Rotary Magazine October - November 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Commonwealth Secretary 10 UN Millennium Goals 14 Excellent Development 26 RAGES 32

October/November 2015 www.rotarygbi.org ÂŁ2.95

The magazine of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland

Africa Polio free

for one year 38

2 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 3

Talk from the top...

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT 2015/16 I KR RAVINDRAN

We need your voice – to raise awareness, to raise funds and to keep the momentum going. We need your strength to help fight this war until we have won.”

L

ast month, after confirming a full year without a single case of wild poliovirus, Nigeria was removed from the list of the world’s polioendemic countries. It was the last polio-endemic country in Africa. Today, only two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan – harbour the world’s final reservoir of endemic polio virus. As this issue of Rotary goes to press, global cases of polio in 2015 number only a few dozen.

The scale of this achievement can hardly be overstated. Polio has existed for millennia, it has plagued humanity since our earliest civilisations.

Today, because of Rotary’s work and that of our partners, the end is in sight. We are counting down, not in years, but in months.

And yet, our success is as fragile as it is monumental. We are moving forward, slowly, steadily, inexorably – thanks to colossal efforts that never cease. We continue to vaccinate hundreds of millions of children in vast synchronised campaigns, we constantly monitor environments to prevent new outbreaks. The sheer scale of the effort – the coordination, the cost, and the commitment – boggles the mind.

Some ask why such high levels of immunisation and surveillance are still needed to combat a disease that is almost gone. The answer is simple: it is the only way forward. If we did anything less – if we allowed the virus any quarter – years of work would be 4 // ROTARY

Child receiving the polio vaccine

undone. We know too well how easily polio could spread again. We know how quickly our decades of progress could be lost. And this is why the months ahead are so tremendously important. We need your voice – to raise awareness, to raise funds and to keep the momentum going. We need your strength to help fight this war until we have won.

On 24 October, we mark World Polio Day. I hope that on that day, all of you will take part in some way in our work to eradicate polio. I know that many of you intend to publicise this event on the club or district level, for those who have not yet made plans, there are still many ways to participate.

Visit endpolionow.org for ideas, tools, sample press releases, and ways to donate. You’ll also find the link to our livestream event, be sure to join in, and share it on social media.

This war of ours – which started as a war against polio but is also a war against hatred, against ignorance, against fear – this war will be won. It will be won soon. And when it is won, all of Rotary will have a story to tell – to the children, and the grandchildren, who will never see a leg brace or an iron lung, or know a world with polio in it.

Whether you are a Rotarian in Kano or Peshawar or Swat, in Seoul or Madrid or Chicago – you are a part of this story. Your part in it is one that only you can write. I ask you all to write it well – so that the story you will one day tell is one of which you will be proud.

•

KR RAVINDRAN

RI PRESIDENT www.rotarygbi.org

38

14

World Polio Day

26

26

38

24

30

REGULARS

FROM THE TOP

RI President K.R. Ravindran and Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland President Peter Davey

04

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL 08

RI Director Peter Offer and RI Foundation Chairman Ray Klinginsmith

MEET & GREET

Getting up close and personal with our latest Rotary member Alicia Reade

ROTARY EFFECT –

BIG INTERVIEWS

Secretary of the Commonwealth Excellent Development Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species

10 26 32

30 ROTARY IN ACTION

MEMBERSHIP 40 Catching up with the latest news from clubs around Great Britain and Ireland

What’s inside

32

46

Rotary Conference Community Development Lifesaving Donation Herds in Horsham Social Responsibility

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

12 19 22 34 36

UN Millennium Goals Rotary Foundation Hope and Homes Rotary Around the World World Polio Day

14 20 24 28 38

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES 50

fyi

ROTARY ONLINE

Get in touch...

Look us up online at rotarygbi.org or follow us on Facebook /RotaryinGBI Twitter – @RotaryGBI Linkedin – Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland

Managing Editor: Allan Berry e: editor@rotarygbi.org PR Officer: e: pr@rotarygbi.org Designer: Martin Tandy e: martin.tandy@rotarygbi.org

Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland, Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6PB t: 01789 765 411 Got a story for us? Send it in (with a good quality picture) to editor@rotarygbi.org Advertising: Media Shed (Agents for Rotary) Contact: Gareth Macfarlane t: 01354 818009 • e: garethm@media-shed.co.uk

Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editors or Rotary. Every effort is made to ensure that the magazine’s contents are accurate. Information is published in good faith but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience arising from error or omission.

Advertisements are accepted at face value and no liability can be accepted for the actions of advertisers. The editors welcome contributions of articles, news items, photographs and letters but are under no obligation to publish unsolicited material. The editors reserve the right to edit for clarity or length. Contributors must ensure that all material submitted is not in breach of copyright or that if such material is submitted they have obtained any necessary permission, in writing, for its reproduction. While every care will be taken with material submitted to Rotary magazine, no responsibility can be accepted for loss or damage.

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 5

What they say...

In Rotary we are family ROTARY PRESIDENT 2015/16 I PETER DAVEY

A

utumn can be a beautiful time in the countryside, leaves turn to golden brown before falling to create a mat for children to scuff their feet through and, later, forming next year’s feed for the trees. Family life changes too – the young children are settling into a new routine at school, older children move through school years. Teenagers leave the nest and head off to university, will they keep in touch? How will we all react to these changes in family life? At such times of change we may reflect, could we have spent more time on our offspring’s development helping them prepare for the next?

They tell us not to worry – and they are probably right.

In our Rotary family we need to prepare for progressions too. Recently I met members of the Interact Club of Woodchurch High School, Birkenhead and was impressed by their commitment to service within their local community. Each 6 // ROTARY

They have embraced Rotary values and ethos - we can’t allow them to just drift away” member had set out individual service goals for the year. Some committed to work with the elderly, a few with disadvantaged young people and others were supporting local community groups. In the last year they had helped these groups with the significant sums they raised. Its outgoing president, Abbie, said: “I have enjoyed my year, it has helped my own development.”

Her successor was enthusiastic about the upcoming year and delighted at the opportunity.

How will we manage their progression to Rotaract and, later, to Rotary?

Their involvement in Interact and the encouragement they had received from Birkenhead Rotarians, their teachers and

the school Chaplain, had taught them the joy of giving service. We must retain that enthusiasm and build upon it. They have embraced Rotary values and ethos - we can’t allow them to just drift away.

The same is true of our alumni.

We help young people develop skills like public speaking, cookery, photography, writing, leadership and many more. These programmes help them to develop and, along with their parents, recognise the benefit. Locally, we should do what we can to maintain or re-establish contact, ensuring we maintain this as they progress through life since they are our family.

The big news is we have a full year without cases of polio in Africa. Rotary and our partners kept up what seemed an impossible task when we started and have achieved that goal. Now the eradication of this disease is in sight, we must not weaken our resolve. Getting to this stage looked impossible – now we know Rotary makes the impossible, possible.

•

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 7

What they say...

Friends share, that’s Rotary RI DIRECTOR 2015-17 I PETER OFFER

I

remember the excitement I had on first joining my Rotary club back in the Queen’s Jubilee year of 1977. We were all a lot younger, but they were exciting times as we were all new, raring to go and eager to help those in need.

Being a new club our first experience was enjoying the fellowship of our new friends, a few we knew from business, others were new and soon became good friends.

That’s how you feel when you first join, whether you are a new club or joining an existing club. Back then some Rotarians in existing clubs thought we were not true Rotarians as we met in the evening, they did not like change. Today we are seeing further evolution, take e-Clubs for example. It is a joining of Rotarians from different parts of the country or the world, and they work well providing much Rotary service. We also see satellite clubs, corporate members and pilot clubs all trying new ideas. WHY? The answer is simple, the world is changing and service clubs have to change to meet the needs of their members.

Rotary is still expanding with 45,000 new members last year, mainly thanks to the clubs in the Far East, with 11 new

There is so much more to joining Rotary than just joining a Rotary Club, once you are a member there are so many benefits for you.” clubs in China. We have challenges in Great Britain and Ireland to maintain and increase our membership. There is so much more to joining Rotary than just joining a Rotary Club, once you are a member there are so many benefits for you. Your circle of friendship can be widened since you can drop into a Rotary Club anywhere across the world where you will be welcomed.

You can get involved in helping people in the developing world by raising funds or collecting goods to send them, and travelling to their country to help.

You may like to expand your circle of friendships even wider by finding the time to help at a more senior level, moving through the Rotary ranks with even more friends.

Rotary International committees have been opened to all members and being on one of

those committees means another circle of friends across the world.

Whatever you decide to do remember two things, first, the more you put in the more you will get out of Rotary, and secondly someone thought a lot of you and that is why they shared Rotary with you, and now it is your turn to “BE A GIFT TO THE WORLD” and share Rotary.

•

Let the celebrations commence RI FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN 2015/16 I RAY KLINGINSMITH

T

he 2016/17 Rotary year will be the centennial year for The Rotary Foundation, which started at the 1917 Rotary convention in Atlanta. In 2016 the Rotary International convention will be held in Seoul, and part of the excitement is due to the kickoff activities for the Foundation’s centennial celebration.

A Centennial Celebration Committee has been put together and has comprehensive plans for a full year of celebratory events, which will culminate in a giant celebration at the 2017 Rotary convention in Atlanta. The Foundation trustees, Rotary International directors, and Rotary staff members are

8 // ROTARY

all committed to a successful recognition of the Foundation’s anniversary because of its significant role in helping our clubs to conduct service projects around the world.

As we contemplate our high-level plans for the centennial, we once more pause to recognise and appreciate that the totality of what happens in our clubs is far bigger and longer-lasting than what happens at Rotary International and the conventions.

