23rd July : Rotarians Invest £1,500 in Royston’s Tennis Future

The Wimbledon dreams of budding Andy Murrays in Royston may have come a little closer this week, thanks to the members of the town’s Rotary Club. Trustees of the Deards Royston Rotary Trust presented a cheque for £500 to help with the costs of Royston Tennis Club’s successful youth development programme, which provides coaching to children of all ages, including pupils at 21 associated schools. Further Rotary grants of £500 are proposed for 2011 and 2012.

Rotary Community Service Award presented to Katherine Wholley

At the Changeover Dinner on 29th June the first duty of new President Jonathan Berks was to present Katherine Wholley with a Community Service Award for her outstanding contribution to the local community.

In making the presentation to Katherine, Rotary President Jonathan Berks described how she had resurrected the Royston Arts Festival in 2007, and under her guidance and leadership the festival had flourished and grown during the following two years.

This year’s festival will be held from 23-26 September 2010 when more than 60 events are planned over the four days.

Click here for more details of the Royston Arts Festival

Royston welcomes new President for 2010-11

At the Changeover Dinner at Bluntswood Hall on 29th June retiring President David Izod handed over the reigns to Jonathan Berks, who takes over as President for the year 2010-11.

Vice President for the year is Neil Heywood and Junior Vice President is Chris Hardy.

Walk for Polio Plus - Celebration BBQ : Sun 27th June

V for Victory! On Sunday 27th June Rotarian Mike Taylor invited us to his home to celebrate the end of the Polio Walk with a BBQ. An excellent way to celebrate and a good time was had by all...unless you were a football fan...the less said about that the better.

Walk for Polio Plus completes it's last leg : Sun 20th June

After eight months the Walk for Polio Plus sadly came to an end at the Cross in Royston as the last party of walkers completed the last leg from Hare Street. We had set out on what was recorded as a 12.7 mile walk. However, the route had been changed and we were told that it was more like 14 miles. On the way we lunched at the Woodman Inn at Nuthampstead where we were met by other Rotarians.

Twin Club Paray-le-Monial et le Charollais visits Royston - 20th - 23rd May

Members of Royston's twin Club in France, Paray-le-monial et le Charollais recently visited Royston. The weekend's entertainment included, on Friday, a visit to Lavenham with a guided tour and lunch followed by dinner parties hosted by members of the Club. On Saturday, after visits to Cambridge, games were held to compete for the Ashes. To everyone's surprise, the French won, giving us an excuse to go to Paray next year to win them back. The photograph shows Royston's President David presenting the Ashes to Salem Salame, Vice President of Paray. Croissants and coffee at Don's Diner on Sunday morning before seeing Paray on their way home.

Photos of the weekend will be posted in due course.

Country Homes & Gardens team with Rotary - 24th May

Phil Hammer, General Manager handed over a cheque for nearly £900 to Rotary President, David Izod, this week for the support that the Club gave for Santa’s Grotto last Christmas.

Mr Hammer said that Country Homes supports the British rural economy by buying 80% of its stock of 1000 plants and shrubs in country. In June, they are focussing on National Insect Week to encourage interest in and knowledge of the importance of insects, especially bees, to our farming community. The company is proud to support Rotary.

David Izod stated that the Club was delighted to work with the company over the Christmas period because we brought great joy to children and parents within the community and it supported Rotary in carrying out its many activities throughout the year such as the Polio Plus campaign. Members were looking forward to manning Santa’s Grotto again this Christmas!

GSE India visits Royston - 18th May

On 18th May President David welcomed members of the Rotary Group Exchange India to UK. (L to R) The team consisted of Dr Arathi V B, Dr Rajeevalochan, their leader Rotarian H. Chandrashekhar, District 3190 Bangalore,  Sampat Kumar Aratti and Shruti Veenam. During their visit they gave us presentations about themselves and their families, Bangalore and Rotary in Southern India.

Royston Rotary welcomes new members

During recent weeks, President David Izod has welcomed three new members into the Club. From Left to Right - Derek Pinner (Engineering Production), Les Baker (Journalist) and Len Bell (Financial Advisor)

President's weekend - visit to Ironbridge - 26th March

On Friday 26th March a party of Royston Rotarians set off for Ironbridge. This was the President's annual weekend away. We visited the famous bridge as well as the Coalport Museum and the Blists Hill Victorian village to sample Victorian life. On Sunday, on the way home we visited the RAF Museum at Cosford.

