Bob Barrett's Presidents Message for 2008/2009
My UK and Local charity for the year will be the Swindon MS Therapy Centre. I believe the work the centre carries out in Swindon goes unrecognised and is often in the shadow of better publicised charities. The Centre is looking to move into new premises and I want the club to help this project and have a centre Swindon and our Club can be proud of.
With this in mind I have approached the charity leaders David and Jackie Wray. A local photographer and printing company to help the Club to produce a Club Calendar for 2009. 50% of the profits from the sale of the calendar will go to the Swindon MS Centre and the other 50% to charities nominated by the club. I hope to have local businesses advertise on the calendar for a fee which will hopefully cover the cost of printing and the photographer.
International CCLL (Chernobyl Children's Life Line) will be my nominated international Charity. Ozarichi Twined with Swindon CCLL. I hope we can sponsor some of the children who visit in July with school meals and help support their education in their school in Ozarichi. I have organised a trip to the Cotswold Wild Life Park and a children's tea party at the True Heart Bishopstone. Gold's has kindly offered a hairdressing experience at his salon and we are exploring this event for the children.
I believe the ladies (or partners) of the club have a huge and important role to play in the club and its activities. For this reason Glen has formed a Ladies Committee with Sue Davison, Diane Fisher and Mandie Coe. They will be organising their own events and supporting the Club with its events.
PR as discussed earlier is crucial to the club growing in numbers and letting the community know what we do. The new club website has already generated interest from businesses and Rotarians as far a field as North Carolina for a Rotarian who is going to visit us in August.
I believe that the 4 Swindon Clubs can help promote Rotary in Swindon and I have set up a group which has already met twice with my opposite numbers to plan joint events. We are planning an event in January for the Help 4 Heroes Charity at the Liddington Hotel (Formerly the Zurich Training Centre (KEP)).
The Last Night of the Proms Event is Schedule for Sunday 7th September and this year the clubs have agreed the event will be in aid of the Octobus Project which is 30 years old next year (2009).
We hope to hold a Joint Membership Forum and are planning to advertise all the rotary Clubs in Swindon Business news and the railway Station. We have also set up a joint PR Group to ensure we use all our contacts to promote Rotary in our community.
Incoming Senior Vice Richard Fry, and Incoming Junior Vice John Fisher and I have agreed a 3 year Rotary Project which will be Polio Plus. This is to raise £500 per year for three years. This is to help Rotary International to help end polio by contributing to Rotary's US $100 Million Challenge from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All funds raised will go directly to The Rotary Foundation in support of polio eradication, helping Rotary fulfill its pledge to match the $100 million challenge grant received from the Gates Foundation.
To conclude: I hope when I am standing next to Ricahrd Fry in June 2009 we will have had a Rotary Year where together we can be proud of what we have acheved as a Club. ...
I know together we can,
Make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves
Attract new Members to the Club
Ensure that our Club is well known in our community for the great work it does.
Enjoy the year with some great Fun and Fellowship events
