With thanks to our friends at Asda in Abbey Lane, Leicester, Novus volunteers are asking shoppers to give money and non-perishable food to the Food Bank operated by the charity Open Hands, based in Lower Willow Street.
They have been invited by Asda’s Community Champion Shaheen Memon to station themselves at the store on the mornings of Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5.
“It’s an exciting time for us,” says president Ranjit Singh Mann. “This will be our first fund-raising event since the Covid restrictions were lifted… and the first time we will use our brand-new smart cart terminal, allowing us to take payments from donors using credit and debit cards.”
The payments will go directly to the Rotary Club of Leicester Novus’s Charitable Trust. Ninety per cent of what is collected at the weekend will be transferred to Open Hands and the remaining 10 per cent will be given to other charities later in this Rotary year, which will end in June. But all money will go to charity; Rotary members absorb all costs and charge no fees for their fundraising or service projects.
“Rotary’s motto is Service Above Self, says Ranjit. “But we need help from supporters like the Asda store and its customers to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing Leicester people, like food and energy poverty.
“So we hope people will help us to help their neighbours who desperately need help. You can do that by donating food or money… or by contacting us to help us on future projects,” says pharmacist Ranjit.
To get in touch with Novus Rotary, please hit the “Contact Us” button at the top of all the pages on this website. We’d love to meet you and welcome you as a helper or prospective member.
This page created: 19:40 on Wednesday, March 1, 2023
After a four-hour shift on Saturday, March 4, Novus volunteers had collected £191.81 in cash from generous Asda shoppers. And, a total of £95.50 was donated via the Rotary Club’s brand-new card reader, making a total of £286.31.
This was the first time the card reader had been used. Collection organiser Jim Matthews was delighted and relieved that it had more than paid for itself, because the club members had met the purchase price.
He said: “The card reader operated without a hitch. What really pleased me was that it made it very easy and quick for shoppers to donate. I was surprised by how many people used their phones to pay. And how many used its ‘tap and go’ function; in fact no-one had to key in their pin code.
“We were given £40 in notes and a total of 438 coins, ranging from one pennies to £2. Every coin will help struggling families who rely on the Open Hands Food Bank. On behalf of them all, Novus Rotary thanks Asda and all their kind shoppers.”
Rotary will be back at Asda from 11am to 1pm on Sunday, March 5, and we hope to raise even more for the food bank.
If you want to donate please click on the “Contact Us” button at the top this page.
This page updated: 20:40 on Saturday, March 4, 2023
During two mornings collecting monetary donations for the Open Hands Food Bank, Novus Rotary raised just over £453. Of that total, £153.50 was donated via the card reader bought by Rotary members. Ten per cent of that total will be temporarily held by the Rotary Club’s charitable trust until it is donated to other charities.
And, as you can see from the photograph, the club was encouraging shoppers to donate items of food which will also be sent by Asda to the Open Hands charity, which is based in Lower Willow Street, Leicester. You can learn more about Open Hands by following this link https://www.openhandsleicester.org.uk/how-we-help/the-food-store/
Open Hands is one of more than a dozen in the county which helps hundreds of families cope with the cost of living crisis. If you want to help, please contact Open Hands directly or use the Contact Us button at the top of this page.
Novus Rotary hopes to stage another collection soon for another food bank.
Organiser Jim Matthews said: “We are very grateful to Asda and their generous shoppers. Without them we could not have achieved so much for the families who need help putting food on the table.
“If you want to help us in the future, please get in touch via this web page.”
Final edit of this page: 18:45 on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
