ROTARY clubs from across the county ably demonstrated that community service is still alive and well.

With “Service before Self” Rotary’s motto and despite all the year’s major fundraisers being cancelled due to Covid 19, North Group Rotarians have found a cooperative and innovative way of volunteering.

Last weekend Rotarians gathered at Chopsticks in Northallerton, a non-profit community benefit society that caters for adults with disabilities. Its main activity is the production of premium-grade kindling with biomass woodchip fuel made from scrap timber which would have otherwise been sent to landfill.

It also offers a range of other services and activities to its members, such as crafts classes, mowing lawns and making gardenware products.

Rotary members from Northallerton, Northallerton Mowbray, Wensleydale and Harrogate Brigantes joined in with packing 73 bags of kindling and painting their kitchen.

Phil Bramhall, Chopsticks community business manager, said: “The support Rotary is providing packing bags of kindling on our production line will increase our wood fuel sales stock and thereby contribute towards our financial viability as a community enterprise.

“It also helps the sustainability of our non-profit charitable organisation.”

Northallerton Rotary Club, in conjunction with Chopsticks, are running a competition to win £100 plus a trophy. See their website for details.