philip Freeman who was congratulated by the District Governor on a well-deserved reward for his incredible work in Rotary for many years.  

And at the same meeting a certificate and cheque for £1,000 was presented to the Moses Project who were represented at the meeting by Lauren and Graeme Thomas (pictured above).

The Moses Project is a volunteer led initiative that supports new families who are struggling to fulfil the financial and practical needs of new-born babies. This is particularly relevant today with the cost-of-living spiralling ever upwards.

The Rotary Club meets every other Thursday evening, sometimes by Zoom and if you want a taster of what they are about whether you be young or old, male or female you would be very welcome. Just contact Richard Tingey (richard@tingeys.co.uk) for more information.