The Rotary Club of Holbeach is closing after 25 years of service to the community.
But its members are determined the work it’s associated with, including Santa’s visits in December, will continue.
The club went out with a bang with a special presentation evening on Tuesday, May 28 at Holbeach United FC marking its quarter of a century of supporting the town, Long Sutton, Sutton Bridge and surrounding villages.
Club president Colin Scott says the decision to transfer the branch’s operations to the Rotary Club of Spalding and Welland is down to the falling number of volunteers.
He said: “It’s ironic that the falling membership comes at a time when the need for voluntary community has never been higher.
“However, the club is determined that its previous support of local community groups should continue, where resources allow, through the Spalding and Welland Rotary Club – especially the annual Christmas campaign featuring Santa and his sleigh, which raises funds to support local voluntary groups throughout the area.”
He continued: “Conventional wisdom within Rotary, confirmed by our experience, is that a Rotary Club needs a minimum of 15 members to be sustainable, and that 20+ members is desirable.
“We have been below that minimum level for three years now, and find ourselves no longer able to provide the required new leadership team for the next Rotary year (starting in July) from within our membership.
“This makes the club unviable.”
A number of the Holbeach branch members will be joining an expanded Spalding and Welland branch which will effectively stretch from Moulton to Sutton Bridge.
A fitting finale saw a host of prizes given out to those who have helped the community over the past 25 years at the celebration event.
The highest Rotarian honour that can be bestowed on a non-Rotarian, the certificate and pin of the Paul Harris Fellowship was presented to Tracey Carter.
The award named after the founder of the Rotary movement honoured the local councillor exceptional dedication and commitment to voluntary community service in Holbeach.
Colin said: “Coun Carter is at the very heart of community service in Holbeach, both as a practitioner (she runs the Holbeach Hub) and as a supporter and facilitator to other groups, to whom she liberally offers her time, organisational skills, advice, knowledge and networking.
“She is a one-woman powerhouse, he said – she makes more things happen than any five other people I know.”
On behalf of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI), the club also presented certificates of the RIBI Service Recognition Award.
Coun Graham Rudkin and his wife Carol received a certificate for their years of hard work, imagination and leadership, both personally and through Holbeach in Bloom, in improving the street scene with their planting, and in successfully promoting Holbeach in the annual Britain in Bloom Best Kept Village competitions.
Holbeach Community Sports Academy was presented with the certificate in recognition of the depth and breadth of its service to the youth of Holbeach through the promotion of football as an active sport to large numbers of children and young people between the ages of six and 18.