As a result, the true success of the centennial celebration will depend on the quality and quantity of the celebratory events in our clubs. The big question is whether our Rotarians around the globe will embrace the

Foundation’s centennial and undertake their own projects and celebrations.

The Rotary Foundation has been highly successful in assisting our clubs to promote international understanding, goodwill, and peace in the world – and therefore, it is appropriate that all of our clubs should participate. As usual in Rotary, there is no prescribed way in which the clubs should join the celebration, and I hope our clubs will be as creative in their activities as they have been in their myriad humanitarian projects throughout the years. This is the right time for all of us to express our appreciation for The Rotary Foundation!

•

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 9

WHAT THEY SAY

The Big Interview

ALLAN BERRY

The Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is celebrating 50 years of the Secretariat and I had the pleasure and honour to interview the present Secretary General as he approaches the end of his 8 year tenure.

S What I say is if the heart of democracy beats in your legislature, when does it receive fresh blood?

At the time of elections.”

For more information go to: thecommonwealth.org 10 // ROTARY

ecretary General Kamalesh Sharma received me in his office in Marlborough House, which is pretty impressive in itself. I started by asking him some of the highlights of his time in office.

He told me that he was High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom and was closely involved with the Commonwealth before he took on the role so had some experience beforehand and to some extent had a good idea of what needed to be done. He came to the conclusion that this boutique institution needed to have a global effect. He held a summit at Marlborough House, which was chaired by Gordon Brown who was then Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Marlborough House Declaration was the result. The Secretary General told me, “It is an interesting document, which says that global affairs have to be based on the idea of inclusiveness, equity, equality of outcomes for the entire human community irrespective of endowment, population, transparency and effectiveness. I then went to the World Bank, the IMF, the UN, the G20 and the others and spoke to them and explained we are a uniquely diverse organisation and we can distil for you where we think the world needs mending. The chairman of the World Bank told me that ‘this was one organisation that had not come to tell me the problems I know but has come to offer me solutions to these problems’. As a result the United Nations has adopted a matrix of vulnerability and resilience which was completely a Commonwealth idea and it was said the intellectual property belonged to the Commonwealth.”

Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma

We went on to cover quite a few points but the Secretary General wanted to highlight that, “We pride ourselves on the convening power of the Commonwealth. Where else would you find an organisation that has representation from Asia, Africa, The Americas, Europe, Caribbean emerging states, landlocked states, island states, emerging economies, all religions and all people? Our convening power is enormous.”

He has a point, since although the Commonwealth of Nations has a lot fewer members than the UN, 53 in all, there are some powerful countries like India and emerging countries such as Nigeria and Kenya.

There is a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being convened on 27-29 November in Malta and we went on to talk about that. The Secretary General explained: “What I thought must be done is for us to be digitally connected.

Make yourself a contemporary organisation www.rotarygbi.org

Performer walking through the streets of Lagos in a carnival: Nigeria

and use your convening power in that way, around the world and around the clock, not episodically from the time to time. It has worked extremely well because we have a Commonwealth electoral network which has empowered the election commissioners in developing a gold standard in election management, it has empowered them because they can speak Commonwealth truths to power. The biggest challenge the commissioners have at times of elections is the incumbency advantage where they say ‘I want this and I want that’. All this is in development; level playing field for the media, deployment of security forces, space to the opposition, to ensure that every vote counts, good practices and domestic observation of elections. This is using technology and the convening power of the Commonwealth sharing these experiences digitally. What I say is if the heart of democracy beats in your legislature, when does it receive fresh blood? At the time of elections. And if you let down the citizen at that moment then the shadow is never lifted over your public life, parliament is compromised, what they do is compromised www.rotarygbi.org

and they have no confidence in your systems. We now have a Climate Change Hub, which will be announced in Malta, a Health Hub, Education Hub and a platform called Commonwealth Connects, which can be used by civil society and as an accredited organisation Rotary can use that platform.”

The Secretary General went on to talk about initiatives he had worked on with the small states. “These are our traditional strengths but to make it much more consolidated I had in mind working on debt, climate change, trade, technical co-operation and advocacy. To work on these five in a clear and consistent way and go to the heads with the idea and not waste time effort and money.”

I asked if he gets buy in and his reply was, “Yes, political buy in. As an example in 1995 we created the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) as a response to what happened in Nigeria at that time.” When asked if it worked his reply was, “everything has worked.” I asked if as a result we are seeing less coups and corrupt governments in the Commonwealth and his immediate answer was, “coups are

unacceptable and CMAG set out 8 trigger points such as independence of judiciary, free and fair elections, non postponement of elections and so on.” We mentioned the current situation in the Maldives and the Secretary General proposes to visit to help them.

The interview went on to cover the role of Rotarians and what more we could do to help with the development to reduce poverty and create a sustainable world.

As we left, I asked what he considered the biggest challenge facing the world, and he replied, “I have an idea about being a human community above all and living to certain values, transcending any other form of allegiance to a nation or a faith. Having an idea of a new kind of humanism, which is shared by everybody and I think we can get there.”

Our own Rotary International President is speaking at the People’s Forum within the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference and we will report on that in the next issue and complete the interview with the Commonwealth Secretary General.

•

ROTARY // 11

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

The Satu rday differenc e…

Performa n ces, feature s tories, ne w ideas, sp ecialist discussio n and mu ch, much mo re!

Join us at the 91st Annual Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland Conference being held in Bournemouth from 1–3 April 2016.

Conference is a chance to connect with Rotary members from around Great Britain and Ireland. As well as building new relationships you will have the chance to exchange ideas and enhance your professional skills.

There really is something for everyone!

BE INSPIRED - BE EDUCATED - BE MOTIVATED - BE ENTERTAINED

Book now to start celebrating the gift of Rotary

www.rotarygbi.org/what-we-do/conference

12 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 13

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

UN Millennium Goals

Has the world progressed in 15 years?

We take a brief look at the progress made by the UN organisations and Rotary in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

A

t the turn of the century the governments of the world met at a United Nations Assembly to agree a set of objectives, which they thought would change the world.

Jointly they made a pledge to “spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty.” This statement was translated into eight goals called the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), and over the years practical steps have been put in place by governments and organisations to achieve the goals that were originally set out. The MDG’s aligned with our own charity The Rotary Foundation’s Areas of Focus and Rotary played a part in setting the MDG’s.

The MDG’s are being reviewed and replaced with a new set of goals called the Sustainable Development Goals, here we review where we are before the MDG’s are confined to history.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: This has declined from 1990 when half of the world population in the developing world lived on under $1.25 per day. The figure is now 14 per cent.

2. Achieve universal primary education: The number of out-of-school children of primary school age worldwide has fallen by almost half, to an estimated 57 million in 2015, down from 100 million in 2000.

for every 100 boys in 1990. Today, 103 girls are enrolled for every 100 boys.

4. Reduce Child Mortality: The global under-five mortality rate has declined by more than half, dropping from 90 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2015.

5. Improve Maternal Health: Since 1990, the maternal mortality ratio has declined by 45 per cent worldwide, and most of the reduction has occurred since 2000. More 3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower than 71 per cent of births were assisted by Women: Many more girls are now in skilled health personnel globally in 2014, school compared to 15 years ago. The an increase from 59 per cent in 1990. developing regions as a whole have achieved the target to eliminate gender 6. Combat HIV/Aids, Malaria and other disparity in primary, secondary and diseases: Over 6.2 million malaria tertiary education. In Southern Asia, only deaths have been averted between 2000 74 girls were enrolled in primary school and 2015, primarily of children under

five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa.

The global malaria incidence rate has fallen by an estimated 37 per cent and the mortality rate by 58 per cent.

7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability: In 2015, 91 per cent of the global population is using an improved drinking water source, compared to 76 per cent in 1990.

8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development: Official development assistance from developed countries increased by 66 per cent in real terms between 2000 and 2014, reaching $135.2 billion. In 2014, the United Kingdom along with other countries continued to exceed the United Nations official development assistance target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income.

In 15 years Rotarians all over the world have played an important part in helping to achieve progress achieving the goals. We now look forward to the next 15 years and playing a valuable part in the new Sustainable Development Goals.

•

The review of the UN Millennium Goals can be downloaded here: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015 The Rotary Foundation 6 Areas of Focus booklet can be downloaded here: www.rotary.org/en/document/rotary’s-areas-focus 14 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 15

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Changing the world by 2030 The UN Millennium Goals set in 1999 have run their course and in September another set of goals with further challenges have been agreed looking to make the world a much better place for everyone.

D

uring September world leaders met in New York to approve the next set of Development Goals produced by the UN Foundation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) replace the Millennium Development Goals, set in 1999 for a period of 15 years, and are designed to take more people out of poverty and promote prosperity by 2030.

The SDGs embrace all of the goals being superseded but also take into account climate change and, of course, ensure sustainability. In the run up to the UN Assembly in September a lot of thought, pre planning and discussion went into the setting and eventual agreement by 193 member states of the United Nations to the 17 goals.

The UN member states A large team at the UN Foundation have led a really good in Washington put the goals together and agenda. It is bold and each has a specialist area they work on. I made contact with Caroline Barrett who ambitious but it is also is an expert on the goals and how they achievable.” relate to health. Caroline explained that member governments had played a big part in setting the goals, and she immediately moved to cite the work that Rotary has done in conjunction with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) on polio. We spoke a little about the Millennium Goals and the big difference, as I pointed out, is that they had moved from 8 to 17. Caroline said, “There was no direct carry over from the SDGs. They are all different goals since we made an effort not to silo them.

Originally, there were three specific health goals but now there is one health goal across the disease issues.”

