Rotary Times

Mock interviews at Tarporley

Tarporley HS Mock Interview Success

 

Tarporley High School Head, Sara Lee, welcomed local Rotarians, President Nigel Mulliss and Dick Powell, to the Year 11 Assembly on Friday 23^rd February. Nigel presented 22 Distinction Certificates to students who had excelled in the Mock Interviews, organised jointly by teachers Mike Hutchinson and Steve Chappell working with Mike Holland and Dick Powell from Rotary. The top 12 students were given book tokens with Eric Jones and Sam Johnson being especially commended. The Mock Interview event is now well established in the School and Tarporley Rotary Club diaries. This year Rotary members interviewed 179 students over 3 days, helping them to prepare for their first job or college interviews and providing guidance on polishing up their CVs. President Nigel commented on the high standards achieved and the excellent impression the students had made on the Rotarians. He wished the students every success in their future careers.

Dick Powell

Motor Bikes to the rescue

Triumphant end to wild ride for ‘Health Angels’ 
Bikers braved the bundu in quest to help sick in Zimbabwe
By BIANCA GAPAZORID

Ten days of riding the Endow Africa took bikers through rivers, mud and  almost impassible roads all over the Eastern Cape.  One bike even drove through a Port Alfred hotel swimming poo1. About 150 bikers took part in the charity ride and each of the Yamaha AG200 motorcycles will now be donated to health workers in Zimbabwe, enabling them to access deep rural areas n that country.
Barry Coleman, chief executive officer of Riders for Heath, the charity handing over the bikes, said each bike donated Zimbabwe could allow a health worker reach 20,000 people. “0ne of the biggest killers in Africa s diarrhoea and because the treatment of that only requires sugar salt and water, it is not a pharmaceutical challenge. The challengc is reaching people and these bikes will help with that.”  While the event was for a good cause, there was plenty of fun to be had.
On Wednesday night, Port Elizabeth medic Jaco Schultz rode one of the bikes into the swimming pool of a Port Alfred hotel. “1 had to test the bike before it went into Zimbabwe,” Schultz said. Schultz. who is used to on-road biking, did the ride alongside experienced off-road bikers with a full bag of medical supplies to weigh him down. “I was all over sometimes ‘That’s how I earned the name Tsunami Nico.”
He said there had been about 16 minor injures. including some broken bones but only three riders had not finished because of more serious injuries.
“On the first day, a guy fell and punctured a lung and on the third day one of the doctors broke a bone in his foot,” he said. Among the casualties was Simon- Smith, one of the organisers, who broke his arm. “I rode four recce trips and when it comes to the actual event, my own event, break my arm, Smith said.
The only “paying” South African, on the ride, Greg Ermes, said the ride had been not only for charity ‘but to look after the local economy here too”. Originally from Port Elizabeth he learnt about the event on television at decided to get involved. “We’re not the Hell’s Angels, hut the Health Angels.” he said.
Most of the bikers were from the United Kingdom, but there were also some Americans, an Australian and even one from Bermuda. The oldest biker there, John Green, turned 66 on the day the trip started. He said that even when he battled with river crossings people would come and help him push his bike through. Despite being a slow rider, Green arrived in Port Elizabeth first because he got lost. ‘I got hack to Port Elizabeth and had lunch and when I asked where the hikers were, they said they were coming iinto Port Elizabeth, so I rode, back and rode in with them,,” he said. The first of its kind, the trip was spearheaded by Red Cherry Adventures’ Mike Glover, who said it was a huge success.
The 2, 600km route took riders through more than 30 towns and cities including; Jeffreys Bay, Hankev, Grahamsown, Queenstown, Alice and Port Alfred. Riders raised more than £4,000 each to participate, which covered all costs, including the bikes. The riders then set off for Saint Francis Bay, where they spent two days relaxing after the arduous trip.
The Herald (Zimbabwe) December 1,2006

HEALTH ANGELS -. The Enduiro Attica bikers ended their journey at Hobic Beach.
Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAN

Rotary Literacy Month

One of the 3 Rs under test

 

 

To focus attention on writing, in the Rotary Literacy month of March, the Altrincham Rotary Club, at the suggestion of three local Primary schools, organised a handwriting competition. The Club’s organiser, David Collington, worked closely with the Head Teachers from Broomwood, Cloverlea and Navigation schools, and 400 children eagerly took part in this fun competition. David also secured the sponsorship of the artists materials company, Staedtler  UK, which through the helpful cooperation of local manager Graham Harrison, generously donated the prizes of drawing and colouring sets.

