Our March meeting was held in the Panmure Arms Hotel, Edzell and we welcomed visitors from other Inner Wheel Clubs – Aberdeen St Fittock, Montrose and Forfar.
Our speaker was Heather Crabb, who has a professional HR background, who spoke about her involvement with Project Search. This is a one year internship programme supporting 12 young people aged 16-24 with additional needs providing them with real life work experience which would provide them with the skills necessary to go onto employment. Established originally in the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati in 1996, this programme was set up at Aberdeen University in 2013. The University works in partnership with, amongst others, Values into Action, NESCOL, Skills Development, Scotland and the Aberdeenshire Council Employment Team. By the time they graduate the interns have over 800 hours of work experience on their CVs. Placements within the University could be in catering, digital and IT, Estates and Rocking Horse Nursery. Externally the interns have enjoyed placements at NHS Grampian, NESCOL and Aberdeenshire Council. Based at the Butchart Centre at the University, the project has seen 80 young people – a 68% success rate – go into employment across the NE of Scotland since the project began. At present they are accepting applications from the year 2022/23 until the end of May.
We held our Coffee Morning/Bazaar on 5 March and like every other organisation, we have been unable to hold any fund raising events over the past couple of years. So it was with great pleasure that we were able to welcome friends old and new to the Masonic Hall to enjoy the friendship and fellowship of the Inner Wheel. Certainly if the numbers and the noise was anything to go by, it was much enjoyed by all! We were delighted with the funds raised which will be distributed to local charities and organisations.
Frances Wallace
Club Correspondent
