2023/24
ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
President’s Report
I would like to start this report by thanking all the members for their support and encouragement during the year.
After last year’s heavy loss of membership for many different reasons the trend was also evident this year. The Club lost 5 members through resignation. That was slightly offset by gaining one transferring Rotarian. This left us with a net minus four for the year. On a brighter note there are two members in the Pipeline, one returning and the other a long time ‘friend’ and Sleigh supporter.
From my 20 plus year Rotary history I am a strong believer that a strength of a healthy Club is to regularly have interesting speakers covering a wide range of different topics and I believe that was achieved.
Our traditional major fund-raising initiative was the Santa Sleigh. With the extremely hard work of the Sleigh team, assisted by countless volunteers we raised over £17,000. This was distributed to no less than 51 local charities.
Other fund-raising activities included our regulars, Christmas Wreath making, a Quiz evening and Garden Party. This year the list was added to by an extremely successful Easter Egg raffle at multiple pubs and clubs in Dacorum. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that organised and worked on these efforts.
My two chosen charities for the bulk of the net proceeds of non-Sleigh fund raising were DENS Foodbank and Rotary International’s flagship endeavour to end Polio. They received £3,600 and £1,500 respectfully. Other causes that the Club Supported financially were the ongoing sponsorship of the education of a girl in Kenya through the Red Rubber Ball Foundation, DCT, Shelterbox, Kids Out and the Christmas party arranged by the Rotary Club of Malabon in the Philippines.
We have also donated £50 to a number of guest speakers from charities, namely Heather Club, Red Rubber Ball, Children’s Trust, Headway Herts, Frogmore Papermill, Herts Air Ambulance, Ollie Foundation and Fairtrade.
In addition to providing financial support to DENS quarterly food drives were held which provided a good quantity of much needed food for the organization.
It was decided to have Club Council and Business meetings every other month, with the intervening meetings being replaced by social meetings, such as the Bowls evening and meals at local restaurants. This change has been well received by Club members.
Our Youth activities events were well supported. We assisted several successful events – Youth Speaks, Technology Tournament and Young Artist.
The Remembrance Sunday wreath presentation was performed, along with the other Dacorum dignitaries, as in previous years.
All in all I would consider that a very successful year.
Alan J. Wright
Rotary Club of Hemel Hempstead President 2023 – 2024
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
Communications Committee
Committee Member: Tony Ford (Chair)
PR for the Club was passed to a new Committee.
The website has been updated and refreshed in one or two areas during the year.
Beverley has persevered with excellent work with Facebook, which continues to play a large part in the publicising of the Santa Sleigh. There has been some provision of material to groups such as Next Door.
Bulletins, Roundabouts and the Club Calendar continued to trickle forth, and have provided a link to activities for those who have shunned meetings and the Zoom platform.
Zoom has been limited to Business Meetings.
Fellowship Meetings have been interesting.
Radio Dacorum continued to be available for the promotion of Club activities.
The Club is still publicised in the ground outside St. John’s Church where the crocuses have bloomed once again.
eBoards continue to provide useful means of involving Members in activities.
Tony Ford Chair, Communications Committee
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
Annual Report 2023/24
Community & Vocational Committee
Absence any Member prepared to Chair the Committee, it was not operational this year.
The Friendship Café and Phoenix Club ceased meeting when the Covid pandemic struck and it is now unlikely that they will be reopened.
Foodbank collections for DENS, organised by Helen Cook, continue to be made quarterly
Anthony Parisi continued to organise our contribution to Kids Out, whereby Children from Collett School to have a day out at Whipsnade Zoo.
The annual Bowls Evening organised by Stuart Wesley at Berkhamsted Bowls Club was successfully held on 9th August; attended by over 30 Members & friends.
