Sunday 14th May – North Dorset Cycle Ride
With the start back on Park walk, we enjoyed great weather and an even better attendance. New rides into the Cranborne Chase and returning via the Chalke & Nadder Valleys.
The family fun ride at Coombe House was bigger and better with more variety and proficiency courses.
We are grateful for the continued support of Blackmore Vale Dairy, Gillingham Wheelers, and all the volunteers and riders who make this event possible. As every year the lead charity is Prostate Cancer. Full report on website.
Monday 15th – Guest Speaker Michelle Alford
Michelle Alford spoke to us about her work with the Hilltop Litter Pickers. The group aims to keep our attractive rural town clean and litter free, both for residents and for the thousands of visitors who come to visit. The group works closely with both the Dorset Waste Partnership and Shaftesbury Town Council. In 2018 the Hilltop Litter Pickers won the first Rachel Caldwell Award.
The volunteers meet on a regular basis and are all committed to doing ‘their bit’ for the community. Michelle explained that she has been involved with the group for many years. She showed us and explained about some of the things they have collected – from bottles to clothing and even bicycle wheels. She highlighted that the waste collected has changed over time. For example, there is now a major problem with discarded e-cigarettes around the town.
We all found Michelle’s talk very informative. We agreed that we would try to support the group in some way in the future, particularly as they have an ongoing need for suitable PPE and other equipment. The Shaftesbury Rotakids spent an afternoon with The Hilltop Litter Pickers earlier this year.
Monday 22nd – Club Assembly
We met for our Club Assembly. This was the opportunity for Peter Sale who will be President from July to present his plans for the year. Peter brings great enthusiasm to this and is full of ideas for the coming year. This includes a full range of social events and also some new ideas for fund raising and community events to add to our regulars.
We look forward to a full and exciting year!
