The Rotary Club of Inglewood in Taranaki, NZ, might only now be 12 members strong, but their involvement in the community of 3,500 belies their size.
For 28 years now the club has hosted a Charity Car Show, welcoming all sorts of vehicles and stationary engine displays. Each year a recipient is nominated to receive funds raised from the show to support their cause.
This year proved another successful show, with more than 260 exhibitors displaying their pride and joy, from vintage vehicles through to late model cars and military vehicles. This year’s recipient charity was the local Marinoto Rest Home.
PICTURED: Rotarian Jim Shepherd tries out one of the chairs for size and comfort, assisted by President Noel King, Gloria O’Dowd and Graham Drake. Both Noel and Graham were born at Marinoto when it was the Maternity Hospital!
The rest home was originally the town’s Maternity Hospital, which closed in the late 1960s and reopened in 1971 after the Rotary Club of Inglewood established the Inglewood Welfare Society and facilitated the purchase of the property for use as a rest home.
Through the years, Rotary has raised funds for various projects and upgrades at Marinoto.
This year the club donated $3,500 to allow the home and hospital to purchase much needed equipment and five lightweight wheelchairs.
The wheelchairs can be used in showers and wet areas and have brakes on the handles, which carers manoeuvring the chairs can use. In addition, in tune with the theme of ‘on the move’, a much-needed modern serving trolley was purchased for staff to bring meals safely and easily from the kitchen to the dining room.
PICTURED: Marinoto Rest Home Manager Janine shows Rotary Club of Inglewood members one of the new wheelchairs, which cost $490 each.
Previous donations from the club have purchased specialised lifting equipment that each room is being fitted with, which allows carers and nurses to lift residents in and out of bed with remote controls.
Each room that requires a lift needs an investment of $3,500. So far, three of the hospital wing rooms have these lifts, which the staff say are a godsend.
MAIN PICTURE: A typical car show scene, where up to 400 exhibitors support the event each year.