ROTARY CLUB OF KIDDERMINSTER: Kidderminster Rotary Club was treated to hearing some fascinating aspects of the Salvation Army from Major Malcolm Hampton at a recent luncheon meeting. The Salvation Army was born in Dickensian England, starting out as the “East London Christian Mission to the Poor” pioneered by a local Methodist – William Booth. In 1878 the mission became The Salvation Army . At that time matches, were made by a process which used phosphorous. The factory workers tended to contract face cancer. So The Salvation Army designed a Safety match using a different process which was safe to make. Eventually Bryant and May bought them out and are still going strong today.

In the UK, The Salvation Army is the second largest social service provider having many community centres and hostels. Worldwide today, the SA has over 3 million members offering 10,000 beds, and 3,000,000 meals a day. The cost of all this social provision is met by fund raising, without government grants nor lottery money. In thanking Malcolm for a fascinating insight into unfamiliar aspects of the SA, Rotarian Ken Adderley said his claim to fame will be to have shaken the hand which had served a Cheese Toastie to Prince Harry at a Salvation Army canteen on the RAF Station at Shawbury.

If you are fascinated by such topics or interested in supporting the work of Rotary International, why not check out our website: www.kidderminsterrotary.moonfruit.co.uk ; and approach the secretary to join us at our regular meetings on Tuesday lunchtimes at The Mecure Hotel.