hello from sawbridgeworth and district rotary Club

Thank you for coming to CAROLS ON FAIR GREEN on Christmas Eve. The bucket collection raised the magnificent sum of £2,024.01.   All of the money collected will be equally split between The RNIB and the Hertforsdshire Society for the Blind. Thank you - see you next year!

Sawbridgeworth & District Rotary Club administers a Registered Charity called the Sawbridgeworth and  District Rotary Club Trust Fund, Registered Charity 802915.
Twinned with Rotary Club of SNEEK in the Netherlands

Rotary International is the world's largest service organisation for business and professional people with some 1,180,000 members in 163 countries world-wide. There are now over 59,000 Rotarians in 1834 Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland, helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace.   

Michael Vincent, who lives with his wife Joyce in Brook Road, Sawbridgeworth, is President of the Club.   A shipbroker by profession since 1960, he is self-employed in sale and purchase broking. "Ships are also my lifelong hobby".  He and Joyce are committed to helping in the community and Michael is keen to see Rotary in Sawbridgeworth enjoy itself as well as help others. 

If YOU want to know anything about Rotary or would like to come along to one of our meetings, please call the Secretary, Peter Clark on 07770 978256 or e-mail.

Special feature:  CLICK HERE for the Rotary link for World War II veteran US airmen visiting MATCHING AIRFIELD (391st)


Massage Chair for Isabel Hospice out-patients at the St Barnabus Centre in Thorley and Hoist for the Rehab Unit at Bishop's Stortford hospital (the hoist was a joint donation with two neighbouring Rotary Clubs).


Biggest Ever Carols Sawbridgeworth Rotary's 'Carols on Fair Green' on Christmas Eve attracted record numbers of people and raised a record £1,936 in the collection.

The half hour long singing of carols has become a favourite annual Christmas event for the people of Sawbridgeworth and visitors.

Organiser, Paul O'Leary, who lives on Fair Green, said that Rotary is most grateful for the help of all those taking part and for the public who support the event each year. The weather was good and Fair Green was teeming with people.  Their generous donations will be split equally between the RNIB and the Hertfordshire Society for the Blind. 

Raising money for Sawbridgeworth Orphanage in Sri Lanka.  A Pooh Sticks Race with about 500 numbered sticks on the River Stort.  The race was started by three year old Heidi. First Prize (£100) went to Gillian Melling and the Bear went to Gill Hawkins.

 

Carols on Fair Green Christmas 2005 More people there than ever before were there and a record collection of £1,900 was raised (£950 for the RNIB plus £950 for the Herts Society for the Blind). The carols were led by Gt St Mary's Choir and Epping Forest Band members, conducted by Derek Harrison. 

Carols Girl with torch reading carol sheet Crowd by torchlight

EARTHQUAKE: We have  donated £1000 for two Shelter Boxes plus a little bit extra to replenish stocks sent to the earthquake area.

To celebrate 100 years of Rotary International, the Club decided to renovate the War Memorial which was looking bedraggled. It raised the money and obtained permissions from interested parties before engaging local stonemasons Day & Son to undertake the work. Here are the results...

Before:   War Memorial covered in lichen   and after:  Cleaned up War Memorial

SE ASIA DISASTER/TSUNAMI The Club collected enough to send 4 Shelterboxes to Sri Lanka region for a local Rotary Club there to dispense. Each shelterbox contains a tent for ten people, ten sleeping bags, tools, sheeting, ropes, a stove, a torch and water purification facilities to supply them for three months.  It also had four fishing boats made in India and given to fishing families in Andra Pradesh:

Four fishing boats in India

Other recent donations have included £350.00 for Dogs for people with Epilepsy, £500.00 to sponsor a pupil at the Limaru Agricultural College Kenya,  £500.00 to Rotary Foundation (the worlds largest international educational exchange and aid charity), £100 to HEAL, £50 to the Perennial Garden Charity. It also gave awards for the best piece of work of a pupil at  Reedings School.

Carols on Fair Green Christmas 2004 had a record attendance and raised a record collection £750 for the RNIB plus £750 for the Herts Society for the Blind. 

JIM Mark's Memorial: Organised the unveilling of a Memorial panel commemorating the life of Wing Commander Jim Marks by his sister Mrs Joan Walters. The event included a fly past by a Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.   

  Lancaster flying over Memorial Hall

Click here for Jim Marks' life story and more pictures.

Group Study Exchange visitors from Sri Lanka, hosted by the Club in 2004 ...

 

Here are a few of our charity results from 2002-3 

Phone Number Cards: These cards were originally provided for the elderly but are useful for everyone. They enable you, your friends and relatives to save time when getting help by phone in a hurry in all sorts of minor and major emergencies.

CLICK HERE FOR 'PHONE NUMBER CARDS' TO KEEP NEAR YOUR PHONE (MS Powerpoint only).   

       

AQUABOXES - CLICK HERE FOR NEWS AND PICTURE OF YOUTH CREATE

As part of the work for SAWBRIDGEWORTH 2000 we provided the hall for the Indoor Street Party and decorated it. We also had various roles behind the scenes in the staging of the Millennium Beacon on Fair Green, the Medieval Mystery plays, the Schools Procession etc.  The sound of the bells and fireworks were captured on the Rotary CD, featuring music from local schools, church choirs, and musicians. 

Here is a picture of Emmerdale star Stephen McGann (Sean Reynolds) holding Rotary's 'Sounds of Sawbridgeworth' CD with two young stars from Youth CREATE. Former President Norman Grimes presents the digital recording equipment to Carol Russell of Youth CREATE.

Carol and Norman pose for the local press, on stage at the Rhodes Centre, with some of the younger stars of Youth CREATE...

WHO are we? 

Our President changes every year (see top of page) 

Our Secretary is Peter Clark of 10 The Stables, Great Hyde Hall, Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM21 9JA.If you would like to find out anything about Rotary please phone Peter on 01279 726108 or 07770 978256 or e-mail clarkpf@hydehall.demon.co.uk

…………………………………………………………..or ask any local Rotarian.

Where do we meet?

At the Market House Hotel on Monday Nights. If you are already a Rotarian you will know that you are welcome to attend any Rotary meetings and we will be delighted to see you. If you run a local business or are a professional or do a lot in the community who would like to know more and perhaps would like to be invited to sample Rotary, please contact us. 

Click here for a map

For more information….

Visit the main web site of ROTARY INTERNATIONAL or click HERE for information about Rotary Clubs in the UK.

To find out more about our Rotary District 1240, which covers Essex and a part of Hertfordshire, click HERE

…….or send an e-mail to: mailto:clarkpf@hydehall.demon.co.uk

The costs of these pages have been donated by Rotarians: no part of them comes from Rotary charitable fundraising.