For more information go to: globalgoals.org and unfoundation.org We also discussed how the new goals 16 // ROTARY

aligned with the Rotary Foundation Areas of Focus, and Caroline had familiarised herself with them before our conversation.

She said: “All the Areas of Focus literally have a corresponding SDG.” However, I pointed out that the SDGs went further since they covered climate change and environment. Caroline went on to say, “that some SDGs did cover clean energy and protecting the environment since it is considered work on these will help bring an end to poverty.” She added: “The partners, of which Rotary is one, do not have to work on every goal, especially if they have certain projects to continue with.”

One area that Caroline identified Rotary with was advocacy remarking, “Rotary should continue its advocacy with donor governments,” and she was interested in what comes after polio, “since the impact Rotary has made on polio is remarkable.” We went on to talk about Ebola and being ready in the future. “We need to protect our health systems from shocks like Ebola,” she said.

The interview was extensive and covered some wide-ranging topics and as we were finalising I had to ask if she thought the SDGs were achievable.

Caroline was emphatic and said, “Yes, we always have to reach a balance of pragmatism and ambition and the UN member states have led a really good agenda that is in the middle. It is bold and ambitious but it is also achievable.”

The UN people I spoke with were wholesome of their praise for Rotary and they are certain that Rotarians will embrace the new Sustainable Development Goals for 2015.

•

www.rotarygbi.org

Goal 2 - End hunger

New Sustainable Development Goals for 2015 GOAL 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere

GOAL 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

GOAL 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

GOAL 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

GOAL 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

GOAL 14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

GOAL 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

GOAL 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

GOAL 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

GOAL 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

GOAL 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries

GOAL 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

GOAL 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

GOAL 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

GOAL 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

www.rotarygbi.org

GOAL 16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

GOAL 17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development ROTARY // 17

18 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY IN ACTION

The Hour Community Project

Every ‘Hour’ counts To celebrate October’s focus on ‘Community Development’ in the Rotary Calendar, we take a look at a project which shows that all you need is an hour to make a real difference.

T

he ‘Hour Community’ project was created in 2011 and was designed to encourage people within the community to give just one hour of their time to help others who are less fortunate. In the first year after it was launched, Framlingham Rotary Club has helped local people undertake over 1,200 hours of community work and raised over £10,000 to help support community projects.

Since then Framlingham locals have been getting involved in a range of different activities including hosting after school clubs, putting on activities in one of the nearby care homes and working with the Fire and Rescue Service to install smoke alarms free of charge into the homes of those most at risk.

One of the most recent projects undertaken was the launch of a new bus service, in which volunteers will give their time to drive patients to and from hospital appointments when they have no other means to get there.

One lady whose life was changed by the Hour Community project was SarahJane Page. After undergoing serious spinal surgery, Sarah was unable to perform even the simplest of household jobs, so Hour Community sent volunteers over to help her go about her day to day life as she went through recovery.

“I don’t know how I’d have coped without the Rotary Club. Living alone can be tough enough, but trying to cope on your own after spinal surgery is a challenge too great. The Rotary Club volunteer was more than just a help, she was a godsend. From the day I was discharged, to the day I could finally drive again, she was there whenever I needed her. Nothing was too much trouble cooking, cleaning, ironing, even mopping up my tears. The Rotary Club provided me with much more than just a volunteer, they gave me a shining light when the world was dark.

And for that, I’ll always be grateful”, SarahJane commented.

Over the past four years the project has grown and developed with support from www.rotarygbi.org

Giving an hour

The Rotary Club provided me with much more than just a volunteer, they gave me a shining light when the world was dark.” local businesses enabling them to invest in advertising to encourage more volunteers to join. October sees another milestone for the project as they launch their new “befriending service”.

The service, which has been set up with the help of the “Forget Me Not” support group, will provide respite to the carers of those who are suffering with dementia or other undiagnosed memory problems.

Trained individuals will donate their time to those who are suffering with memory loss to give their carer precious hours to spend on themselves or the things they need to do in other areas of their life. They will also take the dependent out for a cup of tea or a day trip somewhere, giving them some much needed time out of the house.

Nick Corke, one of the lead organisers of the project, comments, “Hour Community

demonstrates the role that Rotary can play in local communities. As local authorities become more and more strapped for cash it is unavoidable that services will have to be cut and Rotary is the ideal organisation to step in and ensure that our local community still has a strong support network.”

•

IT ALL ADDS UP Framlingham Rotary Club has raised over £10,000 to help support community projects.

£10,000

For more information go to rotary-ribi.org/clubs/framlingham ROTARY // 19

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

Rotary Foundation

A hundred years of making a difference Rotary’s theme for November is The Rotary Foundation and as we move to celebrate the centenary of its inception we take a short look at the history and some of the projects and activities our own charity undertakes.

T

I wanted to make a difference.”

For more information go to: www.rotary.org www.charitynavigator.org www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/takeaction/apply-grants/global-grants 20 // ROTARY

he Rotary Foundation began at the 1917 Rotary Convention when an endowment fund was set up, “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” A few years later it was named as The Rotary Foundation and in the following year began its philanthropic work by gifting amounts to good causes. Over the years various programmes and projects have been launched, these include Ambassadorial Scholars, Group Study Exchange, Grants for University Teachers and International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Alongside these initiatives grant programmes were introduced with one for Health, Hunger and Humanity (3H Grants) funding a programme which began PolioPlus and underlining the humanitarian work of Rotary International, matching grants and packaged grants. Matching Grants have since undergone a review and been named Global Grants.

The Rotary Foundation assets stood at approximately $1bn as of June 2014.

The organisation Charity Navigator, which evaluates the performance of charities, has consistently classified The Rotary Foundation in the four star category. To get a flavour of what The Rotary Foundation does we looked at a handful of Global Grants across the world.

The Rotary Club of Lundum Lincoln has, together with local clubs, worked on several grants in Bangladesh and the Rotary Club of Dhaka New City. This came about when a Rotarian from Lincoln, Mike Robinson, visited the club in Bangladesh after seeing a street child collecting used

Nurse Midwife Technicians being trained in Malawi

water bottles to make a living. Mike told us, “I wanted to make a difference. My Rotary Club in Bangladesh and Lincoln collaborated with grants, and the latest is for 65 deep water wells for 20 villages, supplying 20,000 people with safe water.

Previously the wells were not deep enough and often the water contained traces of arsenic.” The contribution from the Rotary Clubs was $24,500 and with funding from The Rotary Foundation Global Grant the figure reached $56,750. From one chance meeting Rotary has made a difference to many people’s lives.

Rotary Clubs across Scotland came together to fund a Global Grant of $200,000 towards the training of Nurse Midwife Technicians in Malawi, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Limbe, Malawi. Thirty-three clubs in Scotland raised $78,000, which was matched by Designated Funds from all of the clubs in www.rotarygbi.org

One of the 65 deep water wells installed in Bangladesh

Scotland to the tune of $41,000. This in turn was added to by The Rotary Foundation to reach $200,000. The 20 students being funded by the grant started training at Ekwendeni College of Nursing, University of Livingstonia in May of this year. The course comprises two years of general nursing followed by one year of midwifery training.

All students had to sign a Government bond upon starting the course to confirm they would stay in Malawi to practice after the end of their training for a minimum of five years, thus ensuring that the numbers of skilled and experienced healthcare professionals, delivering high quality maternity care, is increasing.

Once qualified these students will be deployed in some of the most rural areas of Malawi where the need for maternity care is greatest. A further class of students is being recruited and they will commence training in October. This project was set up in cooperation with the Freedom from Fistula Foundation to help women in Africa who are injured in childbirth and left suffering from obstetric fistula – a condition that leaves them incontinent.

Countries that are considered to be developed also benefit from foundation www.rotarygbi.org

grants and we found one project in Malaysia somewhat enlightening. The Rotary Club of Kuching in Sarawak used a Foundation Global Grant to provide solar panels to light up a longhouse on the Batang Lupar River. The Rotary Club in Malaysia teamed up with The Rotary Club of Seosan in South Korea to fund the project, which provides 900 watts of power for lighting the longhouse. Amut John the longhouse chief said: “Many women are now able to weave their ‘pua kumbu’ (handwoven cotton blankets) and other meaningful handicraft-making activities while the men make their fishing nets. Of course by 10pm it’s lights out for everybody.”

The projects highlighted are just a cross section of many handled and funded

by The Rotary Foundation. Some projects are lifesaving like the wells in Bangladesh whilst others are educational and in some respects lifesaving. Others are simple community humanitarian projects. All of them have one thing in common; they are helping to improve the lives of the people they touch. It is what Rotarians do; they are ordinary people making the extraordinary happen.

$1bn

The Rotary Foundation assets stood at approximately $1bn as of June 2014.

FACTFILE

ROTARY FOUNDATION

istrict grants support smaller• Dscale, short-term projects G

lobal grants support large • scale international activities E

ach year, the Foundation • funds study of peace fellows at six Rotary Peace Centers, where they earn masters degrees or professional development certificates

In 2013/14, programme awards, • including PolioPlus Partners grants, totalled $128.9 million

•

ROTARY // 21

ROTARY IN ACTION

Rotary Club of Wrington Vale

The heart of the community A chance meeting at a garden party led to a lifesaving opportunity in the South West as the Rotary Club of Wrington Vale took on their biggest fundraising project to date.

W

hen Rotarian Peter Roswell from Sandford, North Somerset, met Professor David MacIver, a leading consultant cardiologist, at a garden party, it resulted in the handing over of new heart simulator equipment worth £60,000 to the cardiac team at Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton.

