THE MARGARETTE GOLDING AWARD

Read about Mansfield’s Two Award Recipients

Margarette Golding, Founder President of Inner Wheel, was a remarkable woman of courage, energy and foresight. As a nurse, she had been aware of the great need for help in the community following the World War I and so decided to start a club for Rotarian wives in Manchester on 10th January 1924. The  success of this first group, initially in support of Rotary, encouraged others in Britain to establish more clubs and eventually, the IW organisation spread around the world.

In 2000, International Inner Wheel decided to establish the “Margarette Golding Award” for Inner Wheel members or others who have distinguished themselves by outstanding voluntary efforts in the community. Successful recipients have generally been involved for many years with a variety of charities or organisations, which are unconnected with work on behalf of Inner Wheel.

As one of the largest female service organisations in the world, club members work hard in support of local, national and international IW projects as well as other charities in our communities. During this summer, District 22 gained another MGA recipient, one of nine in total now, and chatting at one of Elaine Campin’s coffee mornings for six, socially distanced of course, more recent Mansfield members were unaware that two of our own Club had been given this prestigious award in the past for their fantastic commitment on a very regular basis to help improve life for others.

In June 2007, at the end of a splendid year for Mansfield when Yvonne Neville had been District Chairman, one hundred and seventy-one members from around the district were enjoying our annual charter at The Hostess, when it was announced that Margaret Setchell had been honoured with a Margarette Golding Award for her considerable contributions to several organisations including St Peter’s Church, The Hall Homeless Project and Girl Guiding in Nottinghamshire.

It was a surprise to us all except Rosemary Wilson and Veronica Malkowski, who had secretly sponsored her nomination to IIW ……Margaret was thrilled and everyone in the room was delighted.

Only four years later, in 2011, another quiet and unassuming member, Ann Pradhan, was recognised for her exceptional personal service as voluntary manager of the local Children’s Society Charity Shop, raising many thousands of pounds to improve the lives of youngsters. The commendations from The Children’s Society like “From sorting people’s unwanted goods,to organising volunteer recruitment and training, from setting up fashion shows to arranging annual lunches as a thank you to her team, Ann never showed anything but her utmost to make the shop a success” are truly moving accolades to her outstanding and tireless commitment to this demanding role for twenty- eight years.

As the criteria for success are set so high, very few people worldwide have received the Margarette Golding Award, so it remains a truly significant marker of an individual’s highly-commendable commitment to others, ….. but both Margaret and Ann would just consider themselves members of a hard-working team of volunteers enjoying fun and friendship along the way.

Vivienne Brown

INTERNATIONAL INNER WHEEL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST WOMEN’S SERVICE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN THE WORLD.

IIW is active in over 103 countries, with 100,000 members in 3895 clubs.

WORKING INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY OR JOINING FORCES WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT, ASSOCIATION AND EVEN INTERNATIONALLY, MEMBERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO PEOPLE’S LIVES IN SO MANY WAYS.

Happier Futures Better Lives campaign

Inner Wheel clubs, districts and countries take part in a wide range of work for charities and causes across the world with the aim to give people Happier Futures and Better Lives.

Here in Mansfield Inner Wheel 

By Rosemary Wilson

Over the years, we have supported a wide range of charities and organisations such as collecting spectacles for Vision Aid, sending shoe boxes full of toys via the Salvation Army to Eastern Europe and selling books at our meetings to raise money for Book Aid International.

Small coin donations are collected for Water Aid. Stamps are saved and trimmed for the Leprosy Mission

Aquabox and Shelterbox are supported by donations and Mary’s Meals benefit too from our many and varied fundraising events.

In January we celebrate World Inner Wheel Day on 10th January by having a working day when members will be busy chatting whilst cutting stamps, sewing and crocheting squares into cosy, colourful blankets, packing Baby Bundles and filling Joy and Roy bags.

These bags are filled with “Goodies” for mums, children and dads when a new baby is born and a baby bundle is presented in order to encourage the mum to attend antenatal classes and get the baby immunised.

Over the past few years we have worked with the National Police aid Convoy which takes our goods to wherever needed especially Zambia and Europe. We know that our items will be delivered safely and enjoyed by many improverished families as the pictures show.

At our club, inter-club and district meetings, we have many varied and challenging speakers, including about charities including

Working with Girls — a sanitary- ware project for teenagers in Zambia

Mercy Ships — minor operations by volunteer medical staff

Trade Aid — A box of goods to train and establish a business person ie: seamstress

School in a Bag — to provide items to equip a child to go to school

Gambia School’s Project—a school set up by a local Rotarian and Inner Wheel husband and wife

Farm Africa—to donate funds for animals

Vision Aid Overseas—to promote the supply of optical services in third world countries.

We enjoy, have fun and thrive on working hard to bring relief to many in need around the world thus fulfilling

Our Aim                       To promote true friendship

Challenge                    To encourage the ideals of personal service and

Motto                           To foster international understanding

Each year the charities chosen can change depending on the current needs of others, sometimes in response to natural disasters, so please look on our Home page for details of up-to-date events and projects.

Have a look on our website- Association of Inner Wheel Clubs- to discover more about the amazing variety of projects which are happening currently.

The Inner Wheel Club of Mansfield welcomed clubs from around District 22 to a International Sandwich Lunch in February 2015 and were very proud to display its Certificate  received from the National Police Aid Convoys Charity. This was  presented for the twenty -five years of support the club had achieved in helping to fill containers with  clothes, furniture and school equipment which were destined for third world and war-torn countries.

To mark our Seventieth Anniversary, Mansfield Inner Wheel was invited to put on a display in the Foyer of Our Local Museum, tracing its history since 1946. Many people from around the District enjoyed reading the old log books and looking back at old photos. 

The display also thanked individuals and groups in our wider community, even as far as Beverley in Yorkshire, for all their efforts in providing knitted and crocheted baby clothes, bootees and warm blankets  in support of the club’s efforts as well as showing the members hard at work at the Working Day, held to celebrate World Inner Wheel Day.