DISTRICT 8 CHAIRMAN 2021-22 - Coral Campbell

Dear Friends,

I would like to introduce myself as your District Chairman for 2021-2022. As I am sure you all realise, for obvious reasons, I am a year late! Nevertheless, I consider it a great honour and privilege to serve you all as District Chairman.

A little about myself …

I was born on the North Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland. I trained in Londonderry as a teacher and taught in NI for five years until I met my husband. Lawrence was a naval chaplain and I moved to England when we got married in 1976. I enjoyed naval life for seven years, living in Petersfield and, during that time, our two children, Peter and Moira, were born. After 16 years in the Navy, Lawrence decided he wanted to return to parish life. So, in 1983, we moved to Norfolk to a benefice based in Brancaster. At that stage, as well as being a teacher, I took on the role of the Rector’s wife. A busy life for 25 years until Lawrence retired in 2008. Sadly, Lawrence died in 2012.

A friend took me to an IW meeting shortly after I became a widow and that was the start of my Inner Wheel journey. I enjoyed making new friends, which was what I needed at that time in my life. I soon got involved in IW activities, mainly in the catering at fundraising events.

Friendship has been even more important for all of us during the last 18 months, due to Covid. We have all had a challenging time, especially those of us who live on our own and have not been able to see family and friends. We are all thankful for modern technology to help us to communicate. Many of us have even learned to Zoom! I am so hopeful that we will be able to share friendship again in the true spirit of Inner Wheel face-to-face through Club meetings, District meetings and, of course, our Rally. The District 8 Rally will be held on Wednesday, 20^th October, 2021, at Briarfields Coastal Hotel, Titchwell, on our beautiful North Norfolk coast.

My motto for the year is “Be positive, but flexible” – so, with that in mind, I really hope you will all attend the Rally and take this opportunity to get together again and I look forward to welcoming you to Norfolk. Equally, it will give me great pleasure to visit you all in your Clubs and I welcome that opportunity to get to know you all.

Charity

I have chosen the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as my charity for this year. We are all touched by the heartbreak of heart and circulatory diseases and, by raising money, the BHF funds research to keep hearts beating and blood flowing.  Its vision is a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases and money raised is used to research cures and treatments to beat heartbreak forever.

As well as donating money, I would also like to set a challenge for each Club to donate items to their local BHF charity shop, recording the number of items donated by the Club. The goal for the District will be to reach at least 1,500 items in total.  In addition to donating bric-à-brac and clothes, please remember that BHF will also accept larger items, for example furniture, which they will collect. Please remember, if you are refurbishing or downsizing this year, to pass these items on to the BHF. This is also an excellent way of recycling our unwanted items, large and small, and when sold in the shops this generates money for the BHF.

There will be a prize for the Club which donates the most items!

Coral

(Coral Campbell, District Chairman)

July 2021