The only other Social events during the year were restaurant meals (replacing previously scheduled Business Meetings) on 13th February (at Abbots Tandoori) & 15th April (at The Banana Leaf)
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
Fundraising Committee
Committee Members: Lesley Meredith (Chair), Beverley Funnell, Stuart Bremner, Mary McHatton, Margaret Rogers, Harry Bellak, & Brian Meehan,
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our regular Cheese and Wine event due to lack of numbers.
During December, the Club’s elves were once again busy making Christmas wreaths for Club members and friends and raised £500.00 for the Club’s coffers. Many thanks to Mary McHatton for taking the lead in organising this fundraiser.
Many thanks to Michael Wright for once again organising the Club’s Christmas card which raised a healthy £476.32 for the Trust fund.
On 3rd February we held our Annual Quiz Night at JFK school. The event was well supported by family, friends and local Rotary Clubs and was a great success. We made a profit of £1362.33. Many thanks to everyone that helped with this event - we couldn’t have done it without you. The money raised was split between Rotary charities and DENS.
During March Harry Bellak organised an extremely successful Easter Egg Project. Large chocolate eggs were delivered by Harry and other members to 32 pubs, social clubs and sport clubs in Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley, Bovingdon and Boxmoor. The eggs were raffled to customers during the run up to Easter. A cracking £1556.33 profit was made which was donated to DENS at the Club’s Handover meeting on 25th June. Well done to Harry for bringing this idea with him from his previous club.
On 15th June we held a Royal Garden Party in Mary’s garden to celebrate King Charles’s birthday and Trooping the Colour for around 30 Club members, family and friends. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as clement this year with us braving a mostly cold, wet and windy afternoon. However, a lovely selection of food was on offer and many thanks to those of you who brought desserts and cakes. Beverley and Lesley had prepared a Royal Quiz which was won by Anthony Parisi. The event raised £352.42 for Rotary. A big thanks to those who helped to put up the gazebos in the wind and rain and prepare the food. Once again thank you to Mary who again let us use her garden for this event.
Many thanks to Committee members and in particular to Beverley Funnell for all of your help and support during the year.
For 2024/25 we are planning to organise the Annual Quiz Night, Christmas Wreath Making, the Easter Egg Raffle and a further Garden Party.
Lesley Meredith Chair - Fundraising Committee
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
Annual Report 2023/24
International and Foundation Committee
Committee Members: Anthony Parisi (Chair), Tony Williams, Vijay Patel, & Roy Cottle
Activities
Save a Child’s Heart ( SACH)
This project which we have supported in conjunction with Watford Rotary Club and others, has now been completed. It has involved the purchase together with a Rotary global grant of a specialist medical mannequin of $40,000 (Hemel Club’s contribution was £2,000). It was delivered to the International Children’s Paediatric Centre Hospital in Israel for the training of doctors from all over the world in children’s heart surgery.
Shelterbox
We have continued to support Shelterbox with a club donation this year of £2,000.
End Polio Now
A “Walk a Mile” on World Polio Day event was held in Marlowes in which some club members participated. This raised over £200 including some donations from the public.
Red Rubber Ball Foundation
We continue to support this Charity, which provides school fees for suitable children, who may not otherwise be educated. We are funding Vivienne Jeptoo at Kapropita Girls High School, in Baringo County, Kenya, at a cost of £325 p.a.
Good News Tin
As an ongoing commitment from members’ reporting their good news with donations during the year, we have sent the proceeds of the Good News Tin (£600) to the Rotary Club of Malabon in the Philippines to fund a Christmas party for local impoverished and handicapped children.
Afghan Refugees
In conjunction with the Charity Herts Welcomes Refugees (HWR) our club has donated £1500, including a District grant of £500, to assist in the resettlement of Afghan refugees into permanent accommodation in the Dacorum area. This has involved the purchase of essential household and kitchen equipment for 10 families. We have carried forward £500 (courtesy of a donation from Watford RC) to provide ongoing support.
All the above activities (excluding SACH) are intended to continue into the coming year.