Peter, who has a history of heart problems and has previously benefitted from a heart bypass operation, was interested to learn that the simulator equipment was keenly needed to train cardiologists in the South West, but there was no opportunity to obtain this through NHS budgets.

The equipment aids the training of cardiac clinicians in the interpretation of ultrasound heart scans and gives trainees or researchers a concentration of experience that is not possible from learning on real life patients. It will be used to train cardiologists and others faster, in greater numbers and in more depth, ultimately saving more lives, and will be used across the whole of the South West from Cornwall to Gloucester.

Inspired to help, Peter shared his thoughts with fellow Rotary members and they set themselves a challenge of raising the massive sum of £60,000 for the equipment for the hospital. Wrington Vale Rotary Club kick started the fundraising with personal donations and, after raising funds from a musical evening and bucket collections at Sainsbury’s Ashton Vale, Bristol and Wyevale Sanders Nursery in Brent Knoll, Somerset, they began to receive collections and donations from other Rotary groups.

Peter said: “This has been a unique experience and challenge for Wrington Vale Rotary Club and I would like to thank all those concerned for supporting my idea.

This would not have been possible without the initial backing of the Rotary Club and the hard work and innovation by clubs and individuals to achieve our dream of raising this money.

“Personally I have fulfilled a wish to thank the NHS for the life-saving treatment it has given me over the years by helping to 22 // ROTARY

Rotary Club of Wrington Vale handing over the £60,000 heart simulator equipment to the cardiac team at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital

ensure many more people can benefit from the excellent treatments on offer.”

Musgrove Park Hospital is the first in the South West of England to purchase HeartWorks, which will be based at the hospital. It will be available for use by all the hospitals in the South West as well as on national training courses.

Professor MacIver said: “I would like to express my sincerest thanks to Peter for his immense effort and perseverance, the Wrington Vale Rotary Club and the other Clubs who have worked tirelessly for over a year and achieved something really important. I would also like to thank the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital for their very generous support of the project and, of course, each person who has contributed. Without each and everyone’s individual contribution the fund’s

target would not have been reached.”

Teaching using HeartWorks will be available to clinicians - doctors, nurses, clinical physiologists and technicians - in all fields including intensive care, high dependency units, emergency departments, wards and acute admissions units.

The equipment will help deliver high quality out-of-hours care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will allow a greater number of people to receive potentially lifesaving investigations.

•

IT ALL ADDS UP Funds raised for the life saving heart simulator equipment

£60,000

For more information on the fundraising activity carried out by Wrington Rotary Club visit: www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY IN ACTION

Hope and Homes

Hope and Homes Unlocking Futures is a new project from Hope and Homes in Romania helping young people through education and into work. We take a look at the project that is thriving with help from Rotary.

R

otary has been at the heart of Hope and Homes for Children since 1994.

Rotary has helped them to grow and become leaders in the movement of children from institutions into a system of family-based care. Hope and Homes for Children has a vision of a world in which children no longer suffer institutional care and Rotary is helping them to achieve that goal.

In 1999, when the charity started working in Romania there were over 100,000 children under institutional care. Boys like Sanchu who grew up in the loveless, sterile environment of an orphanage. He had few skills and little knowledge of life outside the orphanage.

When Sanchu turned 18 he was forced to leave the orphanage and struggled to adjust to life. He faced challenges like: where would he live? What would he do? Who would support him when times were bad? Having no one to help him Sanchu tried to take his own life. Tragically, his story is not uncommon amongst the young adults in Romania. It is estimated that one in ten young adults who grew up in an institution will attempt suicide and even more are vulnerable to exploitation as they appear to face a bleak future.

Thankfully, Sanchu was supported by Hope and Homes for Children through this difficult time and he is now thriving. They helped him complete his education and he is working as a teacher. He is a happy, popular and respected member of his community, contributing to his country’s economy and making a difference to the lives of children with similar experiences to him.

Rotary is supporting young people like Sanchu to be given the opportunity to realise their potential to live independently.

Unlocking Futures is a new project that will have a lasting impact on Romania, doing away with institutions until such care is a thing of the past.

The aim of Unlocking Futures is to provide support and life skills training for young adults. The team in Romania is trained to assess the needs of each individual with common areas of support 24 // ROTARY

Children being helped by Hope and Homes

If we are to break the cycle of institutional care for good, Romania’s young adults need help to realise their potential and unlock their futures.” including, confidence building, finding ide To prov ased employment and b family r accommodation, care fo n unable education, childre t home to live a temporary financial support and family planning. Anne Wright, from the Rotary Club of Kelso, who support the project said, “If we are to break the cycle of institutional care for good, Romania’s young adults need help to realise their potential and unlock their futures. We are on the cusp of a new era, which will see all institutions in Romania closed within a few years and the support from Rotary for Unlocking Futures is driving this change.”

•

For more information about Hope and Homes for Children and about unlocking futures please go to: hopeandhomes.co.uk

FACTFILE

HOPE AND HOMES

and Homes for Children • Hisope an international charity working to ensure that all children have the chance to grow up in the love of a family

or orphanage, • Acann institution, be defined as any

residential facility with overall capacity for more than twelve children

www.rotarygbi.org

WHAT THEY SAY

The Big Interview

ALLAN BERRY

Taking action for communities Excellent Development are helping to transform the lives of whole communities in Africa and beyond. I spoke with its executive director Simon Maddrell to find out how.

For more information go to: www.excellentdevelopment.com 26 // ROTARY

D

© Excellent Development

A supply of water gives you two precious things, water and time.”

rylands occupy over 40% of the world’s land surface and of that, over 70% is in what is considered to be the under developed countries. This situation, purely by scheme of nature, leaves whole communities struggling to survive through the seasons.

One organisation is making great strides to counteract drought and famine hit areas of countries, especially in Africa, and that is Excellent Development. It is certainly noted for its work creating Sand Dams but the organisation also works with communities where the Sand Dams are built to encourage better use of the irrigated land and ensure the water systems behind the dams reach areas where it is most needed.

I spoke with Simon Maddrell, the executive director of Excellent Development, to find out more about the organisation, how Rotary has helped and where and how we could assist moving forward. Simon told me that the organisation, “supports communities in dryland areas to create the best solution in terms of volume and cost to obtain water.” Simon then went on to tell me about projects they have worked on recently such as a water tank for a school which was funded by contributions from Rotary. It is important that schools have water and therefore sanitation, so lessons can run properly.

Another project which seemed quite a simple solution was to divert water with rock catchments into small wells and tanks.

Simon said: “A supply of water gives you two precious things, water and time. It allows

Peter Mwanza

young girls to invest in their education and farmers to find the time to raise crops in dryland. Quite often in the drylands there is a need to walk between three to five hours per day, sometimes more, to collect water.”

It is one thing to irrigate and provide easy access to water but another to ensure that this precious commodity is used correctly. As we discussed this Simon told me: “An area the size of Belgium is given over to desert every year and Sand Dams are trying to reverse the trend with people using the valuable resources given by a dam so they are put to best use. For instance: we encourage communities to set up tree nurseries and vegetable plots to create an income so they avoid spending on food and sell it instead. We also aid the setting up of demonstration plots and provide improved varieties of seeds to enable them to set up www.rotarygbi.org

© Excellent Development

Farm Terracing at Wikwatyo wa Kiam

1-3% of water flowing downstream is retained behind the wall

Rainwater Sand in the water sinks Bedrock

seedbanks leading to self-sustainability. It is important they learn better from their peers and farmers as a group learn from each other.”

All of this sounded great and as I always do, I asked how Rotarians are helping with these projects. Simon went on to tell me: “because of the cost of the Sand Dams they are usually funded by The Rotary Foundation Global Grants. We and our working partners have been the recipient of two Global Grants with one in progress and we are indebted and grateful to Rotary.

One grant funded five dams with the other funding three dams and two self-help groups, giving them access to safe water and an investment in farming. The Global www.rotarygbi.org

Grant in progress will help fund another five dams. Some clubs have made direct donations to enable us to build five dams.

The contributions have come from Rotary Clubs in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Over 100 clubs have helped us with our work.” Simon went on to say: “I am humbled that so many Rotarians are helping us along a rewarding journey.”

Whichever way these figures are viewed they are impressive, since Rotary has invested almost £500k in the programme and the partnership is working effectively.

Excellent Development’s work has been centred in South East Kenya but they are now looking at the Northern Range Lands of Kenya and also a new project in Marwar, Rajasthan, India, spreading their work and transforming people’s lives.

Their work is best summed up by someone whose life has been transformed.

Peter Mwanza from the Munyuni selfhelp group in Kenya said: ”We have really benefitted from our Sand Dams. We now have easy access to water. In the past we would spend almost half a day collecting water but now we spend that time farming.

Water is no longer a problem and we are not the way we used to be.”

•

ROTARY HAS INVESTED ALMOST

£500,000 FACTFILE

EXCELLENT DEVELOPMENT

t Excellent Development, it • Adoesn’t give hand-outs, it gives people the opportunity to transform their own lives

sand dam is a reinforced • Aconcrete wall built across a

seasonal riverbed. During the rainy seasons, they capture water and sand behind the dam wall

2002,it has supported • Stheinceconstruction of more than 400 sand dams. The results have been extraordinary

ROTARY // 27

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

Rotary Around the World

Rotary around the world In all corners of the world Rotary Club members are giving service in many ways and here we bring a small flavour of the things they do.

New Zealand: Ahuriri Rotary Club collects citrus fruit for distribution.

The Rotary Club of Ahuriri, Napier has been continuing to collect citrus for free distribution down south. The annual Citrus Drive collects excess fruit to giveaway to Rest Homes, Social Services and Senior Citizens in the South Island.

