“Make a Loan, Change a Life”

Image above: Shurity Mudenda and some of the members of The Confidence Group

Rotary Club of Macclesfield Castle are celebrating a landmark charitable achievement as one of hundreds of Rotary clubs from across the country who together have contributed over £1 million to Lendwithcare, a microfinance charity which enables people in the UK to make small loans to entrepreneurs from poor communities around the world, enabling them to start or expand their small businesses and work their way out of poverty with dignity, to feed their families and send their children to school.

With the support of the local community here in Macclesfield, members have raised and lent a total of £11,019 over 6 years, with the club loaning to 730 entrepreneurs. Through these loans Macclesfield Castle has supported 2,419 family members and helped create 522 new jobs. None of the 730 entrepreneurs have defaulted on their loans.

President Chris Watson wishes to thank local people for their support: “We raise funds throughout the year to support both local charities and international charities. We are very grateful for the generous support of Macclesfield people through our collections at supermarkets, the annual Swimathon, Easter Egg Raffle, concerts and Whisky Tasting evening”.

Lendwithcare organiser for the local club, Clive Howlett, said: “We are proud to be a part of this fantastic initiative. Lendwithcare is a great way to help people out of poverty. You see exactly who the money is going to, and what they will use it for. The entrepreneur uses the funds to help them to earn a living, often employing family members and neighbours as well, helping to lift their communities out of poverty. They pay the loans back, which can be re-lent to person after person. That money will keep being re-lent and re-lent, translating into many millions of pounds worth of loans over the coming years”.

The Rotary Club of Macclesfield Castle have assisted entrepreneurs such as the Confidence Group from Zambia which has fourteen women members. They started their businesses to be able to provide daily needs for their families. Shurity Mudenda is married and has two children who are in school. She has been trained as a pre-school teacher and so she opened her own pre-school where she has over 30 pupils. Shurity has also employed 3 people who help her in the daily activities of the school. They have fully repaid their loan.

Clive is keen to share information about Lendwithcare vouchers as an inspirational Christmas gift: ”The vouchers start from £15. With Lendwithcare you can choose the entrepreneur you wish to lend the voucher to and then see them work their way out of poverty. When the loan has been repaid, typically over 6-12 months, you can choose to reinvest in another entrepreneur, or even withdraw the money. For more information contact www.lendwithcare.org or macclesfieldcastlerotary@gmail.com”.