Welcome to the Macclesfield and East Cheshire Branch of the BCSS. We are a thriving Branch and are happy to give a warm welcome to newcomers. We are fortunate to have an enthusiastic group of people in the Branch, who are diverse in their ages and interests, but all of whom have a common bond in their delight in growing and admiring Cacti and Succulents.
After the Branch settled into its new meeting place at the Victory Hall in Mobberley at the beginning of 2022, attendances steadily returned to pre-Covid times, and the members are richly entertained by a variety of excellent speakers. A highlight of 2023 must surely be a fourth consecutive Gold Medal at the RHS Tatton Park flower show in July; our Tatton Team have really got the Midas touch, although it gets harder each year to come up with something new. This year we achieved our highest ever score, only dropping one point on the judges’ scoring criterion.
2023 has seen monthly attendances flatline at around 20 people despite the varied talks presented by some excellent visiting speakers. Records show that only approximately 30% of Branch members regularly attend meetings; a situation which the committee is keen to see improve. Financial stability is essential for all societies and regular higher attendances would ensure that at least the cost of the venue is covered. Suggestions are always welcome and can be sent to either Tony Leonard (Chair) agleonard@btinternet.com or Ann Martin (Secretary) secretary@macclesfield.bcss.org.uk
Meetings continue to be held on the second Monday of the month at the Victory Hall, Mobberley, with a prompt start at 7:30pm.