Very many congratulations to Rotarian Caroline Spencer who has become Chair of Bromsgrove District Council for the second time! Caroline is a dedicated member of our Rotary Club and gives freely of her time in support of very many causes. We know her to be an absolute role model, who exemplifies the Rotary motto of ‘Service above Self’ in all that she tackles.

We congratulate Rotarian Hans Rostrup for his achievement of 45 years as a Rotarian this month! We are proud to have Hans as a member of our Club, who has served previously as District Governor.

The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove is delighted to have sponsored students from Rigby Hall School and St John’s Middle School to attend the annual Kids Out Day at Drayton Manor on 13 June, which entitled those attending to admission to the park and free use of the rides and a packed lunch.  Rotarians from North Worcestershire sponsored students from Chadsgrove School.

Press coverage of the entrants to the competition from North Bromsgrove High School,  with the photo taken outside the school.

The AGM of our Club took place at Bromsgrove School on 8 May 2018. Members enjoyed a meal together prior to the business of the meeting, and were pleased to welcome Rotarian Gary Dancer who is the District 1060 District Governor Elect for the Rotary Year 2018/2019. Gary spoke to us about his chosen domestic charity ‘Chance to Shine’ which encourages young children to play cricket.

Six excellent entries were received from North Bromsgrove High School  in the Rotary Young Photographer Competition 2018. The winning entry submitted by Lauren Hill has gone forward for consideration at District level. The Rotary Club of Bromsgrove is delighted to have awarded certificates and prizes to those students who took part. Pictured are five of the students who took part, together with their photography teacher Miss Travers.

Tony and Mu Docherty both members of the Rotary Club of Bromsgrove attended the ‘Rotary Tackling Hunger Event’ in Coventry on 22 April 2018, hosted at King Henry VIII School. Over 300 volunteers of all ages attended. Four schools supported the event with fundraising and volunteering, and a number of Rotary Clubs collaborated in staging and supporting the event. As a result, 50,112 meals were packed for ‘Rise against Hunger,’ and these will go to schoolchildren in Kibera, Kenya. £1000 has been donated to the Trussell Trust for equipment to support their work in the UK, and 250 kilos of food donations have gone to the Trust for UK Food Banks.

Members of the Rotary Club of Bromsgrove met during April 2018 with the Friends of St John’s to look at the ongoing work to stabilise and repair the church spire, the emergency repairs to which the Rotary Club has funded. We look forward to continuing our partnership work with the Friends of St John’s to safeguard the church, which is such an important building for Bromsgrove. Pictured left to right are: Rotarians Tony Docherty; Ron Pearce; Club President Amal Rampal; Reverend Ray Khan; and Jo Slade Chair of Friends of St John’s.

The Club is delighted to be able to support Age UK in Bromsgrove with a donation of £3000 to fund the development of a sustainable foot care scheme with a treatment facility to be based at Amphlett Hall, and increasing the reach to elderly clients in their own homes. We look forward to our continued partnership work with Jo Hughes and the rest of the Age UK Team in Bromsgrove.

Several members of the Club and guests attended the Worcester Night on 19 April 2018 staged at Worcester Sixways Stadium by the Rotary Club of North Worcestershire. We enjoyed a three course meal and an after dinner speaker in the company of Clubs from all over Worcestershire, with over 170 Rotarians and guests attending. Pictured from left are: Rotarians Vikas Sehdeva; Mu Docherty; Club President Amal Rampal; Tony Docherty; John Teece; and Ron Pearce.