WHILE millions of people took things out of calendars for Christmas last month, the club went against the grain and did the opposite.

Instead, it created its own advent calendar appeal and collected food items for each day of the month.

The donations, weighing at nearly 170 kilograms, were handed over along with a cash gift to Whitchurch Foodbank on Friday.

This included the support show to Rotary Club volunteers, who spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day preparing, cooking and delivering 116 meals to elderly or disabled residents of Whitchurch who could not make arrangements for themselves.

The club volunteers also went on an annual 21-day fundraising tour, taking Santa’s illuminated float around the town and the surrounding areas and managed to raise more than £9,000.

The Rotary Club paid tribute to the communities of Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.

Club president, Dave Simcock, said: “It was a tremendous and big-hearted response that will help fund the community projects we are already planning for 2022.

“We owe the town a big thank you for supporting our work so generously."