Club Scrapbook For The Year 2013 - 2014 |
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24th June 2014 : President's Changeover DinnerClarice Wahlich has been elected the new president of the Rotary Club of Royston - the first woman to hold the position in the club's 50 year history but, in her acceptance speech, she told members: "Much has been said about me being the first woman president - I just see myself as a Rotarian who happens to be a woman." She takes over the role from Ray Munden, who she praised as being a "tower of strength" during the past 12 months. "He put an enormous amount of time and energy into Rotary and can look back with pride at what he has achieved," she said. Her vice-president will be David Williams, a former RAF officer who worked for the Willow Foundation, the charity set up by ex-Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper Bob Wilson. Clarice, a former teacher at Greneway School, Royston, who has been a member of the Rotary Club of Royston for the past 10 years, said she was "proud" to become president for the next 12 months. She said she aims to see the next 12 months become "an excellent year for all Rotarians". "We all come with different strengths and I shall be calling on the expertise of members throughout the year. It's this diversity which enables us to be such a successful club," she said. Her chosen charity for the year will be Alzheimer's Research UK.
12th-15th June 2014 : Paray le Monial visit RoystonLast weekend we had the great pleasure of welcoming eight members of our link Club, the Rotary Club de Paray le Monial et du Charolais. The weekend included culture, by way of a visit to the Mill House Museum in Welwyn and a tour of that magnificent Elizabethan mansion, Hatfield House; dinner parties in members homes; a tournament (indoor bowls) to fight for the "Ashes" trophy - won of course by our friends from Paray; a dinner on the Saturday night in Barley Town House; and, finally, a farewell breakfast at Don Kingsley's.
8th June 2014 : Open SecretsWe had a beautiful day for this year's Open Secrets on the Heath. The Rotary Club of Royston in the guise of our President, Ray Munden, organised the Historic Vehicle Show. We also had a stand in the marquee to promote the Club and its activities. Club President, Ray Munden presented the cup for President's Car of the Show to Martin Gilby for his 1959 Cadillac Sedan Linda Turner, organiser of Open Secrets presented a cup for her Car of the Show to Iayn Thomas for his 1935 Austin Laudaulett Taxicab
1st June 2014 : Monthly WalkThis circular walk, of some 6.7 miles, linked the villages of Gt Hormead and Brent Pelham. It was slightly longer than some, but involved very little road (which in this area could be dangerous). The earlier leave time allowed us a leisurely pace and up to two (as it turned out memorable) pauses for refreshment. Many hedges and woods were provided for the convenience of all (caution around the electric pylons). At Brent Pelham we encountered Major Ted Barclay varnishing an amazing carved seat and at Jonty Pelham now sadly in ruins, we met Colin O'Flynn. Both gave us emotive backgound to where we stood. The former relating an ancient tale of a local hero, and the latter a moving story relating to the early passing of his beloved daughter. We arrived back at the Three Tuns Great Hormead on time, feeling tired, but full of the memories of a beautiful Summer's day much enriched by our encounters......
13th May 2014 : Ray welcomes Martin Berry as a member of the ClubAt the Club meeting on 13th May, our latest member, Martin Berry, was welcomed into the Club by Ray Munden, President of the Club. The photo shows Ray presenting Martin with his Rotary badge watched by Martin's sponsor, Tony Briar.
9-12th May 2014 : President's Weekend in Dartmouth
This year our President, Ray Munden, chose Dartmouth as the location of his "President's Weekend" and what a beautiful location it is. A gentle journey down, courtesy of Richmond's Coaches.Saturday included a boat trip up the river Dart to Totnes during which we given a running commentary on the sights to look out for, unfortunately we encountered several showers of rain during the trip. Lunch in Totnes and walk round the town then on the bus for Paignton where it was pouring down so we headed for the third leg of our trip, a ride on a steam train down to Kingswear and finally the foot passenger ferry back to Dartmouth in brilliant sunshine! A surprise was in store for us at dinner on the Saturday. The Fawlty Towers Outside Catering Company turned up to create havoc for the hotel staff and to entertain us. Sunday was a guided tour around the Devonport Naval Dockyard and Heritage Centre in Plymouth - photography forbidden!