Anthony Parisi Chair International and Foundation Committee
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
Membership Committee
Committee Members: Martin Hann (Chair), Alan Wright, Beverley Funnell, Lesley Meredith, Brian Meehan and Anne Hor
Before the start of the year, it was well recognised that retaining and recruiting new members was a major issue, both at club level as well as at District and National level. With this in mind, a special meeting on Membership took place on Tuesday 9th May 2023, resulting in a working party being set up to explore how things could be changed to make becoming a member of Rotary more attractive.
The output from the working party was a set of proposals to change the frequency and format of the weekly meetings and streamline the process for becoming a new member. Later in the 2023/24 year, a further change was to combine the Club Council meeting with the business meeting to make a ‘Club in Council’ meeting every 2 months with a social event held on alternate months.
It was thought that the best way to secure new members was to get new people involved in projects on a regular basis as existing ones often only occurred once a year. In addition, the need for more ‘fun stuff’ was seen as critical.
Despite implementing other changes, including the introduction of new social events and inviting friends and partners to any speaker event, we have only been able to recruit 1 new member this year (transfer from another club) whilst losing 5. This has left us with 23 at the end of the year but 2 new members (one an ex-member) are due to join in 2024/5.
It is clear that a new approach is required for 2024/25 to halt the decline or generate members for Rotary in other ways that recognise the changes that have taken place in the way that people choose to volunteer their time and socialise. Suggestions at District level involve implementing satellite clubs, recruiting corporate members, forming eClubs and passport clubs and setting up global hubs. We therefore need to explore ways that new structures can be implemented in our area whilst keeping our club going in the same format for the benefit of existing members.
Martin Hann Chair, Membership Committee
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
Annual Report 2023/24
Public Relations Committee
Committee Member: Vijay Patel (Chair)
This was scheduled to be the first year of this new Committee but, unfortunately due to the Chair’s District commitments, he was unable to make any progress. However, Beverley continued to make Club & Santa Sleigh postings on Facebook and, with Tony Ford & Tony Burford, to maintain Club website entries. Harry Bellak arranged Santa Sleigh publicity in local press and periodicals and Martin Hann produced a fabulous Santa Sleigh website.
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
Santa’s Sleigh Committee’s
Committee Members: Anthony Burford (Chair & co-Administrator), Beverley Funnell (coAdministrator), Harry Bellak, Martin Hann, & Anthony Parisi,. Co-opted non-Rotarians: Janet Wright (Head-Administrator), Susan Burford, Matt Hatton, & Stuart Kidd.
2023 was the 7th year of our Santa Sleigh Collection (2016 was limited to a few Rotarians only events).
Prior to commencement of the Collection season, Stuart Kidd of CAD’s Repair Shed reinstalled and rewired the 4 Sleigh batteries to overcome charging failures encountered last season and undertook some more general maintenance. We are most grateful for his help and for the supporting advice he received from other Repair Shed members. We’re delighted that he joined the Committee earlier this calendar year.
The Club provided Front & Rear Marshals, towing cars & drivers, and occasionally Santa for 25 street-by-street Sleigh Routes with the Collectors provided by local charitable organisations. The now normal routine, of not door knocking but having the relevant Collector Organisation leaflet drop to houses along their respective Routes, was followed. Most Routes were at least essentially the same as in 2022 except Route 25 which was entirely replaced by a new Route in Abbots Langley. We were assisted by the same Collector Organisations (see below) as in 2022 and all Routes were run as scheduled during the period 25th November to 23rd December with no need for changes due to inclement weather or otherwise.
Trackit247 provided real time tracking along the Routes until the afternoon of 20th December, after which tracking was unavailable. We were advised that the problem arose outside Trackit247’s server but no explanation has been given. We have now purchased the tracking unit from them to facilitate earlier installation on the Sleigh and an option of having a backup tracking system.
