Wolverhampton Rotary Clubs Christmas Carol Service- A Great Success.

On December 9th there was a large turnout for the club’s carol service held at the beautiful Ukrainian Catholic church as a result of the strong bond of friendship that has been formed with the Wolverhampton Association of Ukrainian citizens in the UK.

We were honoured by the presence of the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Doctor Mike Hardacre, the Mayoress Ms Lynn Plant and District Governor Rotarian Mukunda Chidrawar.

It was a particular pleasure to have attendees from the Rotary clubs of Tettenhall and Bilston and Wolverhampton West with the service being ably conducted by Rotarian The Reverend Allen Roberts from the Tettenhall club and a message delivered by The Very Reverend Father David Senyk who had travelled from Coventry to be with us.

Various club members delivered a series of bible readings and special thanks are due to Peter Wright for his faultless organisation of the event and in particular to Rotarian Robyn Davies from the Rotary club of The Wrekin who once again provided our musical accompaniment.

The service was followed by a most enjoyable gathering for refreshments at the Razom Ukarianin social centre and we are, as always, indebted to our friend Hryhorij Kowalazuk – known to us as ‘Greg,’ for making the facilities available to us.

PDG Richard Green

District Governor Visits Wolverhampton MS Therapy Centre

Centre Manager Paula Anderson, District 1210 Governor Doctor Mukunda Chidrawar and PP Peter Williams

The M.S.Therapy Centre was opened in 1984 as a Wolverhampton Rotary Club project in the year of Peter Williams’s Presidency and a recent Club visit to the Centre replaced our usual venue.

The Centre Staff of Paula Anderson, Lisa Sheward and Vicky Watkiss organised an excellent buffet lunch (including the option of purchasing alcohol for those Rotarians suffering from a drink-deprivation problem….!!) and the ratio of “the number of sandwiches consumed per Rotarian” produced an unsurprising figure……!!

Lunch was followed by  Centre Chairman Peter Williams welcoming District Governor Mukunda Chidrawar, Club President Charles Cox and our own Club Members.Following Peter’s talk on the history of the Centre, which was illustrated with a video of the early days, he spoke of the support from our Club which has continued over 39 years, there then was a congratulatory response from Mukunda.  Paula spoke of the progress of the Centre over the  years and the plans for the future of the many treatments and facilities which the Centre offers.

Peter also added that the Trustees at the Centre will be working closely with Rotary Club members at their fund raising events to support the essential services that the Centre provides.

All in all it was an excellent and informative visit and hopefully the continued involvement of our Rotary Club will aid the ongoing success of the Centre.

 

Welcome to our New Member

Please give a warm welcome to our newest member.

Violeta Saladiene 

She is a Lithuanian lady who has been living with her family in Wolverhampton for the last 11 years. She is a freelance interpreter for Ministry of Justice and a speaker and a podcaster.   Her family has grown up now and she wants to help people who are less fortunate than herself. She had heard about the wonderful work that Rotary does and wanted to get involved. So she contacted me and we talked.

She liked what she heard and in the short time I have known her she has been to our District conference and is already getting involved with our Tree of Remembrance.

I’m sure she will make a great contribution to our club.

People like Violeta will make a difference.

That’s what we’re all about.

Past president Sylvia Morgan

Rotary Jaipur Limb

We are delighted to announce that the Rotary Club of Quilon, Kerala, India, has made the Rotary Excellence award to the RJLP lead ambassador in India, PDG Scaria Jose, in recognition of his long serving and unstinting support for the disabled across India. His latest achievement has been to advise the Quilon club in their successful bid for a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to carry out 5 mega limb camps.

 

RJLP Trustee PDG Richard Green was similarly honoured during his visit to the club in February 2023 when a meeting was held to begin the process of making the application. The funds, to the value of $33,679, are due to be transferred from the Rotary Foundation in week commencing June 19th., so that the project will commence imminently.

In a separate development, PDGs Scaria Jose and Richard Green are currently working closely together to increase the number of RJLP ambassadors across India so as to grow the knowledge of our activities and to raise further funds, meaning that more projects can be undertaken. Currently 7 new ambassadors have been appointed and full details will be released when the team is complete.

Rotary in Wolverhampton Community Grants Fund.

The four local Rotary Clubs and the James Beattie Charitable Trust have teamed up to offer grants to local groups.

A fund of £10,000 can be accessed by individuals, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise groups, working in the community to overcome problems arising from deprivation, poverty, disability and lack of opportunity.

Groups and individuals will be able to apply for grants of between £250 and £500.

To read all about this wonderful grants opportunity CLICK HERE

Rotary Christmas Appeal Gets Underway

It must be November!

The Garden Centres have cleared their shelves in order to make way for cards, baubles and sets of pulsating fairy lights, as Christmas shows its head above the horizon.

‘Ere long that nice Mr Hunt will be sending many of us a present with a label that says “Winter Fuel Allowance”.  Despite the way fuel prices have gone, some still feel uncomfortable accepting this payment and will continue to make as donation to help address the need which is to be found all around us, and, by using Gift Aid, will get a further boost from Mr Hunt.

If you are thinking of making a Christmas donation, with or without the help of Mr Hunt, but have yet to conclude who to, may we invite you to consider the Club’s Christmas appeal?

This year there will be three beneficiaries.

  • Children in Africa

    Picture shows less than half of the school who had turned out to meet a club member and friends while visiting during school holidays in April this year.

Over recent years we have forged strong links with the Kanyama Free Baptist Community School in Lusaka Zambia, (CLICK HERE) and with the Kimbilio Organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo www.congochildrentrust.org  who, between them, are helping improve the lives of nearly 500 children.

We have funded projects which have improved school facilities, and have provided much needed educational items. We have also helped with the feeding programme for the youngsters.

We would like to repeat last year’s donation, which provided a small gift and a party for all the youngsters and was received with great excitement and gratitude.

  • Shoe Boxes

    Moldovan girls collecting their Rotary Shoeboxes

 

As a Club we have supported the Rotary Shoebox scheme for a number of years.

This provides boxes of gifts or household items, for vulnerable youngsters and families, who live principally in Romania, and Moldova. www.rotaryshoebox.org

Each box is more than just a box full of useful and fun gifts; it’s personal, a gift not just for the person receiving it but for the family too – a message of hope and a demonstration that someone cares about them. 

Each year members make up boxes of toys, household goods for families, or gifts for older children.. The categories of gifts are shown on the boxes.

At our club lunch meetings, empty boxes will be available for collection or, if you would like some boxes dropping off to you, then please let Mike Boyce know on 07976612276.

Rather than fill a box, some club members prefer to make a donation to the Club’s Charitable Trust which will then be used to fill boxes on your behalf. 

  • ShelterBoxes

 Recent major natural disasters have brought untold misery and despair to tens of thousands who have lost everything and are in desperate need of the protection which ShelterBoxes provide.

ShelterBoxes are already on the ground in Libya and Morocco, but more are needed and depleted stocks in Cornwall need to be replaced.

www.shelterbox.org

To support the Christmas Appeal

You can make a payment into the Club’s Charitable Account.

Sort code                                          56-00-69

Account number                            60255927 

Please Show reference                 Appeal

Please e-mail Treasurer Derek Morgan Morgan_d12@sky.com with details of your donation, with a copy to Mike Boyce mike.boyce1@btinternet.com  so we can keep track.

If you wish your contribution to go exclusively to just one of these causes, please add /Africa    or /Shoe     or /Shelter, as appropriate, after the reference Appeal.

With grateful thanks

Brian Bailey and Mike Boyce

Grant Giving Committee.