Windsor residents have helped the Rotary Clubs of Windsor St George and Windsor & Eton raise £445 towards the world-wide initiative to stamp out polio forever. Rotary Club members collected last Saturday at Tesco in Windsor.
Polio is a crippling, and sometimes fatal, disease and still a very harrowing reality for children in parts of Africa and Asia and threatens children everywhere. It is highly virulent and only an air flight away from the UK
Every £1 raised in this campaign will purchase five doses of the special anti-polio vaccine. These children will be protected against polio - forever.
Carol Buckland, Rotary Club of Windsor St George, President said: “We are absolutely delighted to have raised £445 and want to thank everyone for getting behind our campaign so enthusiastically. Rotary has been involved in this fight for 25 years and the world is so close to being free from polio for good thanks to the joint hard work of organizations, governments and Rotary Clubs throughout the world.”
“This money really will help to make a difference and every penny will go towards the continuing efforts to destroy this horrible disease. A polio free world is just around the corner.”
LOCAL ROTARIANS HELP HOST ROTARY INTERNATIONAL'S 100th CONVENTION
June 2009
Local Rotarians helped with the hosting of the Rotary International's 100th Convention which was held at the NEC, Birmingham from 18th - 24th June. Judith Diment (Rotary Club Windsor St George) from Islet Park Drive, Maidenhead was a member of the Host Organisation Committee which has been planning the Convention for the last two years Other members of her club Gaby Gaut and Mike Brown and her husband Tony were part of the volunteer team assisting delegates.
More than 16,500 delegates from 156 countries (a record for the Convention) enjoyed an outstanding array of internationally renowned speakers including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, His Excellency United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Mia Farrow and Dr Jane Goodall. One of the main themes of the speakers was Rotary's polio eradication programme and Rotary Foundation Trustee Chairman Jonathan Majiyagbe announced at the Convention that Rotarians have raised more than $90.7 million in the last year toward the $200 Million Bill Gates Challenge, a fundraising effort to end polio worldwide. End Polio Now is the subject of a billboard advertising campaign organized by Judith throughout Birmingham and the message was also projected onto Birmingham City Library (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiwuHOAYY1E ).
More than fifty Rotarians and partners from Rotary Clubs in the Thames Valley attended the Convention and all clubs are supporting the Polio campaign.
Judith said " It was a great privilege to be involved with the 100th Annual Convention and very humbling to hear the wonderful remarks of international statesmen such as Ban Ki-Moon on the work of Rotary. All speakers praised the work of Rotary Clubs at home and abroad and emphasized that the need for Rotary is greater than ever. This was summed up by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu who said Rotary has earned the world's respect. "When they started out saying they wanted to eradicate polio, a lot of people said you ought to have your head read," he said. "Now there are only four countries where polio is endemic. This is fantastic. It is going to happen, and it is fantastic. Tutu shared how he envisions God looking down on His creation and crying when He sees all the bad things His children are doing to each other. But, Tutu said, then God looks again and sees Rotary. Rotary's dedication to peace in the world makes God smile"
HRH PRINCE PHILIP PRESENTS ROTARY CHALLENGE CUP
HRH The Prince Philip presented the Rotary Challenge Cup to Jill Alexander the winner of the Disabled Carriage Driving Competition at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The cup was presented on behalf of the Rotary Club of Windsor St George. The cup was introduced in 2008 to mark the 25th anniversary of the club. Jill is from the Stella Handcock Driving Group at Merriswood in
ROTARY CLUB CELEBRATES
The Rotary Club of Windsor St George celebrated
David Pike, secretary of the Rotary Club Windsor St George, gave an entertaining talk on the history of St George.
Rt Hon Ann Widdicombe gave a most interesting and amusing after dinner speech recalling recent episodes of her experience on various television programmes, her experiences as an author and incisive comments on the current political scene. Ann congratulated Rotary on its humanitarian work both in local communities and worldwide. The proceeds from the evening, over £500, was split between The Leprosy Mission and Rotary's Polio Eradication Programme.
