Former Rotary Club donates final ArtHouse Cafe funds to charity

The former Melksham Rotary Club has donated over £6,000 to Dorothy House using funds raised during its time running the ArtHouse Cafe.

The popular cafe, which was located behind the red doors in the Market Place, was run by the Rotary since 2011 but closed as a result of the Covid lockdown.

During its time, the cafe raised over £100,000 for local charities and causes.

“Funds were distributed to local agencies as we closed our accounts, but we held some money back in case the taxman wanted his cut,” explained the club’s final president, Ruth Fivash. “The time allotted for them to deal with any tax issues has now elapsed and it is with pleasure that, as a club, we can now say that our final donation has been sent to Dorothy House to the value of £6,066.06.”

As well as providing a much-loved place in the centre of town for people to meet over a cup of coffee, the café was also used by a number of local organisations as a meeting place.

Over the years, it welcomed a new ‘carers cafe,’ offering carers and the people they care for a place to escape isolation and meet others in a similar situation, and hosted teatime get-togethers for people with dementia and their carers.

Local artists also displayed their work on the walls each month. “As people know, the cafe had to close during the pandemic due to the many restrictions at the time and for the need to show care to our vulnerable volunteers,” said Ruth.

“We maintained the club via Zoom, but it was evident that without new members, the clubs were not sustainable and the decision was taken to close the club.

“I would personally like to thank all members over the years for the many events they organised to raise funds for local and international charities, as well as thank the people of Melksham for their support.”

Melksham Rotary, which raised thousands for local and international charities and organisations, closed in 2022 after 57 years.

Pictured: the ArtHouse Cafe