Ahuriri Rotary Club President, Phillip Anderson says, “Each year we are approached by different communities with requests for donations of citrus fruit. Last year we sent fruit for distribution to communities in Christchurch, Dunedin and Taupo, and all of the communities were very appreciative of the generousity of the people of Hawke’s Bay.” Don Alexander, who has been the major driving force behind the initiative for many years, has this year decided to hand over the mantle to some younger members. However, Don will continue to assist with this project by sharing his vast knowledge.

Nigeria: Rotary Sets Up Mobile Health Camps.

Rotary Clubs around Abuja have set up mobile health camps to meet the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Dr Mike Omotosho, in Jos, said that the camps were created to provide clinic facilities and the clubs had also set up mobile shelter boxes fitted with items that would meet the domestic requirements of IDPs. “The shelter boxes contained things like blankets and assorted food items. The idea is to ensure comfort for the IDPs.” He added, “Rotary was also working towards empowering the IDPs through education and skills acquisition to ease their integration into their new society.” The training programmes were being organised for Rotarians to remind them of their duties to the community, and the need to render selfless services and live responsible lives worthy of emulation by the public.

USA: ‘Food fight’ in the Lake of the Ozarks.

The Rotary Clubs in an area of Missouri recently battled each other in a month-long effort to fight hunger. Clubs, including Lake Ozark and Laurie Sunrise Beach, competed against others to see which region could do the most to reduce hunger and malnutrition.

Altogether, the 49 clubs collected 10,644 pounds of food, donated $18,553 and volunteered 1,463 hours for food pantries and similar organisations.

The highest food total was turned in by the Jefferson City Breakfast Rotary Club, which collected 2,515 pounds of non-perishable items outside a supermarket during July. The club also donated $996 and volunteered 56 hours. “The northern clubs won the ‘food fight,’ but the clear winners were the people we helped, the people who won’t have to go to bed hungry due to our efforts,” Steve Dulle of Columbia said.

USA: Hillsborough Rotary Fair draws record crowds.

A one-day rain delay didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the eighth annual Hillsborough Rotary Fair, which wrapped up its six-day run in August, with overall attendance topping last year’s 15,000 mark.

Crowds, young and old, filled the midway each night to try their hand at games of skill and chance, or to test their mettle on a dizzying array of rides that thrilled visitors from across Central Jersey. “We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” said Hillsborough Rotary President John Shockley. “The Fair continues to attract more people each year, which translates into more funds for the Rotary Foundation to contribute to community organisations.”

All funds raised by the club at the fair and throughout the year contribute to a variety of community support services.

Canada: Rotary Club of Burlington donates two fire trucks to northern Ontario.

The Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore has donated a fire truck to each of two northern Ontario communities.

The community of Sesekinika, northwest of Kirkland Lake, will use its truck to replace a 1975 tanker.

The second fire truck will replace a non-certifiable 1982 pumper in Matachewan, located southwest of Kirkland Lake.

Both fire departments who benefitted from the donations must usually fundraise for equipment, maintenance and building costs.

The two donated fire trucks are a 1993 and a 1994 Nova Quintech Spartan Gladiator, until recently in service as spare apparatus for the city of Hamilton.

RCBL member Kevin Adams was instrumental in preparing the bids for the trucks, licensing, transfer and other necessary paperwork to facilitate the donation.

Australia: Former refugee vows to repay debt of gratitude to Rotary club.

After five years in a Tanzanian refugee camp, Kayande Rashidi is joining the Balcatta Rotary Club to give back to the country that he now calls home.

When war broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr Rashidi and his family were forced to flee.

“We couldn’t go back home, if people went back they might have been killed,” Mr Rashidi said. He and his family lived in Kigoma camp in Tanzania for almost five years before the Australian Government granted them refugee visas.

“My first impression of Australia was good because I can live safely with no problems. I thought: ‘This is freedom’”, he said.

Balcatta Rotary Club president Jackie Bullock said the club was: “Excited to welcome the Rashidis into our Rotary family”.

28 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 29

INTERVIEW

ALLAN BERRY

Meet & Greet

Our newest Rotary members give us their reasons for joining and explain why they enjoy being part of the team.

FACT FILE

Alicia Reade has been a Rotary member for eight months since joining the Rotary Club of Doncaster. Alicia is using her vocational skills, around a very busy work and family schedule, to help her club and the wider community.

NAME: Alicia Reade AGE: 43 ROTARY CLUB: Doncaster OCCUPATION: IT Business Owner and Music Teacher

I

heard about the local Rotary club through one of my IT clients. I thought Rotary was a rowing club at first! As a child, I had noticed a boat shed in my local park by the river, which had the Rotary symbol on it, so I assumed it had something to do with rowing.

Once it was explained to me what it actually was, I thought that the concept sounded really good and I was really pleased to hear that the local club were looking for younger members like me.

I attended a cocktail evening the club put on in aid of ShelterBox and I ended up playing the piano. I met many members of the club and then attended a couple of meetings and also a Satellite meeting which was aimed at younger members - my perceptions were changing! However, I found that when I mentioned Rotary to friends in conversation, they had no idea about it. It made me determined to get involved and I joined in March of this year to help change perceptions with my presence and my digital influence.

I offered to create a new website for the club that would inform local people about Rotary and what the club is up to. The website has been running for a while now and it has proved a success. From my viewpoint there are challenges, and although solutions are already in progress, I think they need speeding up. These include the recruitment of younger members and women to bring greater diversity of ideas and skills.

Tradition has its place, but not at the expense of valuable progress, which is necessary in order to keep Rotary turning and catering to the needs of a rapidly changing world.

I have suggested to some people that they

30 // ROTARY

“Tradition has its place, but not at the expense of valuable progress, which is necessary.

should join, of course. I tell them that Rotary is a bringing together of skills to do some good locally and globally. Fitting Rotary around my personal life is easy and because my contribution is mostly digital I manage to fit it around my work and looking after my son Aiden, aged five.

I also manage to find time to work when he is in bed asleep! I have quite a few hobbies such as photography and social media and some projects with my son.

To sum up Rotary in a few words I would say it is a “Chance to Change”. l

To find a club near you visit: rotarygbi.org/club-finder www.rotarygbi.org

ADVERTISEMENT

WHAT THEY SAY

The Big Interview

ALLAN BERRY

Help us “Say No!” Some of the world’s most beautiful and exotic animals are close to extinction and Rotarians across the world are fighting to save them.

R

For more information www.endangeredrag.org 32 // ROTARY

otarians across the globe are committed to making a difference in the world with some using their experience and expertise to join a Rotary Action Group.

There are 22 action groups within the Rotary family and the latest addition is a group for endangered species.

The Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species (RAGES) works to provide global awareness and focused action in the continuing struggle to preserve and protect endangered species.

A “Critically Endangered” species is defined as categorised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as likely to become extinct.

“Endangered” is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations in the IUCN’s scheme after Critically Endangered (CR).

When I pulled up the list I found it surprisingly long. On the Critically Endangered list I found Rhinos and Elephants as well as Leopards and Lions together with many others, which, if nothing is done, will all shortly be extinct.

The plight of Cecil the lion moved endangered species up the agenda in the world’s eye, when Cecil, a male south western African lion living in Hwange National Park in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, was killed by an

American trophy hunter. Cecil came to the attention of the media since he was a major attraction at the park and was being studied and tracked by scientists at the University of Oxford.

To find out more about RAGES I spoke with the founder and chairman John Glassford, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Coolamon, NSW Australia. We discussed why the Action Group had been set up and John reeled off a set of numbers of critically endangered species such as the Black Rhino, an inhabitant of Namibia, the beautiful Sumatran Elephant and of course the Sumatran Orang-utan to name just a few. Numbers of these species along with others on the critically endangered list have dropped to a few thousand, John calls them iconic species and I don’t think anyone would dispute that fact. As he and his fellow conservationists point out, “once extinct they are lost to the world forever.”

John also highlights that many of these animals support sustainable ecosystems as well as affecting the livelihoods of whole communities in the areas of their habitats and should they become extinct the economic and community development will die with them.

John told me that RAGES is growing rapidly and when we spoke he had Rotarians from 35 countries joined up, which results in over 200 members. I asked John the objective of the Action Group and he explained, “I want as many clubs and members on board as possible so we can raise awareness, educate people as to what is happening and of course give financial assistance to rangers to stop the slaughtering of these wonderful rare animals.”

In the UK, RAGES has built up a www.rotarygbi.org

prestigious list of supporters starting with two young men from a music group named Besureis. Duke Ingram and colleague Rubin started a campaign with an eye-catching poster to raise awareness of the animals’ plight and are asking celebrities to sign it. The latest in a long line of celebrity activists is Jeremy Irons. The “Say No” poster has been signed by Jeremy Paxman, Virginia McKenna, Seal, Claude van Damme, Brian May and of course Sir David Attenborough as well as Dr Jane Goodall who is now patron of RAGES and has partnered with her environmental programme for young people Roots and Shoots.

Dr Jane Goodall commented, “I am delighted to be associated with the RAGES campaign highlighting the plight facing our wildlife.

We cannot hope to change the status quo unless we educate new generations to avoid our mistakes and take better care of the planet we all share. Through the Jane Goodall Institute’s global programme, Roots & Shoots, we are working to empower young people of all ages to undertake programmes for their local community, for animals and for the environment. The RAGES campaign will help raise awareness around the world and encourage us all to help to make a difference.”

John and his colleagues are also working on a project to supply Rhino International Survival Kit (RISK) boxes to groups engaged in combating poaching in South Africa. The boxes are classified at certain levels and will start at $500 for a level one issue containing equipment such as a headlight, binoculars, hydration packs as well as other equipment. The kits go up in content to Level 3 containing all the tools needed to help contain and stop the poaching of any endangered species.