Our online Santa Sleigh Street Finder again provided 24/7 Route information in response to entry of a Street name. Our Santa Sleigh website this year was greatly improved, thanks to Martin.
In addition to the leaflet distribution, posters were delivered physically to all local Nurseries and physically and/or electronically to all local Primary Schools and were displayed in a number of local shops. Publicity was arranged in local press and periodicals; on Radio Dacorum; and on social media such as NextDoor & the Club’s Facebook page.
Full day Static Sleigh events were held at Asda, Maylands; Bank Court, Marlowes (run by Liberty Tea Rooms; all others by the Club); Roundhouse in Marlowes; Sainsbury’s, Apsley Mill (twice); Sainsbury’s, Woodhall Farm; & Tesco, Jarman Park (twice). An evening static event was held at Cineworld, Jarman Park and short static events held before commencement of a few Routes. The only event cancelled was a scheduled all-day event at Riverside; because of heavy rain.
Over the Collection season, the Sleigh was again housed on the Frogmore Paper Mill site, to which we had 24/7 access. Space was made available to us despite the greatly reduced accommodation resulting from areas stll to be rebuilt following the 2022 fire.
Donations in cash and by SumUp card machine were sought on the Routes & at Static Events and by JustGiving online fundraising, Donr text giving, and sponsorship. The names of sponsors for individual Routes were displayed, during the respective Route, on the screen of a tablet mounted the Sleigh. The total amount donated was over £17,000.
A Presentation evening attended by Dacorum Mayor William Allen was held at Leverstock Green Cricket Club on 10th January at which representatives of the 25 Collector Organisations (see below) were presented with Certificates for participating in the Sleigh Street-by-Street Routes. Each organization received a donation of £350. Additional donations were made to The Apsley Paper Trail/Frogmore Paper Mill (£571) & Liberty Tea Rooms/CAP (£213 for their dedicated static event).
ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
The £350 donations were made to each of the following Collector Organisations:
Adeyfield Free Church
1st Bennetts End Scouts
4th Boxmoor Scouts
St John’s Boxmoor Church
Boxmoor Good Neighbours
Centre in the Park (HH Day Centre)
Connect Dacorum
Dacorum Mencap
Gade Valley School Association
Galley Hill Primary School PTA
Gaddesden Riding for the Disabled
Highfield Community Association
Hobletts Manor School PTA
Holy Trinity Church, Leverstock Green
Kings Langley Football Club
Liberty Tea Rooms
Manor Estate & Aspen Park Residents Assn
One Impossible Thing
Pixies Hill School PTA
Radio Dacorum
St Mary’s, Apsley & St Benedict's, Bennetts End
Sunnyside Rural Trust
The Repair Shed & Waterways Experiences
Watford Lions
A second Presentation evening was held at Leverstock Green Cricket Club on 10th April. This event was attended by both Dacorum MP Sir Mike Penning and Dacorum Mayor William Allen. A total of £5200 was donated evenly to 26 local charitable organisations that had not participated in the Routes (see below).
Donations of £200 each were made to the following charitable organisations:
Abbots Langley Carers
Charlie’s Gift
Brainwaves (ex-COGS Club)
Dacorum Dolphins
Dacorum Talking Newspaper
Electric Umbrella
Haywood Grove (SEN) School
Headway Hertfordshire
Heart-to-Herts
Hemel Hempstead District Scouts
Hemel Hempstead District Guides
Herts Druglink/Oxygen Breathe/Recovery
Herts Mind Network
Herts Musical Memories
Herts Young Homeless
Kings Langley Evergreen Club
OLLIE Foundation
Pets in Need Herts
Playskill
Samaritans, Southwest Herts
Signpost Counselling
The Heather Club
The Monday Club (Abbotts Langley)
The Waterside Centre
Watford and HH Guide Dogs fundraising & Woodfield (SEN) School
Other donations made from the Sleigh collections include to Leverstock Green Cricket Club (£100) and to Collett School (£280 to take pupils to a Kids Out day at Whipsnade Zoo).