ROTARY CLUB HELPS FUND KENYAN SCHOOL
March 2009
The Rotary Club of Windsor St George last year raised £20,000 for the Walk Centre School in Nakuru in Kenya. This week the club was visited by Amy Griffiths an aid worker from Beaconsfield who updated the club on the progress at the school as a result of their donation.
Amy said "We currently have all 294 children from the Hilton Slum attending the Walk Centre or being sponsored to go to the local primary or high school. We took on a number of displaced children following the political unrest in January 2008 and a number of these children remain with us."
The Rotary grant from your club enabled us to purchase the following essential equipment including; 2 Kuni Jikos, plates, mugs, cultery, filing cabinets, chairs, desks, teachers desks, dining forms, books, uniforms and a water tank. This was organized locally through the Rotary Club of Nakuru. These items have transformed the school and have given the children and teachers a huge boost and pride in the appearance of the Centre.
We also received a container of tools for the adult classes from WorkAid at the same time.
The Centre is currently in the midst of an application to become a registered charity and I am also looking to launch our sponsorship programme. - Alex Maina (the Head of the school) has also extended a warm welcome to any Rotary member that would like to visit the school."
THE HIGH SHERIFF VISITS WINDSOR ST GEORGE ROTARY CLUB
March 2009
The High Sheriff of Berkshire Dr Carolyn Boulter was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Windsor St George on Tuesday 24th March. Dr Boulter gave a very entertaining talk on the history of the shrievalty in Berkshire.
Dr Boulter explained that the office of High Sheriff is more than a thousand years old and in the eleventh and twelfth century's had very extensive powers of legal, military and taxation as the king's representative in the country. Today the high sheriff is the queen's personal representative in the country in legal matters and focuses on law and order, crime prevention and building communities through making contacts and supporting the work done by agencies throughout Berkshire. Apart from her formal duties as High Sheriff Dr Boulter has supported the work with women within the criminal justice system in Berkshire and inter-faith and inter- cultural collaboration within the community. Dr Boulter has also supported environmental education.
Dr Boulter described how on 12th of March last year her name was marked by the Privy Council at a ceremony with Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace The Queen was presented with a 14 feet roll with all the names of the High Sheriffs for the 54 counties in England and Wales. It was unrolled a foot at a time and she took a bodkin with a sharp point and pushed it through the parchment next to Dr. Boulter's name. As she did so she became the fourth woman High Sheriff of Royal County of Berkshire since 1066. This ceremony goes back to the reign of Queen Elisabeth I, ensuring that the perspective High Sheriff will take office. Following this pricking ceremony Dr Boulter received her royal warrant.
Emrys Richards President Rotary Club Windsor St George said " I would like to thank Dr Boulter for taking time out of her very busy schedule to be with us this evening for giving us such an interesting insight into this historical office."
ROTARY CELEBRATE ST DAVID'S DAY
March 2009
The Rotary Club of Windsor St George celebrated St David's Day this week with a dinner and an evening of entertainment from Gareth Jones, Welsh tenor singer with the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. Gareth who lives in Eton Wick sang a wonderful selection of traditional Welsh songs, many in Welsh. He was accompanied on piano by Sue Morgan.
President of the Rotary Club of Windsor St George Emrys Richards, who was born and brought up in Wales, said " We have had a wonderful evening and hearing these songs again reminds me of my childhood in South Wales where lullabies, hymns and folk songs are so important in the Welsh culture. We are surrounded with beautiful displays of leeks and daffodils and have enjoyed an excellent evening including Welsh Cakes bought specially in Wales for the occasion. I think it is so important to maintain these traditions."
The Rotary Club will also be celebrating St George's Day on April 21st with a dinner with guest speaker Ann Widdecombe. This dinner is sold out.
