Lindsay attended the meeting of Leicester Novus Rotary to thank club members for donating £440.65 to the food bank. Novus Rotary had collected the money from generous shoppers at Morrisons, in Glenfield, earlier in May. Unfortunately, Jess Roberts, the Community Champion at Morrisons, Glenfield, was not able to attend to hear the thanks.
Lindsay explained that the food bank’s 12 volunteers helped about 125 families in need every Thursday. Despite being given food by shoppers at Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, New Parks Food Bank had to spend about £800 on food every week, but contributions from users of the food bank, situated opposite the fire station on New Parks Boulevard, reduce that to about £500 weekly.
Lindsay said that the area his food bank served also had a large number of people with mental health issues. Three volunteers had expertise in helping people with mental health issues and one can sign for clients with hearing impairments.
He paid tribute to the volunteers, to the regular donors and to Rotary: “Without you,” he said, “we would not be able to help the families that we do.”
Mandy Penfold explained that during her year as president of Oadby Rotary in 2019 she decided to prioritise making the town plastic-free, having been inspired by the Cornish group Surfers Against Sewage. She and her club held a public meeting and afterwards formed a steering committee with stakeholders from across the town. Gaining publicity though events at the Botanic Gardens in Oadby and at Parklands Leisure Centre, Mandy’s Rotary friends started attracting the 30 community allies they wanted to spread the word.
Businesses, individuals and community groups were encouraged to pledge to eliminate at least three items of single-use plastics. “All of the plastics ever made,” she said, “are still there.”
Mandy asked Novus Rotarians and their four guests 10 questions about how much plastic pollution there is, how long it lasts to break down and how it can affect wildlife. The correct answers did not make for happy reading!
Page last edited: 17:24 on Saturday, May 27, 2023