 

The winners in each school, in years 3,4,5 and 6, were awarded certificates and prizes by the Rotary team after the teachers had made the selections – many hours of extra work for them. The Rotary team then examined these winning entries from each school, and selected the winners in each age-group from across the three schools. Finally, on March 5^th, at a special Rotary Meeting at the Cresta Court Hotel.

in Altrincham, a grand award ceremony was held, with teachers and parents present, and with Graham Harris presenting the prizes, including book tokens for the 1^st placed four winners, and Easter Eggs for all ! It really was a fun night out for all concerned.

 UKThis competition is a new venture by the Club, and is an addition to its Youth Activities portfolio. The Club believes it is unique in the District if not in RIBI, and is something that other Clubs may wish to try for themselves. The three primary schools in this competition have been most cooperative and enthusiastic. Their teachers were praised for their support and hard work throughout the venture, and Graham Harrison of Staedtler UK was thanked for his company’s participation, sponsorship and generosity with the prizes.

Lifestraw latest news

How many straws fit in a box ?

 

In our previous issue of Rotary Times we featured the amazing LifeStraw on the front page. This small inexpensive tube through which drinkable water may be sucked from a polluted source is a true life-saver. It is the discovery, in this country, of the Rotary Club of Brynmawr, South Wales, when Denise Ringdahl, this year’s President, spotted an advertisement for this device, manufactured in

Denmark

.

In March, an important deal was struck at the DHL LifeBox warehouse between Brynmawr Rotary Club and the Rotary of Denton & Audenshaw in Greater Manchester which manages the LifeBox emergency box scheme we also reported on last time. Our photo shows the two Presidents, Denise and Mike Davies, shaking on the agreement for the supply of LifeStraws for the LifeBoxes, six in each box. This deal was struck in the presence of the National Rotary President, Peter Offer, who was on a tour of the Northwest accompanied by District Chairman Michael Barker.

He visited DHL to give encouragement to this important development. Pictured is Peter and others being shown the LifeBox administration by DHL staffer Tracey, and also Peter in conversation with Mike and Michael about future plans.

Hiding their light under a bushel

CheshireHidden behind the trees, on a school campus in Winsford,  Cheshire, where you’d least expect to find it, and where there is no sign to give any hint that it is there, is a unique place. Unique in this country, this centre, and its caring workforce, housed in a plain but not unattractive building, brings much needed help and relief, and more besides, to a few hundred people who have Muscular Dystrophy (MD). It is the NeuroMuscular Centre (NMC).

 Why are they hiding ? Let us tell the world about the splendid work they do, and let us have more of the same. Muscular Dystrophy is a crippling inherited genetic disease which causes a progressive unstoppable degradation of the muscles. There are some 60 different types of MD, affecting different kinds of muscle. Some occur in childhood, others appear later in life. Some 1,500 people are born every year with the most common type, Duchenne MD, which starts in the lower limbs and progresses up through the body.  In this country, it is estimated that there are some 30,000 people affected by MD in one way or another. The NMC cares for only about 300. What about the others you may well ask.

 

The NMC idea began when, in the late 1980s, two ladies working at the  Hebden Green Special School, physiotherapist Kate Fox, and drama teacher Sarah Kelly, realised that when the youngsters with MD left the school at 18, there was no medical or other service of any kind to help them with their worsening physical condition. This is not good enough, they said, and so they set about establishing a place dedicated to helping people with MD.

 Happily the Cheshire County Council said there was a building adjacent to a school in Winsford that was empty and surplus to requirements, and that they could have it. That was a start, and with donated funds they converted it into a working physio centre. But they needed more money to extend and to maintain this embryonic venture. Sarah asked her celebrity husband Matthew Kelly to get involved, and that changed everything. The combination of his enthusiasm, his perseverance over the following years, and his many contacts, raised the profile of this project to an entirely new level. Money flowed in, and by 1997 a big extension to the building was completed, and a going concern was established with 33 staff, half of them with MD themselves, providing three basic services : physiotherapy, and employment, and IT training.

Physiotherapy speaks for itself, as a specialist medical practice, providing a full range of exercises and treatments which, for people with MD, eases the pain and slows the deterioration of the muscles affected. Many with MD are wheelchair-bound, and obtaining gainful employment can be a problem. The NMC provides training in IT methods, which, in today’s computer driven world, certainly facilitates that employment search. But the NMC gives employment itself in its Design and Print section, which is run on a commercial basis, and offers to the public the service of designed cards, forms, leaflets and so on, at competitive prices. This is a successful venture, which provides a significant portion of the centre’s running costs, which amount to £600,000 per annum. The NHS contributes to part of the cost of the physiotherapy service. All other costs rely on donations.

 

Matthew Kelly is not only the NMC President, he is an inspiration to all who work at or are served by the centre. He is also a principal fund raiser, with two annual gala events which he organises personally : “The Spirit of Christmas” celebration with carols and poetry reading, held in Chester Cathedral, in December, is one. The other event is a gastronomic feast which he calls “Gorgeous Grub” held in March at The Grosvenor Hotel,  Chester.