WINDSOR ST GEORGE ROTARY CLUB QUIZ NIGHT TO HELP ERADICATE POLIO February 2009
Windsor St George Rotary Club held its annual Quiz Night on Saturday night at Eton Wick Village Hall in aid of the Rotary Foundation. One of the main priorities of the Rotary Foundation since 1985 has been polio eradication. Since then, polio cases have fallen from 350,000 a year to a recorded 1,600 last year. Thanks to Rotary's help, two billion children have been protected from the disease, and the number of endemic countries has fallen from 125 to just four: Afghanistan, northern India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
It is estimated that five million children have been spared from disability and 250,000 deaths have been averted.
Emrys Richards President Rotary Club Windsor St George said "Rotary is the largest private sector contributor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with partners including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rotary clubs worldwide have now taken up Rotary's $350 million challenge - a drive to part match a multimillion challenge grant given to Rotary by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help the organisation in its quest to wipe out polio for good. I would like to thank club members and friends for supporting our Quiz this evening."
WINDSOR ST GEORGE ROTARIAN RECEIVES ACTIVE SERVICE MEDAL
October 2008
Rotarian Tom Farrell, a founder member of the Rotary Club of Windsor St George (pictured left with President Emrys Richards), has received an Active Service Medal for his military service in the Suez Canal. Tom was conscripted into the Royal Signals in October 1950 until October 1952. During this period he served for 18 months continuous service in the Suez Canal zone in Egypt.
The award of the medal was as a result of a decision made between the Rt Hon Tony Blair and the MOD, that military personnel serving in this period in Egypt should receive this award.
CHANGING THE GUARD AT WINDSOR ST GEORGE ROTARY CLUB
June 2008
Emrys Richards, has been installed as the 26th President of the Rotary Club of Windsor St George. The retiring President, Judith Diment, was thanked by Mr Richards for her tremendous input into Rotary and especially the Rotary Club of Windsor St George. During her year as President the club celebrated its Silver Jubilee with many notable events including a Silver Jubilee Dinner at the Guildhall in
Four new members were inducted into the club during the year and a variety of events raised more than £39,000 for local, national and international projects, a record for the club. The main international project this year was The Walk School in Nakuru, Kenya, the club raised £10,000 to fund school books and school uniforms for all the pupils as well as cooking equipment for the school kitchen, to provide lunches for the children.
National charities supported included the
Retiring President Judith Diment thanked all the members for their support throughout the year she said" . We are very grateful to all the people who have supported and partnered with us. We have a great new President who will build on the successes in our Silver Jubilee year."
Mr Richards said he was looking forward to a year of fresh challenges and was excited at the prospect of leading the club.
The Officers for the new Rotary Year at Windsor St George are:
Senior Vice President Carol Buckland
Junior Vice President Kathryn Pike
Secretary Martyn Gorton
Treasurer Renato Costabile
The Rotary Club of Windsor St George is a dual gender club, meeting weekly at the Manor Hotel, Datchet on Tuesday evenings, enjoying a meal and fellowship and the company of various guest speakers giving talks on a broad spectrum of topics. New members are welcome and more information about the club can be seen on the following link to their website: http://www.windsorstgeorgerotary.org.uk/
ROTARY CLUB CELEBRATES TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP WITH
19th May 2008
The Rotary Club of Windsor St George celebrated 25 years of friendship with the Rotary Club of Goslar Nordharz with a visit to
The Rotary Club of Windsor St George was chartered on November 23rd 1982 by the Rotary Club of Windsor & Eton, and twined with the Rotary Club of Goslar Nordharz in the same year. Members have been making exchange visits every year ever since.
The President of the Rotary Club of Windsor St George Judith Diment presented the President of Rotary Club Goslar Nord Harz Friedrich Dreyer with a hand made pewter plate commemorating the twenty fifth anniversary.
Judith said " One of Rotary International's objectives is world peace and understanding and we are very proud of the strong bond between our two clubs and the friendship we have enjoyed over twenty five years,. We look forward to welcoming the Goslar Club to
The visit to