The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove is delighted to be able to support the Guatemala Literacy Project with a donation of £200. With grant matching arrangements, our donation will become £500 with the support of Rotary District 1060. What is the GLP? The GLP is a network of individual Rotarians, Rotary Clubs and Districts, and the non-profit Cooperative for Education (CoEd), with a common interest in improving education for underserved students in Guatemala. Since 1997, over six hundred Rotary Clubs and eighty Districts around the world have participated in the GLP; in that time, 208,500 students have been helped to escape poverty through four sustainable programmes which are tried and proven to work.
The GLP was also recognized as “the gold standard of Rotary projects” by 2017-2018 RI President Ian Risley. Why Guatemala? Guatemala’s Central and Western Highlands exhibit one of the most extreme combinations of systemic poverty, illiteracy and inequality in the Western hemisphere. The indigenous largely Mayan populations that inhabit these regions suffer from malnutrition (rates which rank among the worst in the world), poor health outcomes, racism, high rates of illiteracy and low levels of educational attainment. Together, these factors virtually guarantee that the next generation will be no better off than the last.  The current grant aims to benefit 8500 children and their teachers to help them to escape their traditional cycle of poverty; four out of five indigenous Guatemalans live in poverty, and more than one in three cannot read or write.

We send every good wish to Amelia Hart and her family for Amelia’s operation which is due to be performed on 13 November to correct her scoliosis. Our Club is very pleased to have been able to donate towards the cost of the operation which is not available on the NHS. We hope that Amelia aged sixteen will soon be able to indulge her passion for playing football again!

Andy Wuzik and Ron Pearce represented the Club on 26 October at an evening to celebrate the life of Helen King one of the founding members of the Burnaid charity, which exists to support child victims of burn injuries and their families. Helen was involved with a number of Rotary Clubs and was for some time an Honorary Member of our Club. The event was organised by Burnaid and was held at the Tally Ho Club at the Police Training and Development Centre in Pershore Road Edgbaston. Helen passed away recently following a long and debilitating illness which she fought with characteristic positivity and strength. A number of Rotary Clubs were represented at the event, and Andy presented a cheque to Burnaid for just over £1500 which he raised with other musicians back in June at a Bluegrass music event in Bromsgrove High Street, which was supported by members of the Rotary Club of Bromsgrove. This was the third year running that Andy has made music to support Burnaid, and he is to be congratulated for his sterling efforts!!

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove in collaboration with the Friends of St John’s was able to get the church lit in purple for World Polio Day on 24 October 2019. The club was successful in raising £1000 as a result of the fundraising dinner held at the Maekong Thai restaurant on 22 October. This amount will become £3000 with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and will go to support efforts across the world to eradicate polio.

On a very wet Sunday morning on 13 October 2019 members of our Club participated with the Rotary Club of Redditch Kingfisher in their attempt to set a world record for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. The event was an attempt to plant 12,000 crocus bulbs at Arrow Valley Park in Redditch in just one hour, which we achieved. The event was recorded on video and verified and witnessed in accordance with Guinness requirements. Amongst others, local RAF cadets and Rotaractors assisted with the planting. The event was staged in support of the international ‘End Polio Now’ campaign and World Polio Day which falls on 24 October this year. The event culminated in a vote of thanks by the Mayor of Redditch. In the first picture, Rotarian Priya Rampal is dressed in purple, which illustrates well the ‘Purple for Polio’ concept! Only three countries still have polio victims, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The fight to eradicate polio continues with the support of Rotary International, the World Health Organisation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation!! Thanks to our Club members Amal, Priya, Tony, Mu, Ray and Ron for supporting the event!

Members of the South Bromsgrove High School Interact Club were front of house and instrumental in helping to raise £472 at a concert at the School on 26 September for the benefit of the school in Tanzania, which is the Interact Club’s chosen international project. The school orchestra performed in the first half of the concert, and the New Life Band took to the stage for the second half. One Interact Club member was busy too sorting out the sound and lighting! Congratulations to our Interactors!!

Our President Tony Docherty and wife Mu will be hosting a charity dinner at their restaurant the Maekong Thai in Bromsgrove on 22 October to contribute to the efforts to eradicate polio across the world. World Polio Day falls on 24 October this year. Contact Tony at the restaurant if you would like to attend.

Our Club had its meeting at Bromsgrove School on 24 September, and we enjoyed meeting Daisy Askew and her father John. Daisy received some funding from the Rotary Club to support her trip to the World Scout Jamboree in America this year. She attended our gathering in Scout uniform and recounted her experiences in America, and told us how much the trip had assisted her self confidence and development. Also present were members of the New Life Band from Tanzania, who are raising funds in the UK for their school in Arusha. Our President Tony Docherty presented the band with a donation of £1000. They sang for us after our meal, and even taught us some words in Swahili. The school in Tanzania has an established connection with South Bromsgrove High School, and one of our members the Head Teacher Chris Smith was also present. Our Interact Club at South has chosen to support the school in Tanzania as its international project. Additionally, Assistant Governor Amal Rampal demonstrated an Aquabox water filter and allied equipment.

Our President Tony Docherty inducted new member Priya Rampal at our meeting held on 13 August 2019, following her father Assistant District 1060 Governor and Immediate Past President Amal Rampal into the world of Rotary. We welcome her warmly to our Club and know that she will bring much energy and commitment to all that we tackle in our activities in suppoŕt of communities.

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove staged an event in partnership with South Bromsgrove High School at the school on 18 July to charter our new Interact Club. After an introduction by Tony Docherty our President, District 1060 Governor Bala Jaspal presented the certificate incorporating the Interact Club within Rotary International to Liz Dawson President of the Interact Club in the presence of Chris Smith Head Teacher and Rotarian and Nick Coates Head of Sixth Form, and thanked the students for their commitment and hard work in support of others less fortunate than ourselves. Several parents of student members of the Interact Club also attended the event.