The balance of the Collection donations received was added to the Club’s Trust Fund for other charitable purposes.
My thanks to those Club Members, Friends & other volunteers who made the Sleigh Collections possible. Particular thanks to my fellow Sleigh Committee members for the literally hundreds of manhours required to maintain and publicise the sleigh and organise, administer, and participate in the Collections. Special thanks to our co-opted Head Administrator Janet who has now retired from the Committee. She worked tirelessly in communicating with Collector Organisations and tow drivers despite not being in the best of health.
Tony Burford Chair, Santa’s Sleigh Committee
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
Youth Services Committee
Committee Member: Rod Pesch (Chair)
Owing to our loss of Bryan Franklyn there was no opportunity for me to understudy the role that he assiduously held for so long. A year’s shadowing of the role was planned by Bryan but sadly not to be. We were however still able to actively participate in a number of very worthy Youth Activities
Youth Speaks Competition – Held Jointly with Berkhamsted Rotary Club at St Cuthbert Mayne school where St Clement Dane and Ashlyns won in their relative classes, Intermediate and Senior. Subsequently these winners went to the District heats held at Bishops School, Hatfield. George Chant and myself represented Rotary, supporting our two winners.
Technology Tournament – This year the Technology Tournament delivered jointly by Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead Rotary Clubs was much acclaimed and continues to gain excellent support from schools in the area.
Winners in class were as follows:
Place Foundation Intermediate Advanced Team Prize
1st Westbrook Adeyfield JFK Longdean
2nd Ashlyns Longdean Longdean
3rd Ashlyns Ashlyns Tring
The annual schools project was organised by a team headed up Jim Gregory and which included long term stalwarts from Hemel, Michael Wright, Hugh Vinson and new recruits Anne Hor and Rod Pesch. The task this year was to design, build, and demonstrate a gondola to travel on a ropeway above a crocodile-infested river to deliver a goods package. Performance requirements depended on the skill level group, The awards were presented by Honorary Rotarian and long term Tournament supporter Andy Cook, who delivered a compelling address promoting careers in Engineering
Young Artist – This annual school’s competition jointly organised by Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted Rotary Clubs was well supported by our members including our president Alan Wright and key members Anthony Parisi, Gavin Rody and Tony Williams. Entries were considered outstanding.
Can I thank members of the club that were very helpful and supportive of initiatives of Youth Services.
Rod Pesch
Chair, Youth Services Committee
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ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
Secretary’s Report
I’ll start by acknowledging those Members who, during the Rotary Year, performed administrative duties required to keep the Club running smoothly. In alphabetical duty order, and with apologies to anyone omitted (I will update the Report as soon as I’m informed of any shortcoming):
Almoner
Club Manager
Compliance*
District Council Reps
Environment
Good News Tin
Holiday Inn Liaison
Meeting attendance
Meeting Scheduling/Club Calendar
Raffle
RGB&I ABM Delegates
Speaker Co-ordinator
Margaret Rogers
Noel James
Tony Williams
Alan Wright & Tony Burford, (Deputies Martin Hann & Vijay Patel)
Tony Ford
Margaret Rogers
Beverley Funnell
Beverley Funnell
Tony Ford
Beverley Funnell
Tony Burford & Martin Hann
Tony Ford
*(Data protection, Equality & Diversity, Health & Safety, Safeguarding)
The 2023-4 Committee Chairs were as follows and, other than the present Club Administration Report, their Committee Reports are on earlier pages:
Club Administration
Communications
Fundraising
International and Foundation
Membership
Public Relations
Santa’s Sleigh
Youth Services
Tony Burford
Tony Ford
Lesley Meredith
Anthony Parisi
Martin Hann
Vijay Patel
Tony Burford
Rod Pesch
Martin Hann and Alan Wright kindly agreed to be 2024-5 President & Vice President, respectively.
