Young citizens get to meet Wolves heroes

Three teenagers had some help from Wolverhampton Wanderers players in preparation for the kick-off of this year’s search for the Young Citizen of the Year.

Samuel Iyawe, 15, who won the 2019 award, was joined by last year’s finalists Melvin Riley, 18 and Jude Aston, 15, at Wolves’ training base at Compton Park. Chris Thompson from Tettenhall Rotary Club was also present, representing the city’s Rotarians who organise the prestigious awards.

Samuel, who has grown up in the care system, was named Young Citizen of the Year in 2019 in recognition of being a voice for young people in the city and trying to improve the lives of others while working with the Children in Care Council and the City of Wolverhampton Youth Council. He is extremely passionate about combatting knife crime.

During the meet-and-greet, the youngsters got the chance

Wolves winger Adama Traore meets Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year 2019 Samuel Iyawe (back right), along with Melvin Riley and Jude Aston, who were both highly commended last year.

to tell Wolves players Adama Traore, Max Kilman, Diogo Jota, Bruno Jordao and Benny Ashley-Seal of their community efforts which saw them nominated for the award. It was also their chance to ask the players about their successes this year, with Wolves flying high in the Premier League and heading towards the latter stages of this year’s Europa League.

Max Kilman said: “I think it’s good that children are able to express themselves in their community and I’m very proud to have young people like this in Wolverhampton.”

Benny Ashley-Seal added: “It’s great to be involved and see what these young people have achieved. It is important for us as footballers to see all the good things that happen in our local community.”

Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Young people in Wolverhampton do some incredible things and it is key that they are recognised for going above and beyond. Doing so can only help in ensuring that the city’s future is a bright one.”

The search for this year’s Young Citizen of the Year kicks off on March 1st.

Organised by the city’s five Rotary clubs, in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council, Express & Star, Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation, The Way Youth Zone, The James Beattie Charitable Trust and Waitrose, it recognises young people aged 13-19 who have made a significant contribution to the city, people around them and their local communities.

Anyone can nominate a young person who lives, goes to school or works within the City of Wolverhampton. For more details about the award, plus entry forms, please visit www.wolverhamptonyoungcitizen.org.uk.

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From our roving ambassador in India –

PDG Richard Green

My privilege to attend the Rotary Jaipur Limb. Camp today at Duthie school, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadhu, South India organised by the Rotary club of Nagercoil South and supported by funding from many clubs in the UK and the Rotary Jaipur Limb trustees.
136 amputees will receive Prosthesis free of charge.
They include Maurice. (many people have western names because of the church influence in this area.).He worked as a tailor before he lost both hands and lower legs in a bus accident. He will be able to work again with the new limbs and LN4 hands.

Truly a magnificent Rotary project.

PDG Richard Green

Tree of Remembrance Chairman Mike Colley receiving a certificate of thanks from The Haven’s Hayley Powell.

Hayley Powell was our speaker on 4^th February, a week after receiving the Tree cheque for The Haven. She spoke passionately about the ‘global domestic abuse epidemic’. The Haven is clearly helping effectively in its 5 refuges – there are 275 refuges in England and Wales.  (This compares badly with the c.1500 animal refuges!) St Georges Hub receives abused men. 1 in 4 women are affected by abuse in England and Wales. Not just physical abuse (‘battering’)  but sexual, honour-based, forced marriage, financial, coercive control and ‘gaslighting’. Children (up to 16 years) must also be catered for in the Haven’s list of advice and therapy sessions : legal., benefits , finance,  and,  when the women and children leave the refuge , help with resettlement. Their therapeutic services include self-esteem sessions, yoga, knitting, hairdressing as well as visits to the swimming baths, a farm the Safari Park. The Haven is fulfilling a much needed role as it deals with often harrowing cases. Is action being taken to combat this epidemic? Well the word is going out and the stories reach the Archers and the Soaps. Are the abusers being dealt with? In both cases there continues to be more to do and Hayley expressed deep gratitude for our help.

The Club is also proud to announce that The Haven will be one of the beneficiary charities from the Best Foot Forward event at Aldersley Leisure Village on Saturday July 4th

Rotary Young Musician

A good crowd attended  the Wolverhampton Music Service for the  Area Round on 4^th February where 9 contestants performed delightfully. Richard Green was a compere plus, introducing Rotary activities between the performances to allow adjudicators Simon Platford (Wrekin College)and Peter Edwards (Music Education Hub) to collect their thoughts. After the performances  Simon and Peter gave sympathetic critiques to each musician while praising the overall high standard. They concluded that the best instrumentalist was Oliver Pritchard-Jones (clarinet) and the best vocalist Fiona Winning. Oliver fluently played two contrasting pieces  – Lou Cabridan apparently means ‘the bee’. Fiona sang three contrasting pieces and filled the room – ‘prends garde ä toi’ (‘watch out!’) resonated.  The winners now go forward to the District Final, at the same venue on Sunday March 1^st. We wish them all a good future in music.

Stuart Williams

Tree of Remembrance Cheque Presentations

The  people o f Wolverhampton continue to cherish the opportunity to remember their loved ones. The Wulfrun Centre welcomed  us again and the Express and Star printed the many  messages. In addition to the display we had two excellent Saturday choir performances. This culminated in the awards over lunch on 28^th January of valuable contributions to the funds of Compton Care, The Haven, the MS Centre and Rotary – as well as the Compton Care Choir and the Wombourne Community Pop Choir. Apart from the public the donations in cash or services were provided by our sponsors: Millers, Peter Posh, the James Beattie Trust and FBC Manby Bowdler. The recipients all thanked the Club for its efforts and encouraged us to do it again next year.

Thanks to the efforts of Paul Lockley, working in partnership with the Bethel Christian Fellowship from West Bromwich, I was able to deliver (today) 147 Rotary Showboxes to the Preston warehouse of the International Aid Trust.

By Christmas, the gifts they contain will be in the hands of desperately poor children, teenagers and families in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. In 2018, the Rotary Shoebox scheme delivered 48952 of the boxes, to bring some happiness to so many people.

Richard Green.

Pictured at the launch of the 2019 Tree appeal are President Richard Horrell and Committee Chairman Mike Colley

Members of The Rotary Club of Wolverhampton give the people of Wolverhampton the opportunity of remembering a loved one by making a donation.

A list of names of those to be remembered is published in the Express & Star and displayed in the cabinets on show in the Wulfrun Centre.

The first is Compton care which provides care and support for patients living with incurable conditions and their families. It has been running in Wolverhampton for over 36 years and offers round the clock expert care in its in-patient unit as well as caring for people in their own homes.

The second is The Wolverhampton MS Therapy Centre which has been supplying oxygen treatment therapies and support for those experiencing long term debilitating conditions and short term traumas such as surgery or an accident for 30 years.

The third charity to benefit is The Haven, Wolverhampton which provides both practical and emotional support services to women and children who are affected by domestic violence and homelessness

The fourth charity to benefit is The Rotary Charitable Trust and funds will be used to support good causes in the city of Wolverhampton.

We thank the James Beattie Charitable Trust and several other organisations and companies for sponsoring the event.