Between them, these two events can raise getting on for £50,000. In his own words, Matthew says, “I am proud to be the Centre's President and I have watched with delight, and respect as the Centre has gone from success to success. The dream has become a reality, and the extraordinary and unique work that the Centre does must be encouraged and sustained. “

 Rotary Clubs in the  North West support the work of the NMC and have donated almost £60,000 over the last decade. For more information phone 01606 861 733 or see their website : www.nmcentre.com

Children's Adventure farm

A Children’s Paradise in Cheshire

 

Tim Grundy, the ex Piccadilly Radio programme-controller turned journalist and television presenter, had a wonderfully inspiring idea some years ago. He had visited an orphanage, and felt saddened by the lack of happiness on the children’s faces. Something must be done, he thought, to brighten these kids’ lives. He was determined to make a difference. The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT) was the result of this idea. The farm was opened in 1992, after a lot of hard work and major refurbishment, and the 10 acre site enjoys a tranquil setting in the Cheshire countryside, at Millington, between Altrincham and Lymm.

Let Tim, Founder and Chairman of the Trust, tell it in his own words, taken from the 2002 video all about the work of this farm : “Back in 1985 a group of volunteers set up a charity that would provide holidays for truly needy children. Those holidays would be packed full of fun, laughter and joy; and after years of fund-raising they finally had enough money to buy a centre for those holidays, and the place they chose was the beautiful, 400 year old, Booth Bank Farm.”

Children, aged from 4 to 14, and in groups of 16 to 20, come for a week’s holiday in the farm. They are accommodated in comfortable bedrooms, and enjoy a wide variety of exciting activities. These include games in a modern sports hall, an outdoor adventure playground and assault course, meeting farm animals, collecting eggs for breakfast, exploring the woodland adventure trail, feasting at a barbecue, painting and drawing, watching films, exploring sights and sounds, and much moreCheshire. Last year,  some 500 children enjoyed a residential holiday, but overall, with sports days and activity weekends, some 3,000 children visited the farm. Over the years many thousands of children have enjoyed this  Cheshire paradise.

 Sir Bobby Charlton, President of CAFT, says of the farm, “This really is a special place, special for the children and it’s special for me too. When I was first asked to be President in 2000, I felt very honoured, especially once I’d been here to visit, and I was able to find out all the things that help to make this place special. Children come, some from inner cities, but all of them from backgrounds where, to visit a place like this is out of the question. They never have an opportunity to come out into the country, to see animals, to have a bit of peace and quiet, and to actually enjoy a holiday where they can express themselves, and let themselves feel free, and for the first time in their lives, feel that somebody is doing something for them.” 

The CAFT is a registered charity, and a professionally run organisation. It is, in its own special way, a self-contained hotel, with trained and qualified staff, including carers for the children, and a small team of fund-raisers. It has annual running costs of  £650,000, and meeting these costs is a constant headache. 

Tim Grundy sums up what has been achieved :-

“The success of the Children’s Adventure Farm is here for everyone to see. It’s written on the face of every child that stays here. It’s a shining example of how much can be achieved by shear determination towards one single goal : to give the holiday of a lifetime to needy, disadvantaged or terminally ill children, and to bring a ray of light into lives that, all too often, have known nothing but darkness.”

 Many Rotary Clubs in the area support the CAFT in one way or another, and recently their nationwide President, Peter Offer, on a tour of the northwest, made a point of visiting the farm with the local Rotary District chairman, Michael Barker,  to give emphasis to this support. But more is always needed : assistance and financial donations are always needed and of course always more than welcome.

For more pictures see Photo gallery

For more information, phone 01565 830 053, or see their website www.caft.co.uk

Happiness oh! happiness

A strange looking word when seen in print?  An aim of most people in the world yet an almost unattainable desire in an unhappy world.

There are now many ‘experts’ in the ‘happiness  business’ promoting this aim, making themselves happy because they are making money out of their lectures and books.

In the UK search for happiness on the web  and Ken Dodd will appear high on the list. Laughter and happiness seem to go hand in hand but do they?

Rotarians are no exception when it comes to seeking this elusive state of mind but maybe we can teach you something about this elusive state of mind for nothing!

Paul Harris, our founder, wrote in 1915 -
‘The salutation “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” allows one day for Merriment but Three Hundred and Sixty Five for Happiness.
We can stand much more happiness than merriment. Who ever heard of a life too happy?

The American Declaration of Independence proclaimed the inalienable right not only to life and liberty but also to the pursuit of happiness.
Could there have been a higher tribute paid to happiness?