In-person Meetings (meals) continued to be held at the Holiday Inn with Zoom meetings reserved for Business & Council Meetings & for the SGM & AGM. However, in response to my proposal, the monthly Business & Council Meetings scheduled post-January 2024 were replaced by combined bimestrial (viz every two months) Club-in-Council meeting (on Zoom) commencing on 12th March 2024. The Zoom slots intermediate Club-in-Council Meetings were rescheduled for Restaurant Meals or other Social events.
It was agreed also that, instead of 2024 quarterly Partner specific meetings, Partners were encouraged to attend Speaker meetings and that Club Tips for Holiday Inn staff will be paid half-
ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Annual Report 2023/24
yearly, at a rate of £1/meal, financed from the Club General Fund.
Having regard to conflicting commitments of Club Officers and prebooked Club Meetings, it was necessary to reschedule:
Nov/Dec Council Meeting (from 28th November 2023 to 9th January 2024)
SGM (from 5th December 2023 to 16th January 2024)
Club Assembly (from 18th June to 2nd July 2024).
The Speaker Club Meeting on August 1st was held at the Secretary’s house because the Holiday Inn were unable to accommodate us that evening. Profit was donated to the Club Trust Fund.
Harry Bellak was inducted into Club Membership at the Meeting on 18th July.
Membership will be reduced by Roy Cottle (Joined 1992), Mike Geddes (Joined 1992; President 1996-7), Brian Meehan (Joined 2019), & Hugh Vinson (Joined 1998; President 2008-9) retiring from the Club at the end of the present (2023-4) Rotary Year. Their contributions to Club activities were greatly appreciated. Phil Thomas (Joined 2021) resigned earlier in the Rotary Year. Brian, Hugh & Phil have moved from away from our catchment area & Mike & Roy have health issues.
It is anticipated that early in Rotary Year 2024-5, John Carlton-Ashton (Joined 1996; President 2000-1 & 2009-10) will rejoin the Club after a year’s break and that Stuart Kidd (presently ad-hoc member of the Sleigh Committee), will join the Club.
Members were saddened at the passing of Tony Ford’s wife Laurel (on 21st November 2023) and of (past-member) John Carlton-Ashton’s wife Ruth (on 11th December 2023). Both Laurel and Ruth were well known to present Members and their presence at Partner’s events will be sorely missed.
Having donated £2,250 to ShelterBox in 2022/3, the Club has become a ShelterBox Bronze Partner Club. That status was maintained by a £2,000 2023/4 donation.
The total amount of donations made by the Club in 2023/4 was over £25,000 (inclusive of specific amounts mentioned elsewhere in this Report).
Events in 2023/4 have included:
12th July Attendance at Leverstock Green Primary School to present Young Essay prizes.
9th August Members & Friends attended the Club’s Annual Bowls evening at Berkhamsted Bowls Club
24th October A Walk a Mile on World Polio Day event was held in Marlowes with a Route map made available on social media and at the Volunteer Centre
12th November Club wreath laid at the Hemel War Memorial
21st November Youth Speaks at Saint Cuthbert Mayne Junior School
3rd February Club’s Quiz Night at John F Kennedy School
13th February Club meal at Abbots Tandoori (replacing previously scheduled Business Meeting)
17th February Alan and Beverley represented the Club at the RC Watford Centenary Dinner at Shendish Manor
3rd March Members assisted marshalling of the RC Berkhamsted Fun Run & Half Marathon.
ROTARY CLUB OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
Annual Report 2023/24
7th March Technology Tournament jointly organized with RC Berkhamsted at Ashlyns School
16th April Club meal at The Banana Leaf (replacing previously scheduled Business Meeting).
4th May Members assisted at the Dacorum Young Artist Exhibition at Ashlyns School
15th June
22nd June
Members & Friends attended a Royal Garden Party at Mary Hatton’s house
Members assisted at Kings Langley Carnival.
Tony Burford Secretary
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