John realises he and his team have a very big job ahead of them but there is no shortage of ideas being put into action. As John says, “I can’t imagine a world without these animals and once they have gone we will never get them back. We must ensure they remain for the sake of future generations.”

•

www.rotarygbi.org

Actor Jeremy Irons signing the “Say No” poster

I can’t imagine a world without these animals and once they have gone we will never get them back. We must ensure they remain for the sake of future generations.”

ROTARY // 33

ROTARY IN ACTION

Elephantastic

What an Elephantastic display!

After the success of a similar project in 2013, August saw the launch of the Rotary Club of Horsham’s Elephantastic project. We take a look at how they brought a safari to the streets of Horsham and some of the ways the money raised will be put to good use.

O

ne thing you might not expect to see when you walk down your local high street is a herd of brightly coloured and bespoke designed elephants, but that is exactly what the local people of Horsham would have seen when they headed out this summer.

This is because the Rotary Club of Horsham has been working in conjunction with a number of partners to put on the Elephantastic trail, where nearly 200 uniquely painted elephants were placed at different locations around the town. Plain model elephants were sold to over 130 companies who each added their personal design. Three safari trails of the elephants were then available to follow throughout the summer, two in Horsham town centre, and one in the surrounding countryside. There were over 100 fantastic prizes on offer to successful trail finders with the star prize being a family trip to an elephant orphanage in Kenya.

The trails attracted thousands, including none other than award winning actress Julie Walters, who came on behalf of the Samaritans, of which she is patron, to take a look at two elephants. The models were designed by students from local Collyers College and proceeds donated to that charity.

Locals and visitors to Horsham could also get their hands on a range of t-shirts, wrist bands and cuddly toys, all brandishing the unique and tasteful Elephantastic design, created by a local marketing agency.

Sixty-five charities and community groups, chosen by the organisations that purchased the elephants are set to benefit from the proceeds of the project through the sales of the elephants via online bids and auctions. Born Free, which works to encourage compassionate conservation and animal welfare, is the event’s charity partner and will receive 25% of all proceeds plus the revenues from the sale of the elephants that they own, most of which have been created by celebs including Amanda Holden, Vic Reeves and also internationally famed

34 // ROTARY

Painted elephants

Isn’t it amazing when a community comes together and makes something really special happen.” wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering. The funds will help build an elephant sanctuary in Tuscany, the first in Europe, to care for vulnerable elephants rescued from captivity in Europe.

Local resident Will Travers OBE, President of the Born Free Foundation, comments: “Isn’t it amazing when a community comes together and makes something really special happen. With the backing of Horsham Rotary Club, dozens of businesses, a veritable palette of artists and numerous charities, ‘Elephantastic’ inspired our town. It created a wonderful sense of

togetherness, raised awareness about the plight of wild elephants, and raised funds for so many good causes, including elephant conservation and the creation of Europe’s first sanctuary for rescued elephants. Quite frankly, what’s not to love!”

John Le Rossignol, one of the organisers of the project, added: “There has been a real buzz in the town while the elephants have been lining the streets. The level of interest and support in the project has astounded us and we are so happy with the beautiful designs and money raised for so many worthwhile causes.”

•

To see all the latest updates, donate to the project or bid for your favourite elephant, head over to the website or like the Elephantastic Facebook page. www.facebook.com/HorshamElephantastic www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 35

ROTARY IN ACTION

Corporate Social Responsibility

Paying back big time

T

Corporate Social Responsibility is the ‘in thing’ at the moment although it has been promoted for a number of years. We take a look at its progress and how Rotary is getting involved.

he words Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have been around since the 1960s. Of late CSR has come to prominence as businesses and institutions such as banks have had their role in the community questioned and examined in depth. CSR is defined as “A company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment in which it operates and the way they operate.” In recent years the CSR approach has, at times, been interpreted as ‘corporate philanthropy’, which comes down to aid and also monetary donations. The consulting group EPG reports that the world’s top 500 companies donate $15bn to CSR activities. In the UK the figure is $3.25bn, of which donations of goods and services is 46% whilst employees volunteering is 34% and cash contributions 20%. However, some might say that corporate success and social welfare are interdependent, what is called Creating

36 // ROTARY

“It is the power of individuals, at all levels within business that drives the growing responsible business movement.”

Shared Value (CSV). The values of Rotary, and that of its members, fit both models such that synergy with Rotary kicks in.

From large organisations to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) CSR is being embraced in its many forms. Retailers such as Marks and Spencer embrace CSR calling their initiative ‘Plan A’. Utility companies such as EDF Energy along with many in that industry have been supporting CSR for a while now. In the industrial sector

Jaguar Land Rover and Siemens, amongst many others, are engaging with the CSR philosophy. In earlier editions I reported on UBS the bank and the largest microchip designer in the world ARM Holdings plc and their involvement with CSR. Corporate Social Responsibility is being embraced by Business in the Community (BITC), a charity termed the Prince’s Responsible Business Network, which claims to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to creating a fairer society and a more sustainable future. All of which tends to come together under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility. Business in the Community publishes each year a listing of companies measuring their Corporate Responsibility and gives them a star rating.

I spoke with BITC concerning their work and it commented, “Every day, people from businesses of all sizes are taking action which makes society, and their businesses better. Whether this is through mentoring www.rotarygbi.org

Cement donated by Corporate Partner

disadvantaged groups, coaching young people or giving time to volunteer for community organisations, it is the power of individuals, at all levels within business that drives the growing responsible business movement.”

“Of course, there are many thousands of people, Rotary Club members and beyond, who are engaging in positive activities within their communities in their own time, without necessarily connecting this activity to their business and the difference the employer can make on the most pressing issues. Business has a real potential to build a fairer society and more sustainable future.”

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) also endorses CSR. It comments: “Corporate social responsibility is undergoing a change.

Charitable giving to social causes has long been a mainstay of the global CSR movement, but today more businesses are realising that traditional philanthropy is no longer enough nor necessarily the best way to help. Companies are looking for areas in which their core business overlaps with existing social or environmental challenges and are using this link to develop innovative strategies that benefits both business and society.

“All three dimensions of sustainability www.rotarygbi.org

— economic, social and environmental — are gaining importance in the development debate, and the private sector now actively participates in related global and local activities to spur the achievement of development goals. Sustainability is being viewed as a source of innovation and economic growth.”

Marks and Spencer diligently publish progress with their CSR activity in its annual report and much of it is based around sustainability but also raising £2.45m for designated charities. Director of Plan A, Mike Barry, said, “The report shows we have much to be proud of but we also have a long ‘to do’ list.”

EDF Energy work with the Transformation Trust on a programme they call The Big Energy Project and another project called ‘Helping Hands” encourages employees to volunteer in their local community on environmental initiatives supporting the company’s sustainability strategy.

So, you might be asking where Rotary fits into this big plan? Rotarians across the world have an amazing record of volunteering locally and internationally working with companies. Rotary members, as employers, donate their time and services and as employees work with their local Rotary clubs. Many clubs and members

are engaging with companies on Corporate Social Responsibility activities and there is a pay back since the communities they help benefit, and the Rotary Clubs share a platform to carry out their humanitarian work. It is a collaboration we will surely see extended over the years.

•

For information on Corporate Social Responsibility go to: www.bitc.org.uk

FACTFILE

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Partnership • is A Corporate a collaboration with real

opportunities. The Corporate Partner will have a key part in changing lives and will have a great time in the process

ne of the many benefits of • Obeing a Corporate Partner, aside from the feel good factor, is the opportunity to network with like minded people and other organisations

ROTARY // 37

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

World Polio Day

Going, going but not quite gone On Saturday 24 October the world will unite to mark World Polio Day. This day is an opportunity to reflect on how much progress has been made to eradicate the terrible disease, but also strengthen determination to rid the world of polio forever.

The fight isn’t over and Rotary still hasn’t made the impossible possible – but this is within grasp.”

The history of Rotary’s 30 year PolioPlus programme is documented in an excellent new book by Sarah Cook: Volume One of Rotary’s Three Volume History, “Rotary and the Gift of a Polio free World” is now available online for US$15 at shop.rotary.org Volume Two is expected later this year.

For more information go to: www.endpolio.org www.polioeradication.org 38 // ROTARY

T

his year is a historic year for Rotary’s fight to end polio, we have seen a major breakthrough in Africa as no new cases of the disease have been reported for one whole year. Global health experts, and Rotarians are celebrating this momentous milestone, one that is especially poignant on World Polio Day. The goal has been in grasp for many years, but finally in July of this year the World Health Organisation confirmed Nigeria has reported no new cases of polio.

In August it was even more positive as it was declared that no new cases of polio have been detected in Somalia since 11 August 2014. This is the longest that Africa has ever gone without a case of polio.

Jonas Salk played a key role in helping to eradicate polio by inventing the first effective vaccine against the paralysing disease. This was at a time when polio was considered to be one of the most frightening public health problems in the world. Salk has been hailed as a miracle worker and in 2014 there was a Google Doodle in his honour.

The vaccine was introduced in 1950, and in 1988 there were 350,000 cases of polio annually, in 125 countries — about 1,000 cases per day. A vastly different story than the one we see today, and this is thanks to the work carried out by Rotary worldwide and its partners. Of the hundreds of thousands of cases threatening the world less than 30 years ago, the figure is down by more than 99.9 per cent with fewer than 400 cases in the entire world in 2014.

Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio

Jonas Salk invented the first effective vaccine against polio

have been described as one of the finest humanitarian projects the world has ever known and Rotary was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in the eradication task. However, this doesn’t mean that this World Polio Day we can rest on our laurels, the fight isn’t over and Rotary still hasn’t made the impossible possible – but this is within grasp.

There are teams of volunteers throughout Rotary who will be heading out to India for National Immunisation Days to continue supplying vaccinations to children who are still at risk. It is a trip that many have made for years, and has proved a lifesaving task, one that has not only helped improve the lives of thousands of children, but also served to help eradicate polio.

The fight is far from over since the disease is still devastating Pakistan and Afghanistan with cases still being reported in these countries. However, this does not mean that polio campaigners are slowing down, far from it. Judith Diment, Member of International PolioPlus Committee, www.rotarygbi.org

Keeping polio at bay

has led the initiative to lobby various governments and polio eradication is now on the agenda of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which takes place in Malta in November. Rotary international President Ravi Ravindran will speak on polio at The People’s Forum.

Judith Diment comments: “We have witnessed remarkable progress in 2015 with only 39 polio cases to date this year. But the job is not finished yet and Rotarians must remain focused to ensure that no child is ever paralysed by the wild polio virus. The ‘plus’ in PolioPlus means that Rotarians are doing more than stopping the spread of polio in the last two countries in which it is endemic; they also are building a legacy of infrastructure and partnerships that will support the fight against infectious disease long after polio is gone.”

In the next few years the world has the opportunity to make polio only the second ever human disease to be eradicated from the world after smallpox. To make this happen, political leaders in key countries that have polio - Pakistan and Afghanistan, and from major countries that provide funding for eradication - UK, Canada and Australia, need to come together and renew their commitment. Through this and with tenacity, determination and dedication of many Rotarians, we have the chance to end polio forever.

•

www.rotarygbi.org

Countries that still have polio

Afghanistan Pakistan

A child’s finger is marked with a purple dye to show that they have been vaccinated against polio.

FACTFILE

POLIO

• The vaccine was introduced in 1950 • We are 99% of the way to eradicating polio globally nlike most diseases, polio can be completely • Ueradicated he global effort to eradicate polio is the largest • Tpublic-private partnership for public health ROTARY // 39

ROTARY

MEMBERSHIP This magazine outlines just a few of the activities, projects and work that Rotarians across the world take part in. If the articles are of interest and you would like to find out more about being part of the organisation visit our website: rotarygbi.org

Rotarians are ordinary men and women from all walks of life who have a desire to give something back to their community whether it be locally or at an international level.

Associate Membership

Satellite Clubs

Corporate Membership

Membership of an eClub

Associate Membership is a way of belonging to Rotary and a club allowing you to find out about Rotary and the club within a period of time with the intent of becoming a full member.

Corporate Membership is for a group within a company who wish to become members of Rotary. This is a good way of people within a company helping and getting involved with community matters and concerns.

Satellite Clubs are springing up across the UK and Ireland and these are clubs attached to and supported by an existing club. They arrange meetings at times and venues to suit their members.

Membership of an eClub allows the member to attend meetings online rather than in person. This means members from all over the world can meet at any time of their choosing. Many meetings are recorded for viewing later. This is a good way of getting into Rotary at a time to suit you, that fits around your family and working life.

The Rotary Effect Join Leaders, Exchange Ideas, Take Action in your Community To find out more about Rotary go to: rotarygbi.org 40 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

42 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 43

44 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

The Rotary Club of Jerusalem

Rotary in the Holy City Jerusalem is a fascinating city and talking with a member of Rotary within that city is both exciting and enlightening.

I

srael and the capital city Jerusalem is at the heart of many cultures and religions and is the home of several Rotary Clubs. I chose to speak with a key member of the Rotary Club of Jerusalem to find out about Rotary in Israel.

Mark Zober told me that the club was chartered in 1929, well before the creation of the State of Israel and was the mother club for Jerusalem West and East Jerusalem. The present membership is 37 and young people are amongst the members with a mixed age and gender profile. The club also has diversity in ethnicity and religions. As Mark explained, “Don’t forget Jerusalem is the capital city and we have people work in the city from all over the world so we are very diverse in many different ways.”

Mark also gave me an overview of Rotary in Israel and made the statement , “the centre of gravity for Rotary is Haifa” explaining, “young people cannot afford to live here (Jerusalem) and Haifa is a more secular city and business orientated. As a result they do well.” I asked about other cities with clubs and members and found out that there are 59 clubs and 1,400 members in Israel. I did notice that the newer commercialised areas like Kfar Saba and Tel Aviv Clubs had over 40 members.

We went on to talk about the way Mark’s club operates and he informed me they meet on Wednesday lunchtimes at the Jerusalem International YMCA which seems fitting for Rotary since the centre has been the bridge between faith and cultures in the city for over 100 years.

Each year the Jerusalem Rotary Club runs what they call a Treasures Bazaar where people can bring along to the YMCA centre items for sale. The club’s flagship project engaging the community is a Scholarship Programme for High School students studying high tech subjects. The recipients are not selected on need, I was told, they are put forward by their respective schools.

Mark told me, “The club has also participated in Global Grants from the Rotary Foundation funding a special floor for deaf children that vibrates to music at the www.rotarygbi.org

Jerusalem

YMCA. All funded projects from the club are for people of all faiths.” Mark stressed.

Members also helped fund a Global Grant of $150k for paediatric cardiology equipment for Palestinian children at the Gaza Hospital since their parents cannot afford the medical fees. We went on to discuss the possibility of further projects and Mark told me the club wants to look at some concerning water and sanitation. Mark also deals with projects concerning peace and conflict resolution and continues work in that area.

It was fascinating talking with Mark to find out how the Jerusalem Club operates and something we did not cover was how many visitors they have in a city with so many tourists. One thing is for sure though anyone would be made very welcome such is Israeli and Rotary hospitality.

•

FACTFILE

ROTARY CLUB OF JERUSALEM

he only English speaking • TRotary Club in Israel • The club was chartered in 1929 here are 59 Rotary clubs and • T1,400 members in Israel

IT ALL HELPS The Rotary Club of Jerusalem has helped fund a Global Grant of $150k for paediatric cardiology equipment for Palestinian children at the Gaza Hospital

$150,000

To find out more about the Rotary Club of Jerusalem go to: www.jerusalemrotaryclub.org - www.facebook.com/groups/JerusalemRotaryClub

ROTARY // 45

ROTARY NEWS

Regional

The Rotary Effect Catching up with all the news from Rotary clubs around Great Britain and Ireland

Quacks away in Aberystwyth

L

ocals in Aberystwyth went quackers for a duck race, which helped to raise over £1,350 for the Nepal Earthquake Appeal.

The Rotary Club of Aberystwyth, with support from the local Sea Cadets, organised the race where thousands of rubber ducks hit the water to raise money to purchase ShelterBoxes to house homeless families in the relief effort in earthquake struck Nepal.

Participants purchased a duck from a nearby supermarket and a dedicated street stall to ensure their duck entered the race, and the money raised supported the appeal.

Hundreds of spectators lined the shores of the river Rheidol to cheer on their dedicated duck. The Sea Cadets acted as

Picture courtesy of Ross Day Photography

Don’t look down!

D

aredevil Nigel Williams recently braved a 170 feet high drop to help raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat

46 // ROTARY

referees by ensuring that the flotilla of plastic ducks found their way to the finishing point and a special team decided on which three ducks crossed the finishing line first.

The three winners received cash prizes.

President of the Rotary Club, John Harries remarked: “It was a great day and a great effort from all concerned and as a result two families in Nepal will benefit from our work. Thanks to all concerned, it was a quacking day.”

IT ALL ADDS UP

£1,350 Association. The Rochford Rotarian joined 60 other fundraisers to take part in a hair-raising abseil down Highbanks building, formally Essex House, in Southend.

After seeing an advert in the local newspaper Nigel quite literally jumped at the chance to support the RNLI and was cheered on by his club. His brave abseil helped to raise over £400 to support the life saving activities of the Southend lifeboat station, which is the third busiest in the country.

Nigel commented: “As I previously owned a yacht I can appreciate the work these volunteers do. What I didn’t appreciate was how high the building was until we reached the roof via a ladder from the top floor, however, in the end the descent was quite enjoyable!”

Rock, Roll and Rotary

A

s festival goers left V Festival at Weston Park Staffordshire and headed home for warm beds and possibly a shower, an army of Rotarians descended on the grounds to rescue abandoned tents, sleeping bags and anything that could be salvaged and recycled.

Rotary Club members from Brewood, Newport and Stafford and an army of volunteers collect almost anything that can be reused. Local and national charities are the beneficiaries of their hard work since they have just two days to help clear the site.

International Aid Preston then takes away reusable camping equipment.

The Staffordshire Clubs work with a local charity, The House of Bread, who provide help and assistance to vulnerable people. Some of the tents collected will be distributed to the homeless in Stafford. Keith Gator from The Rotary Club of Brewood whose club had the original idea seven years ago commented: “We take as many tents, sleeping bags and as much camping equipment as we physically can. The field has to be back to normal by the following Saturday so we go in straight away to get the best equipment possible before it gets turned into landfill. In the process the 500 plus volunteers have a great day out.”

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY NEWS

Regional

Music for a local hospice

B

It’s a pirate’s life for Pickering

R

otarians from Pickering Rotary Club have made plans to sail the high seas as they prepare to take a small rowing boat to Venice to join in an annual regatta called the Vogalonga next Summer.

The Vogalonga was born as a protest

by Venetians who wished to show the discomfort caused by motor boats, still one of the greatest problems in safeguarding the structure of the city. It takes place every year in May with over 1,800 boats competing.

