Ukraine invasion / Yoga club donates leftover funds to Ukraine appeal
THE LONG-running Shetland Yoga club has come to an end – but there is a silver lining in the shape of a £3,000 donation to the Ukraine appeal.
The group has been active since the 1980s but following the Covid pandemic it has decided to “cloo up”.
But with £3,000 left in its accounts the team decide to donate the surplus funds the DEC Ukraine humanitarian appeal.
Group member Hazel Thomson said: “We feel a bit sad that Shetland Yoga has run its course but so happy that we have been able to contribute something to help the people of Ukraine and feel sure anyone who has attended our Yoga classes over the years will agree.”
The beginnings of yoga being practiced in groups in Shetland came when a woman called Frances Musselwhite moved to the isles because her husband was employed by BP at Sullom Voe.
Hazel said she and a group of friends met in each other’s houses.
“In the summer of 1980 the Sound School headmaster contacted her and invited her to start evening classes that winter,” she added.
“When the classes came to an end in spring the group were keen to keep up their yoga practise and decided to form the Lerwick Yoga Club led on a rota basis by six volunteers, and this would run till the evening classes started up again in September.
“The club has been running since that time – later changing its name to Shetland Yoga.”
It ran every Thursday night as a drop in class, and over the years the group supported four members in attaining their yoga teaching qualifications.
“When the pandemic hit classes came to an end,” Thomson said.
“We had an AGM on Zoom but were unable to get new members on the committee and unable to get a secretary.
“We decided to leave things as they were, we couldn’t have classes and because there are more yoga classes running all through the year we felt there was not the same need for summer classes – and the committee are all getting older, some having been involved for 40 years.”
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -
- Remove non-local ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
