The Irlam and Cadishead based Inner Wheel Club 2000 celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Inner Wheel movement with a lovely afternoon tea followed by an eventful game of bingo and a grand raffle, held at the Wesley Chapel on Lords Street, Cadishead. Inner Wheel was the brainchild of Margarette Golding, a Nurse and Philanthropist, and wife of a Rotarian in Manchester in 1923. She arranged a meeting of Rotary members wives at the Heriots Turkish Baths in Deansgate Manchester - Mrs Golding later admitted it was the only room she could get for free! The 27 ladies who met decided the objectives of the club would be to foster friendship between the wives of Rotarians and secondly without encroaching on the prerogatives of the men, widen their opportunities for service, which official club status would give them. By their next meeting on January 10th, 1924, the name Inner Wheel (I. W.) was officially adopted with that date now annually recognised as International Inner Wheel Day, the women had raised £80 and knitted 80 knitted baby garments which they donated to St. Marys Hospital Manchester, in time for Christmas. From those small beginnings in Manchester Inner Wheel clubs around the World have continued their ideals of friendship, service, and overseas understanding. They now have 450 clubs in the UK and Ireland and 3895 clubs around the World. This makes I. W. one of the largest women’s organisations in the World and has representation at the United Nations. Joan Lee from Irlam said, “Our home club is Irlam 2000 and as the name would suggest, was reformed in the year 2000. We meet monthly at The Clubhouse in Barton and the objectives of our club remain the same as of those original women 100 years ago - ‘Friendship’, ‘Community Service’ and to promote international understanding”. Joan added, “In recent years we have supported the Air Ambulance, The Salvation Army, Women’s Refuge, Irlam and Cadishead Foodbank, Manchester Blood Bikes, and the children of Ukraine and each year we provide a Christmas Party for the clients attending Preston Hall in Irlam. Irlam 2000 continues to work alongside our Rotary colleagues on projects like ‘Irlam in Bloom’, Christmas parcels for the elderly, and the Father Christmas Float.” Anyone interested in finding out more about the Irlam Inner Wheel Club 2000 can contact Joan Lee on 07811 156 843. Here’s to the next 100 Years! Words and Pictures – Bill McLaughlin
