Not ones to be left sitting around, doing nothing during a crisis, Stockport Lamplighter members have been busy with their online shop.The newly formed online fund raising committee meets on Zoom each week to decide on quirky ways they can raise money to be used for good causes. Their other intention is also to raise the profile of Rotary.

Members, wives and husbands are using their unique crafting skills to make a wide ranging variety of seasonal goods for sale in time for Christmas. Knitted hedgehogs and owls, coloured gel candles in wine glasses, bird feeders, personalised plates, personalised mugs filled with chocolates, three tier cake stands and candles in cups with saucers, all adorn the tables of member’s homes.

As they are now unable to meet, the items are being collected from the makers and taken to other member’s homes to be wrapped and then delivered free of charge throughout the SK1 to SK8 areas.
Great care has been taken to prevent the spread of Covid, with much hand washing and social distancing taking place. Post and packing for the items that are for further afield is a mere £2.00

Although the site only went live very recently, over £300.00 worth of orders have already been received, with very positive remarks made about the goods, which you’ll be able to view on the Lamplighter site

Other non crafting members of the committee are using their skills in different ways. After seeing how many people enjoyed discovering the local Heatons area during the early days of lock down, they organised three different length circular walks in the locality, which can be downloaded from the Lamplighters web site for a small donation.

A guided “Walk for Polio” on World Polio Day, Saturday 24th October, had been organised but obviously this cannot now take place so it is hoped families will take up the challenge on their own, for which they will be rewarded with a neatly packaged bag of purple crocus corms to remind them of this time when they bloom later in the Spring. And of course, the IT skills of one member are vital to get all this information onto the Lamplighter web site and out there to the general public.

An interesting on line quiz, provided by one member earlier on in lockdown, may still be useful in the present situation, so why not give it a go.

A wide ranging display of talents working together for the common good is surely what Rotary is all about ! And it’s fun too.

So why not take a look at the Lamplighter site and be amazed at the wonderful array of gifts you could buy to send to your loved ones at Christmas time. www.lamplighters.org