The Rotary Clubs of North Worcesteshire and Bromsgrove hosted jointly the Michael Holt Debate on 13 November at Droitwich Golf Club. The debate takes place annually between two local schools, and is run in memory of Rotarian Michael Holt who himself was a keen debater. This year both North and South Bromsgrove High Schools competed. The motion this year was ‘This House believes that old people create an unsustainable drain on the State, and that legislation will be needed to make them self sufficient.’ South proposed the motion, and North opposed the motion. After a closely fought contest, the judges determined that the North Bromsgrove team won, and the trophy was presented to the winners by the President of North Worcestershire Rotary Club. A very good evening was had by all in attendance, and the standard of presentation on the part of both teams was impressive. Pictured are the two school teams with the President of the Rotary Club of North Worcestershire.

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove is pleased to have been able to support Starlight Expression with a donation of £300. Starlight Expression is a self advocacy group for local people with learning disabilities, which meets once a month at the Life after Stroke Centre in Bromsgrove.

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove was proud to be part of the Remembrance Day Parade and Service in Bromsgrove with the Rotary Club of North Worcestershire to celebrate the centenary of the Armistice in 1918 and to remember those who fell and those whose lives and families were affected so terribly by the Great War 1914-1918. Rotarian Caroline Spencer in her role as Chair of Bromsgrove Council laid a wreath on behalf of the Council and gave a reading at the service. How fitting too that HM The Queen should lay flowers with the President of Germany on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey!

At our Fellowship Meeting on 23 October 2018 which was well attended, we welcomed Janet Higginbotham as our Guest Speaker. We enjoyed a very good meal provided by the staff at Bromsgrove School, and then Janet told us of her fascination with flying, and of her time learning to qualify as a pilot of both single and multi-engined aircraft. She has accumulated some 500 hours as a pilot, and recounted stories of some hair raising moments during her training, which delighted the audience. We also welcomed two members from Redditch Club and Isaac Jones our current Arkwright Trust Scholar, who brought some of his work to show us.

Three members of the Club were delighted to volunteer time on 19 October 2018 to conduct mock job interviews with Year 11 students at South Bromsgrove High School. Rotarians John Teece, Caroline Spencer and Ron Pearce spent the day in the School with a number of other volunteers from different workplace backgrounds and interviewed a large number of students, sharing individual feedback on their performance afterwards. This event is a new departure for the School, and complements other enrichment activities designed to help students prepare for college and university entrance interviews, and for other future interviews which they will face in the world of work.

Some twenty people attended the first Business Networking Lunch hosted by the Rotary Club of Bromsgrove on 9 October 2018 at the Westmead Hotel in Hopwood. The event was very convivial, and the venue and meal were excellent. A second event is being planned, so watch out for imminent news!

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove is delighted to welcome Ray Sinclair as a new member. Ray was inducted at our meeting on 9 October 2018 by President Amal Rampal, and the ceremony took place in the presence of District Governor 1060 Gary Dancer. Pictured left to right are: Ray Sinclair; Gary Dancer; Amal Rampal.

An enjoyable music event was staged in the High Street over a twelve hour period on 30 June 2018. Our thanks go to Andy Wuzik and fellow musicians, and to Rotarian Tony Docherty for running the event in support of Burnaid, which supports burn survivors and their families at the Burn Centres at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. A total of £766.50 was raised for the charity. Congratulations to all those involved!

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove is pleased once again to support the Blackpool Holiday scheme in  2018, and this year holidaymakers departed on 26 July and 2 August to spend time in Blackpool. Pictured are holidaymakers setting off by coach from outside the Artrix in Bromsgrove on 2 August.