WHEN it comes to fundraising you can't beat getting back to grass roots.
That was the message from a leading Rotarian, who said this was nowhere more apparent than in Market Rasen, as he paid a visit to the club.
Robin Mason, the District Governor of District 1270, is currently the leader of 49 clubs in an area stretching from Beverley to Skegness and out as far as Sheffield.
And, although he will step down later this year, he was full of praise for the Market Rasen team, who he said had made a real difference to people's lives both at home and abroad.
He said he was particularly impressed with the members' involvement in charity fundraising and providing practical support to those living in the town.
However, he reserved his highest praise for the work the club had done in making a donation to Wheelpower – a charity based at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
The charity provides wheelchairs in a range of designs to meet the needs of disabled people who want to get into sport, and develop their skills to a high level.
Following a charter night last October, the Market Rasen club made a donation of £325 to a district-wide fundraiser for the charity, which collected £3,500. The money will now be used to buy one sporting wheelchair, for someone in the local area. The club revealed they had been shown how important it was for disabled sports stars to get the right equipment following a visit from Binbrook Paralympian Jamie Carter earlier in the year.
As reported, Jamie visited the Rotarians, Round Table members and the 41 Club to show and discuss sporting wheelchairs, leading them to help with funding for his Paralympic Games appearance.
Mr Mason, who said he was sad to be nearing the end of his time in charge of the district, also took the opportunity to pass on greetings from the President of Rotary International Sakuji Tanaka from Yashio in Japan.
He also gave the club's members the regards of John Minhinick, of the Rotary Club of Burnt Island, and Kinghorn in Scotland, who oversees all rotary activities in the British Isles.
As reported, Mr Minhinick visited the Market Rasen club earlier in the year, and was taken to see the town's railway station. Mr Mason reported that, so impressed was Mr Minhinick by what he had seen, he had taken the success story of the Station Adoption Group in Market Rasen with him all around Britain on his travels.
