Dundee Rotary Club has donated more than £10,000 this year to local good causes battling with the impact of the pandemic.
A third of the money has come directly from members who have been paying their weekly lunch fees into a fund to help groups and organisations in the city tacking the effects of Covid-19.
President Clive Murray said: “One of our club priorities this year is to help local groups deal with impact of coronavirus, whenever we can.
“While regular fundraising activity has regrettably been curtailed, our Donate a Meal scheme has been a great success, allowing members to make significant contributions, which have been passed on to help support local response.”
The club’s spending began when the effects of the pandemic were first felt with a £6,000-plus package of aid for Dundee Foodbank, comfort packs for nursing staff at Ninewells Hospital, the care sector, volunteer groups delivering groceries to the housebound and other food providing bodies.
Since March, the club has been unable to hold its Thursday lunchtime meetings at its regular venue of the Invercarse Hotel and instead has been meeting virtually via the Zoom online app.
Members’ donations through the Donate a Meal scheme have amounted to £3,000 so far, with the effort topped up by a further £1,500 from club funds.
ABF The Soldiers Charity and foodbanks at St Luke’s Church and the Boomerang Centre each received £1,000, with £1,500 given to the Dundee Food Insecurity Network.
The club, which celebrates its centenary next year, has also responded to an international emergency by contributing £1,000 to the Rotary District appeal to help humanitarian efforts in Beirut after the Lebanese capital’s devastating explosion.
