Rotary Club of Cambridge member Gill lends a hand in raising funds for charity Lendwithcare

Rotary Club of Cambridge member Gill Coe has been instrumental in raising funds for Lendwithcare, a lending initiative which offers loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

The Rotary Club of Cambridge has been investing in Lendwithcare for nearly a year, starting with a pot of £500.

Gill said: “The Rotary Club of Cambridge is 102 years old this year, so for our centenary we had a big fundraising event and we had some money left over from our centenary funds – and we decided to use some of it for projects abroad.

“We originally invested £500 [in Lendwithcare] and we’ve now got to the stage where we have enough repayments coming in to relend £50 every month.

“And we’re now looking to extend that, and we also have individual members who want to contribute personally to the Lendwithcare fund. It’s been really successful, it really is rewarding.”

The team has now got £163 back in repayments, from the original £500.

“I just go out and try and encourage other people to support me in this project,” said Gill, who is set to take over as Rotary Club president from July 2025 to July 2026.

For more on the Rotary Club of Cambridge, visit rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=460. For more on Lendwithcare, go to bit.ly/4cvtVcR.