PRESS RELEASE

Wolverhampton Young Citizen Awards ceremony postponed

In view of the extended Covid restrictions, the Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the year awards ceremony has been postponed until September 16th.

Organising Committee Chairman Rotarian Roger Timbrell , said:

‘There were record entries this year and the judges report that the selection of finalists has been a difficult job. Many of those who are not selected as finalists have made such significant contributions to their community that they will receive certificates of commendation’. As Wolves legend John Richards says in his video recorded to promote the awards ‘ These awards celebrate and recognise all the voluntary work that young people do. No act of kindness, however small, should go unrecognised. Just a nomination alone is a powerful way to say thank you’ To view his video and that of other supporters including B.B.C. T.V.Repair Shop star Jay Blades go to www.wolverhamptonyoungcitizen.org.uk

Awards will be given in two age categories : 13 – 18 and 19 – 25.  Subject to Covid 19 restrictions the awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 16 September in the Mayoral Suite.  The ceremony will be hosted by the Mayor of Wolverhampton, who is one of the judges, and the winners will be announced by Chairman of judges Peter Madeley, political editor of the Express and Star.

These awards were devised and are sponsored by the five Rotary Clubs in the city and organised in partnership with the City Council, The Express and Star, Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation and supported by Carvers Building Supplies Ltd. and the James Beattie Charitable Trust.

Contact: Roger Timbrell    roger.timbrell@yahoo.co.uk

As the club starts it’s Centenary year Richard Green becomes our President. Having been President 10 years ago, Richard commented that this was in keeping with the spirit of recycling, but he feels honoured to be asked to serve the club and the ideals of Rotary once again.

The President 2020-2021 Brian Bailey hands over the chain of office to the new President for 2021-2022, Richard Green.

The Grant Giving Committee of our Club recently awarded Cradle Charity £200 for their work at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

Acknowledement below for their local ambassador, Bekki Llloyd-

‘CRADLE is a national charity that supports the NHS and bereaved parents who are receiving care following the loss of their baby or in some cases babies during early pregnancy.

One of our projects is the Comfort Bag project, given to bereaved parents during their hospital stays. Many of the bereaved parents find themselves being admitted to hospital during an emergency with basic toiletries not available. Also, within these bags will be leaflets signposting women and their partners to our services offering immediate support.

The £200 donation will go towards funding empty yellow comfort bags and specialist baby loss counselling sessions for individuals and couples’.

Bekki Lloyd

To email Bekki- CLICK HERE

Website  www.cradlecharity.org

The City of Wolverhampton club has used the Rotary network to give desperately needed aid to India.

The Covid 19 crisis in India is a major catastrophe. By May 28^th, there have been  27.7 million recorded cases with 323,000 deaths. In the State of Kerala alone, the figures are 2.7 million cases with 8,257 deaths. The true figures are probably even higher as many cases go unrecorded.

Our club decided it would prefer to take direct, rapid action rather than simply make a donation to one of the many commendable relief funds that have been set up.

Our network of well known, directly contactable Rotarians includes Past District Governor Scaria Jose of the Rotary club of Changanacherry, Kerala,  who serves as the Rotary Jaipur Limb (RJL) Ambassador to India and is well known to our member, Richard Green, the RJL Trustee and Director for India. Scaria advised that there is a desperate need for oxygen concentrators – machines designed to provide relief to patients with severe breathing difficulties associated with Covid. By contacting fellow Rotarian Binoop Paul, Scaria established that a concentrator, manufactured in China, could be purchased for £728. The funds were rapidly despatched to the supplier, Binoop’s employers, N2 Healthcare in Cochin.

The unit arrived in Mumbai on May the 26^th and was transported across country to Cochin and delivered to Scaria Jose’s house on May 27^th.

It was handed over to the government public hospital in Changanacherry on May the 28^th, where it was accepted by the hospital superintendent, Doctor Ajith, in the presence of the local member of the State Legislative Assembly, Mr. Job Michael and other Rotarians from the Changanacherry club including President Saju.

Job Michael expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the Rotarians involved in extending help to the needy patients during what he described as the current calamity.

