What a busy end to 2025 we had with the Westminster Light Trail and supermarket collections for our Christmas Parcels and Christmas Appeals. Thanks to all of you that helped in whatever way you were able. The Light Trail collected over £5000 (of which we will receive a share), the parcel appeal over £6000 and the supermarket appeal raised over £3000: so, we as a club are in a better position to do greater good in the local community. Well Done.
However, let us not rest on our laurels as we have much to do for the remainder of this Rotary Year.
The 3 main problems we face are:
Reviewing options and deciding the most effective distribution of the £20,000 Helen Morris Bequest;
Encouraging the 6+ people currently interested in joining the Club into full membership;
Trialling some innovative changes to our meeting routines that will attract a greater regular attendance from our current members.
And, once again, I seek your help in forming working groups to take these topics forward. Please contact me if you feel able to assist in any of these 3 areas: this is your chance to have a meaningful say in Club business.
In the meantime, may I wish you and your families all the very best for the New Year.
Nig Randall, President 25/26p
Welcome to our newest member - David Stainsby
David joins us this month having transferred from the Lichfield St Chad Rotary Club after moving to the Grimsbury area. I am sure you will make David feel welcome in his new Club when you meet him.
We recently received a heartwarming letter from a trustee of the Banbury SocialEyes charity group, part of MyVision Oxfordshire, to thank us for the generous contributions we made to them this year, and to wish all members a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Attached is their annual report, highlighting what they have been doing this year and the impact of MyVision in this area. You may spot Steve Baker in one of the photos.
Members of SocialEyes would welcome the opportunity to tell you more about living with visual impairment and what the local group means to them. Also, members of Rotary would be welcome to join one of their monthly coffee and chats at the Mill so that the group could personally thank you for your support.
You are thanked for Club's work in raising funds and generosity to Banbury SocialEyes.
Annie Gayton, who caters for us at the Cricket Club, teaches her culminary and enterprise skills to catering student at Banbury College. Part of the practical tuition for students is to produce and serve a practice Christmas Meal to paying guests on Tues and Thus lunchtime in the two weeks before Christmas. Purely out of the goodness of our hearts (and stomachs) ten members and partners volunteered to be guineapigs at their first event on Thu 4 Dec 25, and I have to admit that the meal was very generous (in a massive way) and increadibly tasty. Sometimes it can be great fun helping out in the community!
Following the success of last year’s Charity Christmas Light Trail, the Westminster Group Foundation once again brought a festive cheer to Banbury with a dazzling display of lights and decorations at Westminster House. The 2025 event took place over two weekends — Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December and Friday 12th to Sunday 14th December, from 6pm to 9pm each evening.
Visitors were able to take a magical walk through the illuminated gardens, enjoy hot drinks and food stalls, and take part in a Children’s Christmas Quest. The entry fee was by a suggested donation of £5 per person, with all funds raised going to charity.
The Westminster Corporate Rotary Members helped by a few Club Members helped to raise £5000, which will be split amongst their choice of local charities. See below for a letter of thanks from them for our support.
Jan 30, 2026 Ends: 2:00 pm GMT Standard Time (UTC00:00)
Birthdays
Member Birthdays
Deborah Critchley
January 13
Shirley Kershaw
January 24
and finally …
The following Rotarians raised £639 by donating to the RI Foundation Fund rather than sending Christmas Cards to their Club colleagues.They wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for January 2026: Ashley Bedding, John Bennett, Tim Bryce, Ian Calderbank, Phil Cavill, Peter Fowler, John Groves, Paul Gardiner, Geoff Pollard, Nigel Halfpenny, Maurice Humphris, Gareth Jeremy, Val Kempster, Amanda Laurenson, Martin Phillips, Nigel Randall, Mark Recchia, David Richardson, David Sullivan, Peter Wilkins and Alan Wolstencroft