The group will be raising funds for the North Yorkshire branch of Marie Curie and have set themselves a fundraising target of £10,000. They officially kicked off their

project with a launch event at the Forest and Vale hotel in Pickering where their sturdy vessel, which they have aptly named “Sweet Charity”, was transformed into a pirate ship with electrical canons and masts creating a pyrotechnic filled affair.

To hear more about the project or support them on their quest visit pickering-rotary.org.uk

FUNDRAISING TARGET

ands and burgers were on the menu for the Rotary Club of the Brickhills, Milton Keynes, as it hosted an open-air concert to raise funds for the local Willen Hospice.

The afternoon was hailed a huge success as it welcomed the good weather and local musicians who entertained the crowds as they enjoyed the barbeque and bar on offer.

Over £900 was raised for Willen Hospice to support their work providing specialist palliative care for people whose illness no longer responds to curative treatment. The hospice also gives support to their families.

Musical acts included Milton Keynes Acapella, Tracey’s Dancezone and Sarah Malleson from local group M4TRIX on Irish pipes, with friends and families of the Rotary Club joining in the performances.

For more information on the Rotary Club of the Brickhills visit: brickhillsrotary.co.uk

MONEY RAISED

£900

£10,000

Young Citizens Triumph in the Diana Awards

Rotary Young Citizen Awardees

T

hree Rotary Young Citizen Awardees have been given the prestigious Diana Award after being nominated by their local Rotary Club.

The award, which recognises young people who have made a positive difference to the lives of others and their community, has been given to Chloe Ball-Hopkins, 18, Aled Griffiths, 11, and Bethany Eason, 18.

Chloe, nominated by the Rotary Club of Cotswold Tyndale, is tipped for the GB

www.rotarygbi.org

Paralympic Squad in Archery for 2016 and suffers from Muscular Dystrophy. From an early age she has been a fundraiser for the cause and has helped to increase awareness of the muscle-wasting, life-limiting condition.

The Rotary Club of Plymouth nominated Aled for his work raising awareness of Vacterl Association – a condition he has suffered from since birth. Despite his condition, and undergoing 12 operations, Aled has helped others with the condition and is also a Child Ambassador for the Mitrofanoff Support Group.

Bethany, who was awarded the Rotary Young Citizen Award in 2014, was nominated by the Rotary Club of Bebington after she began fighting against cuts that were being made to services for young people suffering from deafness.

Chloe and Bethany both received the Diana Courageous Citizen Award, while Aled was honoured with the Diana Champion Volunteer Award.

ROTARY // 47

ROTARY NEWS

Regional

Rotary Voices from the Valley

T

©Picture courtesy of Nicholas Leach

Saving lives at sea

T

he Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Skegness has been buoyed up thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Skegness after they made a donation to help them continue life saving services.

Immediate Past President Pat Lowe and chair of the club’s community and vocational committee Andrew Quickfall, hopped aboard the Lincolnshire Poacher lifeboat to present Skegness RNLI with a £500 cheque towards the renovation of the relocation of their shop

and a revamp of their premises.

The money was raised from fundraising collections throughout the year, which included amongst many other activities a Santa Fun Run and a successful Quiz Night.

Pat Lowe commented: “As a community we really appreciate the hard work and dedication of the RNLI in Skegness, so we’re pleased we have been able to support it through our fundraising activity. Especially as we move into the winter months where their work is vital in helping to save lives help.”

he Amber Valley Rotary Club surprised shoppers at the INTU shopping centre in Derby by performing their own ‘Flashmob’ to raise funds for End Polio Now. The Flashmob consisted of members of the club being joined by the Sonara Singers and Eastwood Male Voice Choir as they spontaneously burst into song one Saturday lunchtime.

Passers by stopped and stared as more and more people joined in the song, and the performance concluded with all the participants revealing their End Polio Now t-shirts, which highlighted the cause the random outburst was in aid of. They concluded by collecting donations from the local shoppers.

To boost the impact of the flashmob, second year media student at Derby University, Kieran O’Malley captured the whole performance on video and it has since been posted and shared on social media many times. Past President Paul Ramsbottom commented: “The Flashmob turned out to be a real spectacle and success, Kieran’s video captures the spontaneity perfectly – I urge you to watch it, there will be hairs on the back of your neck for sure.”

To see the video please go to: youtube.com and search ‘flashmob rotary end polio now derby’.

School trip with a difference

M

embers from the Rotary Club of Gosport recently took six students aged 16 from Bay House School to Librazhd, Albania to learn about the country and experience some of the life changing

48 // ROTARY

work carried out by Rotary in communities overseas.

The majority of the work carried out in Albania has been driven by member Adrian Edgar and his late wife Pam after they first visited 17 years ago as part of the shoe box appeal which sends items to children in poor countries.

Students were taken to see a number of different projects including visiting Medpak, an organisation for the disabled, that supported a maternity ward in the local area. Adrian had donated the proceeds from Pam’s funeral to purchase an Ultra Violet lamp for the ward for jaundiced new born babies. The students also visited a nursery where 60 new cots and bedding had been

supplied, and a summer camp in Lezhe, which Adrian and his team had helped to set up.

Adrian commented: “It was great to be able to take the students out to see firsthand how much difference you can make to those less fortunate. I’m incredibly proud of all that we have achieved in Albania and I hope it will inspire the students to get involved in volunteer work too.”

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY NEWS

Regional

Flying high helping young adults

C

All roads lead to Rotary

Rotary Court is right up your street

T

he Rotary Club of Dunbar will go down in geographical history after a street has been named in its honour. The road, which has 16 flats, was titled Rotary Court to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club.

Since its formation in 1964, the club has raised funds for national and international causes as well as many projects closer to home. These include the Boys’ Brigade and Brownies, Dunbar Rugby Club and more recently teenage Paralympian sprint sensation

Maria Lyle, who benefitted from the kindhearted donations of residents, which was organised by the Rotary Club.

Dr Judy Greenwood, past president of Dunbar Rotary, comments: “All our members are local to Dunbar, with many growing up in the area. Each has helped to support the community through their Rotary work, so it’s fantastic that their hard work is recognised by the street naming, as well as the community tradition continuing in Dunbar.”

rowds in Royston were wowed by the colourful displays on offer at the annual Rotary Club of Royston’s Charity Kite Festival.

Nearly 3,000 attended the event at Thurfield Heath to help raise money for The Willow Foundation, a charity that provides days out for seriously ill young adults.

The festival had stalls and children’s entertainment available to keep visitors entertained and all money raised is going to The Willow Foundation.

The event has been running for ten years and has raised over £45,000 for local and national charities since it began.

Karin Weston, organiser of the Royston Kite Festival, said: “A fantastic day out was had by all and each year it continues to be a huge success. We’re so grateful for all the hard work that people put in to help us make the event happen, and we’re especially thankful to all the people who came to the festival, monies raised will go to our President David Williams’ charity, The Willow Foundation, to help it continue its brilliant work.”

For more information on the festival visit: www.roystonkitefestival.com

Any fin’ is possible with Rotary!

F

or the 21st year in a row Corringham Thameside Rotary Club held their annual fishing day for children with special needs

www.rotarygbi.org

alongside the Anniversary Fishing Syndicate.

Throughout the event, which was held at the fishing lake in South Ockendon, the fishermen taught the children basic fishing techniques, including handling the fish with care and assisted them to catch over 200 fish.

Members of the Rotary Club handed out food and drinks to those taking part and their families. At the end of the afternoon, as the sun came out, every child received a trophy.

Speaking at the event, Club President Albert Borgman said: “It is great that as Rotarians we can work with the members of the fishing club again to provide a fantastic experience for these local children. A good day has been had by all, and I would like to thank the fishermen of the club for giving up their Sunday to teach the children how to fish.”

GET IN TOUCH...

Got a story for us? Send it in (with a good quality picture) to editor@rotarygbi.org

Also: Look for us online at rotarygbi.org or follow us on Facebook /RotaryinGBI, Twitter – @RotaryGBI, and Linkedin – Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland

ROTARY // 49

Connecting

Communities What’s trending? What’s the next big thing? Catch up with what’s happening in Rotary on social media - here is a selection of some recent messages

otary International in R Great Britain & Ireland

We are absolutely delighted to have achieved Silver Investors in People status, going up from Bronze in the process!

otary International in R Great Britain & Ireland

John Hewko

Our Peace program inspires people like Patricia Shafer to build peace in schools worldwide. on.rotary.org/PShafer

We love this video from the Rotary Club of Eastleigh’s annual Dragon Boat Race!

Congratulations to all who took part, will you be joining them next year?

Simon Edmands

Great to see @OxfordSpires #Rotary in item about @Pooh_Sticks1 on @BBCBreakfast this morning! #PoohSticks @RotaryGBI

otary International in R Great Britain & Ireland

Baldock Rotary Club

Wheelchair Relay Sun 11/10/15 Bedford Int Athletic Stadium raising funds for disabled children @3CR @RotaryGBI

Congratulations to World Champion Greg Rutherford for picking up gold for his fantastic long jump yesterday.

Did you know the Rotary Club of Bedford Park helped support Greg through his training back in 2008 to help him achieve Olympic glory? We’re sure the Club was celebrating again yesterday!

EndPolioNow

To celebrate our progress, @Rotary members dressed the iconic Spirit of Detroit statue with an #Endpolio Now shirt.

FOLLOW US Follow us on Twitter @RotaryGBI or visit our Facebook page: facebook.com/RotaryinGBI to keep up to date with the latest news and activity from Rotary and our clubs.

50 // ROTARY

www.rotarygbi.org

www.rotarygbi.org

ROTARY // 51