Now, Binoop has been able to source 5 BiPap (Bilevel positive airway pressure) machines and a number of other clubs have sent funds to purchase these. Delivery is expected during the first week of June.

PDG Richard Green

Jay Blades, star of the popular B.B.C. show ‘The Repair Shop’, is supporting the Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year Awards. Jay is a graduate of Wolverhampton University and used to have a furniture restoration business in the city. He is keen to encourage the community of the city to recognise young people who have helped others during the pandemic and he has produced a video which has been posted on the Awards web site

Chairman of the Young Citizen Awards Publicity Committee, Gordon Essex, said ‘ I first heard of Jay Blades’ charity work through the Wolverhampton homeless charity The Good Shepherd. Paul Berry, from the charity, made contact with Jay who readily agreed to make a video to publicise the awards. So as Jay says ‘Get nominating’  by going to www.wolverhamptonyoungcitizen.org.uk

The 2021 Awards will be given to 13 – 18 year olds and in addition there is a category for the 19-25 age group. This is to bring it in line with the Rotary National awards which are televised on the B.B.C.

Anyone can nominate by visiting the above web site. The closing date is on 31 May. Subject to Covid 19 restrictions the awards ceremony will be held on 8^th. July.  Roger Timbrell, Chairman of the organising Committee said ‘I urge anyone who knows a young person who deserves to be recognised for helping others during the pandemic, or for demonstrating good citizenship, to nominate them on line’.

These awards were devised and are sponsored by the five Rotary Clubs in the city and organised in partnership with the City Council, The Express and Star, Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation and supported by Carvers Building Supplies Ltd. various local publications and the James Beattie Trust.

Contact: Roger Timbrell    roger.timbrell@yahoo.co.uk

mobile : 07885944030

18 local organistaions have been awarded grants by the partnership of the Rotary Club of the City of Wolverhampton and the James Beattie Charitable Trust.

A fuller account is available on the club website page- click on the bold text…..

The Rotary Small Grants Scheme-Outcomes

Well known and much respected actress Jenny Seagrove has been appointed an Honorary member of the Rotary club of The City of Wolverhampton.

Jenny supports a number of charities including the Rotary Jaipur Limb project, of which she is a patron. This charity, formed in 1984, provides prostheses free of charge to amputees in India and Africa. 

Her father and grandfather were Rotarians and, as a result, she has a full awareness of the Rotary ethic ‘Service Above Self.’ She recently delivered one of the series ‘Rotary Together Talks,’ in which she spoke about how honoured she felt to be asked to be involved. 

She has addressed a number of Rotary District conferences, talking about her passion, the Mane Chance Horse sanctuary of which is she is the founder. The sanctuary, established to give a home to neglected and illtreated horses, provides support and healing to disadvantaged and terminally ill children, who gain tremendous comfort and mental wellbeing by visiting the sanctuary and interacting with the horses. 

The mission statement of The Mane Chance reads as follows, in regard to this particular part of their activities, demonstrating a genuine commitment to service for the benefit of the community: 

“To provide relief for children, young people and vulnerable people, suffering from physical and/or mental disability, through the provision of managed work with equines in a therapeutic environment to help meet their needs and to enable them to participate more fully in society; also to increase the confidence and capacity of children and young people are therefore delighted to have teamed up with AQA, an organisation offering unit awards for achievement.  Used widely in education and charity sectors, the awards are aimed at those who are struggling in life or to function in mainstream education or those who are unlikely to attain traditional levels of recognised qualifications, such as GCSEs and A Levels. Instead it offers recognition of what they are able to achieve.” 

The sanctuary also has a partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, providing sessions which qualify students for the volunteering part of the award. 

Jenny visited the City of Wolverhampton club in 2014, giving an inspirational talk to a very full audience of Rotarians and guests, since when she has become a friend of  Past District Governor Richard Green, who will serve again as club President in the forthcoming Rotary year which marks the centenary of the club. 

Jenny, who will shortly be appearing with Sir Ian McKellen in a production of ‘Hamlet’ at the Theatre Royal, Windsor says “I am thrilled to become an Honorary Rotarian – joining an organisation that does such amazing work around the world.’

For further details contact:

Richard Green.

richard.green51@talktalk.net