Happiness is to be desired first, last and all of the time. It is the UItima Thule (a distant goal) of all laudable human ambition. I am not speaking of the excitable feverish brand of happiness. I refer to the commonplace, peaceful, even tempered happiness that gets into one early in the morning even before breakfast and stays all day. Happiness is a hallowed word, and might well also be a haloed (having a halo)  word, haloed by Rotary’s luminous circle.’

Don't let him die

When paramedic Steve Evans rushed to the scene of the third drunk and unconscious teenager that evening, something snapped in his mind.
‘I’ve been in the ambulance service a long time, but I was thinking hang on, what’s going on here?
These are three 11 to 13-year-olds, from three separate locations, in the one small town.’
Not long after, he went out to a 12-year-old lad who had been abandoned by his friends, drunk, in a school playing field, in the middle of winter. The boy was lying on his back,      liable to choke if he vomited, with an increased risk of hypothermia from the alcohol and cold weather. The playing field was dark and not visible from the road; all that saved him was a lone dog-walker who stumbled across him and phoned for an ambulance.
Steve dealt with the child, ‘but the question in his head was ‘why should his friends walk away?’
He decided to look into it, and came to the conclusion that it was down to sheer lack of knowledge: ‘Because first aid is not taught in most schools, because it is not part of the national curriculum, they don’t know what to do.’ Add the fact that they don’t know the recovery position to the fact that they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing and are frightened of getting in trouble with police and parents and you have a pretty clear answer on why they walked away, according to Evans. He decided he couldn’t sleep unless he did something about it.
Enter stage right: a photographer friend; enter stage left: young friends willing to be actors for the day. With props from the local off-licence, they produced a poster to launch the ‘Don’tWalk Away’ campaign. Next came the challenge of distribution: ‘I’m one person and I’ve got the whole of the country I want to say it to… so how do I get this out?’ he wondered. Deciding he needed to deal with ‘the top people’,


Evans sent a poster and covering letter to Tony Blair, saying
‘Dear Prime Minister, you have a national problem on your hands’ and he sent a second one to Alan Milburn – ‘Dear Secretary of State for Health…’
He cornered Congleton MP Ann Winterton and persuaded her to lobby the opposition. She had initially expressed interest and invited him to email more details – ‘but I said “better than that Ann, I have the posters and the covering letters with me”’. A week later he had a letter from Liam Fox (shadow Health Secretary at the time), saying ‘you’re absolutely right, I’ll back you when I can’
While events were gathering pace from Evans’ first round of contacts, he certainly wasn’t going to sit around and wait for things to happen. In the meantime he had been nominated as a finalist for BBC television’s ‘NHS Heroes’, for his work with schools and charities, so he asked if he could use the occasion to explain, on TV, how kids could put their friends in the recovery position. The BBC weren’t keen – ‘they said they didn’t think it was a big problem’. But before he could scratch his head, Evans was contacted by the Department of Health’s alcohol policy unit and invited to write detailed advice for their website.
The first line goes  “don’t panic, the ambulance service is there to help you”, he says. And that’s the tone: non patronising, practical advice on putting the friend in a recovery position, clearing their airway, staying with them, and sending someone to the edge of the school field, park or wherever, to wave the ambulance in.
Evans wrote the advice with young people in mind, rather than lifting it out of first aid manuals.
‘It’s real life stuff,’ he says, ‘including clearing the area of broken glass, before you roll your friend into the recovery position.’
The posters ‘took off’ with a little help from GMTV, who sent a reporter to follow him around on a typical night’s duty (‘within five minutes we had stuff on the camera’) and a lot of help from the High Sheriff of Cheshire and the Rotary Club’s north west branches, who were generous in sponsoring posters – and then more posters, when they kept running out.
Evans has been fitting in talks to schools and clubs whenever he can – around his full-time job with the ambulance service. He’s getting round the ‘massive problem of being just one person’ by letting schools copy his video, but dreams of a fairy godmother appearing, offering to reproduce it.
In nearly three years, the campaign has distributed at least 5,000 posters. Evans offers a neat solution to organisations who want a batch of posters: they can contact his printer direct and have them printed with their own logo on. They pay the printer for them, which leaves Evans out of the equation and with more time to keep distributing more first aid sheets and spreading the word to schools and universities.
He may seem like a brave soul, to turn up at Liverpool’s toughest schools, armed with a video and posters – but elements of his routine are calculated to elicit co-operation. Not only does he have the video of himself on GMTV – ‘It’s him! It’s him! He’s on the telly!’ – but he’ll take no nonsense from the tough guys on the back row.
‘I tell them I went to school in Toxteth – which means I can’t read or write, but I can fight! anybody in this room!,’ he says. ‘They all suddenly show respect.’