Our Charity of the Year
99 members and 3 guests were present to hear and participate in a highly entertaining and interesting presentation by Anne Donaghy and Hamish Duncan from our Charity of the Year – Merton & Morden Guild http://www.mandmguild.org/(based in Morden).
Hamish explained the background to the setting up of the Charity for older people well over 50 years ago when the key concerns had been transport and heating. Nothing much changes does it? The Guild’s work includes lunches, shopping trips, bingo, dancing, exercises classes, as well as friendly get together e.g. over coffee. Because of funding cuts, the Guild very much welcomes being our chosen Charity of the Year – whatever we could do to raise money would help them continue with their work. Anne talked about the fitness classes started 15 years ago when there was increased evidence of older people not going out because they were afraid of falling. The first session had 1 customer but this had increased by the last financial year to some 16,000 attendances at classes aimed at keeping older people fit and mobile. Some now had sufficient mobility to brush their hair, do up buttons/zips, make cups of tea and put on socks/tights. We joined her in a “gentle” seated group exercise session as an example of the sort of work done with frail people. Even those who exercised regularly felt that we’d had a work out! They left leaflets for us about the Guild (reference copies on the Notice Board during 2014).
Bring & Buy Sale
Clearly much inspired by what we’d heard, we’ve raised so far the massive total of £210.20p (including the monies from the chosen Charity voting in October) for the Merton & Morden Guild. A big thank you all for your wonderful generosity with goods for the sale and for digging so deep into your pockets. Thank you too to Jennifer and Fiona for coping with the stall and the rush of eager buyers! Well done everyone – let’s keep at it for the rest of the year. Any items left over went with Hamish and Anne to use for their own charity raising events.
