The Rotary Club of Alford and Mablethorpe covers a substantially rural and agricultural area stretching from the East Coast to the Lincolnshire Wolds.
Population figures are low, Alford has around 4,000 inhabitants and Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea have around 12,500 between them, the remaining population is thinly spread over the many small villages and hamlets. There is extensive farming but little major industry and small businesses are mainly clustered around the three towns.
The club was chartered in 1978 with thirty members and has maintained an average membership in the mid-thirties until the pandemic related lockdowns saw mewmbership fall to around twenty.
We work with a number of local organisations to serve the community. We have close links with a number of schools and support individual students who become involved in overseas projects.
We have previously organised, and now support, the Sutton on Sea Christmas Fayre and several events run by other local community groups, often by providing a BBQ, mobile bar or Santa’s grotto.
In the past 7 years we have provided more than 60 Shelterboxes for disaster relief across the world.
The club has been served by many active and committed presidents, officers and members and has always maintained a high profile both locally and internationally and continues to play a considerable role in District, national and international Rotary affairs.
The Roger Mutton Fund
Over the years any club or organisation suffers loss when members, family or friends are called to higher service.
Almost certainly the most tragic event to befall our club was the loss of Roger Mutton; Roger, a local chemist and Past President of the club, lost his life in August 1990 at Amble, Northumberland whilst attempting to rescue his son from the sea; fortunately the boy was saved. Roger was posthumously awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship and a Royal Humane Society Bravery Award in recognition of his heroic efforts.
Members of the club determined that he would be remembered by the formation of the “Roger Mutton Fund”. The primary purposes of the fund were firstly to commemorate Roger’s life and service in Rotary and secondly to receive and apply future donations in respect of departed Rotarians whose names may then be added to the Memorial List.
The aims of the Fund are dedicated to “promote by financial award the educational, vocational or character developing activities of young persons aged seven to eighteen years, resident within the club’s geographical area on either an individual or group basis”.
Over the years this fund has assisted many local young people in their endeavours and as one of the club’s millennium projects a substantial donation was made towards an extension to the Meridale Youth Centre in Sutton on Sea.
NB In October 2012, John Monk MBE the leader of Meridale and already an Honorary Rotarian, was awarded a Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of over 40 years service to the community.