Click for photos from the Ironbridge

Youth Makes Music 2010 - 19th March

The Roysia & Greneway String Group (pictured) took part in the 12th Youth Makes Music at the Cambridge University Concert Hall, West Road. They were joined by other music groups from schools in Royston - Meridian and all the first schools in the area to give a concert for parents and friends. The concert shows what a terrific group of talented young musicians we have in Royston and an equally dedicated group of music teachers.

The concert was organised by the Rotary Club of Royston

Click for more photos of the concert

Helping Marie Curie with their Great Daffodil Appeal

During the week ending Saturday 13th March, Rotarians have been helping with the Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal outside Tesco in Royston, Country Homes & Gardens garden centre and Bury Lane Farm shop. The picture here shows President David Izod (RT) collecting at Tesco's with Rotarian Paul Bolton (LT)

Painting Competition - Prize giving - 7th March

The Rotary shop must have been the busiest shop in the High Street at 11 o'clock on Saturday 7th March as prize winners, parents and teachers all crowded into the shop as David Izod presented competition winners with their well earned prizes.

Year 7 and above: 1st - Octavia Hailes, 2nd - Bethany Kimsey, 3rd Lucy Tobitt.

Year 6 and below: 1st - Rebecca Hayward, 2nd - Clemency Hailes, 3rd - Ella Barrett.

Click on either image to obtain larger photo

23rd February 2010 - Rotary is 105 today

Rotary International was formed 105 years ago today on 23rd February 1905

Thanks for Life - End Polio Now Painting Competition

A selection of paintings from the competition can be seen by clicking here.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Tesco

Stationery Cupboard

Ladd's of Royston

Rotary Club of Royston open shop on High Street

The Rotary Club of Royston now have a shop on the High Street in Royston. At least they have for the next three weeks. The shop opened on Saturday 13th Feb to promote "Thanks for Life" and Polio Plus, Rotary International's project to end polio world wide (see panels in left column of this page). In the shop there is a continuous slide presentation showing the work of the Royston Club and Rotary nationally and internationally. There is also a display showing the contents of a Shelter Box similar to those being sent out to Haiti. Take part in our raffle, guess the number of Smarties competition or enter the children's painting competition

Click here to see more photos of the shop

The Great Pancake Race 2010

On Saturday 13th Feb, the Club entered a team in the Great Pancake Race and to their surprise came in Third after Palazzo Restaurant and Meridian School. The race had been organised by the parish church to raise funds for a new church hall.

Technology Tournament 2010

The third Royston Technology Tournament took place, at the Cambridge Motel on Wednesday 3rd Feb, between teams representing schools in Royston and Buntingford. John Gourd, Site Planning and Services Director at Johnson Matthey, presented The Johnson Matthey Trophy for overall design and innovation to the Roysia C Team who also won the first prize in the Basic Tournament, winning £100 for their school. Freman College A Team took the second prize of £75 and Roysia B Team the third prize of £50. The Advanced Tournament was won by Freman College.

Walk for Polio Plus - 5th & 6th legs completed - 30th & 31st January

Legs 5 & 6 of our Walk have now been completed, taking us to the most westerly point of the walk, Tring. The weather for once was in our favour - it was cold but sunny.

Those on the St Albans to Markyate enjoyed the fruits of the bakery at the Redbournbury Mill. Whilst those walking from Markyate to Tring were able to visit the Buddhist Temple at Great Gaddesden.

A more detailed record of our exploits is to be found at our blog

Click here for more information

Royston Rotarians Support Haiti

Royston Rotarians have paid for four ShelterBoxes to be delivered to Haiti immediately. We held our Annual Quiz night at Meridian School on 17th January where, through the generosity of the quizzers, we raised the cost of a box. The Club itself has a special Disaster Fund for such events that supplied two boxes. A friend of a Rotarian has generously donated a box, so that the cost of the four boxes has been found.

Learn more about ShelterBoxes at www.shelterbox.org

Walk for Polio Plus - 4th leg completed - 29th & 30th December

Members of the Club and friends battled against the very inclement weather to complete the third and fourth legs of our charity walk in aid of Polio Plus.

Click here for more information

Visit our blog at www.walk-for-polio-plus.blogspot.com

Christmas Float

Christmas in Royston would not be Christmas without the Christmas Float in which Father Christmas is paraded around the town and outlying villages in aid of charity. This year, Rotary took the float to the Burns Road area of the town and the village of Bassingbourn.

Rotary Christmas Dinner 15th Dec

For a number of years we have held our Christmas dinner at Bluntswood Hall, this year was no exception as we have always found it an excellent venue. After a delicious meal we sang carols to the accompaniment of the Royston Town Band.

