The Rotary Club of Harrogate Brigantes

The Rotary Club of Harrogate Brigantes was founded in 1980 and is part of Rotary International.  RI is a worldwide association of business and professional men and women dedicated to high ethical standards in business; the ideal of service in personal, business and community life and the advancement of international understanding and world peace.

The Club meets weekly for dinner and undertakes personal service in the community as well as fundraising to enable it to support worthwhile projects both locally and in the wider community.  The Club has 44 members.

During the Rotary Year ending 2007, the Club raised £12,300 to fund its charitable activities.  Santa collected £4227 at his Grotto at ASDA during December and £3655 was raised at a charity golf day held at Oakdale Golf Club in May. 

The  Wishing Well in the Valley Gardens raised £1,645 and Members of the Club donated £1,060 to the Rotary Foundation.

The Club collects computer inkjet cartridges which it sells for recycling.

Members of the Club provided "hands on" assistance throughout the year acting as drivers on one day each week for the WRVS Meals-on-Wheels service.

Members of the Club formed "Harrogate Friends of Childline" to promote the Childline Charity.  This group is now operating independently of the club with £25 being donated by the club in this financial year.

A  Blood Pressure Awareness Day, working with the Stroke Association and qualified volunteers, took place during April when around 288 persons had their blood pressure checked and were given advice. In July the local branch of Chernobyl Children Lifeline organise a months visit to Harrogate for 12 Children from Belarus - the area most affected by the Chernobyl disaster.  For one day of their stay the Club organised and hosted a trip to The Forbidden Corner, Middleham, North Yorkshire. 

The Club's principal donations during the year were £980 to supply Shelterboxes; Hearing Dogs for the Deaf - £5,000 (enabled purchase of dog for local deaf person)
St Michael's Hospice - £1,185; Age Concern - £1,500; Ocean Trust - £800.(sponsored two youths on seagoing ketch to experience sail training, managerment and leadership skills

Shelterboxes have been sent to Pakistan to enabled two families survival, following aftermath of earthquake. 

In addition, proceeds of the Asda Christmas Grotto provided assistance for capital projects at The Junction which supports 200 people who suffer from severe disability, Horticap - which is a disabled persons horticultural training centre in Harrogate and also St Michael's Hospice.

Rotary is a worldwide organisation with clubs in over 160 countries.   The Rotary Foundation, which is supported by Rotary Clubs and Rotarians worldwide, makes grants to humanitarian projects which are supported by local Rotarians.  A large bounty of musical instruments were sent to the devastated island of Montserrat in support of teaching children in schools to play music. There was also sponsorship of girl on Voluntary Service Overseas, humanitarian relief for Ukraine and Bangladesh. Grants exceed £40,000,000 annually.

Rotary Foundation has been instrumental in initiating a worldwide programme to eliminate polio and has contributed over £250 million, more than 20% of the cost of the programme.  Worldwide incidence of Polio has been reduced from over 400,000 cases annually to less than 500.  Rotary International is currently raising the £55,000.000 needed to achieve final elimination. 

Crime, poverty, malnutrition, corrupt government, blistering heat and polluted cities? Warm, gracious, friendly and intelligent people? Kenya felt like a distant land, an unknown and unexplored world. It was as if my experiences would not be able to prepare me for my volunteer work in Mombasa. Although I sat nervously on the plane, I was full of excitement. From the outset, I was not expecting life to be easy, but I was hoping that the rewards would be great, and that is exactly how it proved.
 

On the 9th of January 2006, I began my 3 month volunteer teaching placement at Living Word primary school in the suburbs of Mombasa, Kenya. I arrived with my fellow volunteer Olivia eagerly awaiting the adventures to come. The teachers and pupils greeted us warmly but were perhaps a little apprehensive about what to expect from us. Who were these "rich mezungos" (white people)? What were they like? Why had they left their expensive, comfortable lifestyles to work in a region of poverty, hunger and ill health?
 
 

As the weeks went by, any social barriers between the Kenyans and ourselves were broken down as we began to form close relationships with the staff and pupils. We became fully integrated into school life and were soon treated as locals rather than as visitors.

During my stay, I taught English, Science, Maths and PE to the students. Their enthusiastic, hardworking, gracious and fun approach to learning was infectious. They felt privileged to be learning at school. My fond memories of 40 children in the classroom with beaming smiles will last forever.

Fundraising efforts included the £200 donation from the Rotary Club have helped to make a massive difference to the children of the school. I have arranged the long term sponsorship of 19 pupils. These are pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds whose parents or guardians are unable to pay their school fees.
 

By Sam Critchley