The club raised £2,361 from three street collections (two in pouring rain) and one at Sainsbury’s – and the new crib in the High Street also contributed and was quite popular with passers by viewing the traditional Nativity scene.
The Rotary raffles at the Yuletide Festival proved to be popular with worthwhile prizes on offer.
The plan is to distribute the funds between Alton Stroke Recovery Group, Kids Out, and the Alton Rehab Centre.
At a more recent club meeting, Rotarians were given an interesting talk by Captain Wendy Maughan of the Trinity House charity.
Capt Maughan explained how the corporation was founded in 1514 by Henry VIII and today is the General Lighthouse Authority and the Deep Sea Pilotage authority for northern European waters.
It is a charitable organisation dedicated to the training, safety and welfare of mariners.
The history of the UK’s lighthouses is extremely varied. Early versions in the 16th and 17th centuries were wooden structures with coal-fired lights which were not very effective.
Trinity House took over all these sites and gradually upgraded them to substantial masonry towers with brighter lights.
The development of reflective dishes, glass lenses and rotating optics took place throughout the 18th and 19th centuries supported by lights powered by coal and diesel generators.
Today, many of the lighthouses are outstanding building structures built on spectacular locations and available for the public to view and, in some locations, to stay.
Modern developments in power sources have enabled solar, wind and wave power to be commonly used.
The lighting systems are operated from a central source so no lighthouse keepers are required today.
Trinity House is currently responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of 64 lighthouses, eight light vessels and hundreds of guidance buoys located around the UK.
To find out more about Alton Rotary, call Graham on 01420 82378.
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