President David and his wife Lesley enjoying the carol singing

Children in Need - record £1,550 collected

This year's collection by the Rotary Club of Royston totalled £1,550, an increase on last year, despite the economic climate. Collections took place at the Railway Station on Friday evening, and in Royston Town Centre on Saturday.

David Izod , President, said ' This is a wonderful outcome, and reflects the generosity of the people of Royston'

Calendar Girls Charity Dinner

On Friday 30th October, a revealing fundraising evening with world famous Calendar Girl, Angela Baker raised £2,200 for Leukaemia Research.

Organised by The Rotary Club of Royston at the Cambridge Motel in Shepreth, Royston, it was attended by 134 supporters.

Special guest and star of the night was Calendar Girl Angela Baker who, with the help of her friends, famously made the first nude calendar following the death of her husband John from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Calendar Girls have raised £2 million for Leukaemia Research over the ten years since the launch of their first calendar in 1999. To celebrate their 10th anniversary this year, the Girls have produced their first ever full colour calendar for 2010 with “alternative” images of WI activities.

After dinner Angela spoke to guests about her fundraising drive following her loss and the need to support the life-saving work of Leukaemia Research, which relies entirely on voluntary donations and receives no government grants. Ken Charles, Event Manager at The Rotary Club of Royston said: "Angela was on great form and everyone sang her praises. Her speech was full of fascinating details, both sad and humorous. As well as raising a fantastic amount of money, the evening also helped to raise the profile of the The Calendar Girls and of Leukaemia Research’s brilliant work.” All proceeds from the dinner will go directly to help Leukaemia Research improve treatments and cures for people with leukaemia, lymphoma and myloma.

END POLIO NOW - Walk for Polio Plus

For the past twenty years, the Rotary organisation around the world, working with international partners, has been striving to eliminate polio. The success has been remarkable, and this terrible disease now persists in only four countries.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have promised $355 million, provided that Rotary can raise $200 million, to ensure the final push to eradicate this disease. The Rotary Club of Royston wishes to contribute to this world wide effort and to achieve this, they have organised a sponsored walk based on the Hertfordshire Way.

The Hertfordshire Way is some 193 miles long, so the walk has been arranged so that it will be split into 16 manageable lengths, averaging 12 miles, to take place over 8 weekends between November 2009 and June 2010. Part of each walk can be tackled if people wish. The plan is to invite Rotary Clubs in Hertfordshire and neighbouring counties to join the walk, and encourage members of the public to join us.

Click here for more information

Visit our blog at www.walk-for-polio-plus.blogspot.com

Deaf Children Receive Kite Festival Funds

Royston Rotary presented a cheque for £3000 to Jane Shann who leads the Phoenix Groups for Deaf Children, based in Ashwell. This is a user-led charity whose work complements the support that a child receives through their local education and health services. Some of the workshops that the Group offers are Learning to Listen, Sign & Play, Telephone Skills, Interview Techniques, Siblings Workshops and Deaf Awareness Training for Organisations.

The donation came from the gate money raised at the 2009 Kite Festival on Therfield Heath. President David Izod said that that the town had a superb day blessed with a perfect combination of sun, wind, good natured crowds, excellent kite flyers and the strong support of many charities and service groups. We all had fun and the result was help given to a lively, active local organisation providing a valued service to the community.

Jane Shann, in thanking the Rotary Club, said that money came at a time when the Group had a funding gap in covering the needs of deaf children aged 0 to 5 years. It was really good news for them.

Rotary Help Police Tackle Youth Drug Misuse

The Rotary Club of Royston has donated a Drug Education Box to North Hertfordshire Police. The Drug Box is a teaching aid that will be used in the education of the younger members of the community on the risks of drugs and alcohol; it contains examples of drug users’ paraphernalia that young people may come across.

In making the presentation to PC Steve Gibbs and Schools PCSO Alanna Robinson of North Hertfordshire Police, Vice-President Jonathan Berks commented that, “In Rotary we are aware of the excellent work that is being done in our community by the Police in educating the younger members about the risks of drug and alcohol misuse, and we are confident that this donation will make a significant contribution to their work.”

Receiving the Drugs Box on behalf of the Police, the Schools officer PC Steve Gibbs said,

" The Police really appreciate this kind gesture by Royston Rotary club, it will certainly be a very useful addition to our drug education programme in partnership with Royston schools and put to very good use, with the young people of Royston benefiting from this resource"

Royston Rotary welcomes new President, David Izod

Walk for

Polio Plus

Rotary Youth Leadership Award

Open to non-Rotarians

Between 18 and 26 years old?

 You may qualify for an award.