5th May 2014 : Historic Vehicle ShowA beautiful sunny day brought to crowds to Royston for the town's May Fayre and a record turnout of vehicles to the Historic Vehicle Show organised by the Club. President Ray Munden chose Colin Hall's 1928 Ford Model “a” Phaeton as the President’s Car of the Show and Clive Smith's 1951 Vincent Black Shadow as the President’s Motor Cycle of the show. Councillor Bob Smith, Royston's Town Mayor chose Mrs Anna McMichael's 1905 Argyll Tourer, Roi de Belge as the Mayor's Car of the Show
16th April 2014 : Rotary supports Royston in BloomFor the second year running the Rotary Club of Royston has decided to sponsor the Royston in Bloom competition. A cheque for £250 to cover the costs of running the competition was handed over by Rotary president Ray Munden to Royston in Bloom chairman Les Baker and Royston town mayor Councillor Robert Smith at last week’s Blooms Night. Mr Munden said: “We have always seen the Royston in Bloom competition as an event that engages the community and we like to play our part by sponsoring such an activity.” Mr Baker said: “Without support of this kind it would be difficult to run such a competition as Royston in Bloom. “We are seeing people involved from across the generations and it is one of those events that really captures the attention. “Without the help of the Rotary Club of Royston is would be difficult to run the competition,” he said. Entry forms for this year’s competition are available from the town hall or online at www.roystontowncouncil.gov.uk and the closing date is 25 June 2014. The judging will be taking place on 3-4 July 2014.
Photograph by courtesy of Royston Town Council
13th April 2014 : Monthly Walk - ClaveringThe Fox & Hounds in Clavering was the start and finish of our April walk. Fifteen of us set off, happy knowing that the forecast was good - sunshine and no rain. Our walk took us close to Stickling Green then by the way of Mill End, Sheepcote Green, The Roast, Ford End, Starling's Green (where we had to lift the Kellys' dogs over the fences because the landowner had sealed all the fences with wire), Curles and Parsonage Farm. A hearty lunch was eaten at the Fox & Hounds.
21st March 2014 : Youth Makes Music 2014The depth of musical talent in schools was displayed yet again at this year’s Rotary Club of Royston’s Youth Makes Music concert. More than 250 pupils and students from Royston schools and the surrounding villages took part in the concert at Cambridge University’s West Road concert hall on Friday evening. Schools taking part were Meridian School, Roysia Middle School, Greneway Middle School, Icknield Walk First School, Tannery Drift First School, Roman Way First School, Studlands Rise First School, Therfield First School, Barley First School and Barkway First School. Rotary club president Ray Munden said: “Each year the amazingly high standard of the concert stands as a tribute to both our inspirational teachers and their talented pupils and students. “The imagination and skill that goes into producing such a superb concert makes us all proud of our local schools,” he said. The concert covered a whole range of music tastes: from Lennon and McCartney’s A Hard Day’s Night to a lively performance of Mr Blue Sky and a moving rendition of Elton John’s Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me. Classical music was included, too, with pieces by Bach to Grundman’s Bagatelle, as well as traditional spirituals and the Hebrew Shalom. One of the moving moments of the concert come from the Meridian School’s chamber choir of We Remember Them: a piece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. The choir will be visiting Flanders later in the year and will be giving a performance of We Remember Them at the Menin Gate in Ypres. And more musical talent was displayed with the premiere of Weight: a piece written by Greneway teacher Craig Maddox. As usual the concert came to a rousing end with all the pupils and students on stage to perform All Together Now. The concert saw an end of an era, too, with Ken Charles deciding to “retire” after 17 years of organising the event. And he was given a surprise with a performance of Cwm Rhonda and Consider Yourself from the musical Oliver.
21st March 2014 : Collecting for Marie CurieOnce again, members of the Club were out helping Marie Curie Cancer Care with their Great Daffodil Appeal..
12th March 2014 : Royston wins Round 2 of District QuizRotary Club of Haverhill Chris Biggs of Haverhill had great difficulty controlling these two thoroughbred teams. During the first three rounds, Haverhill stormed ahead but after a break for refreshments (kindly provided by Haverhill) Royston found renewed energy and managed to catch up and overtake Haverhill to win; putting them amongst the 10 teams who will meet at Soham on 2nd April for the Final.
9th March 2014 : Monthly Walk - ArkesdenA beautiful sunny day, ideal weather for sixteen friends to enjoy a 6 mile walk in the lovely countryside around Arkesden followed by lunch at the Axe and Compass in Arkesden.
15th Feb 2014 : Concert in Aid of the Philippines raises £920
The
Blue Skies Big Band in association with the Rotary Club of Royston and
Royston Methodist Church gave a magnificent concert of music & songs made
famous by artists such as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra to a
packed house in the Royston Methodist Church. The concert was given in aid
of the people of the Philippines following typhoon Haiyan.
9th Feb 2014 : Monthly Walk - ChrishallSeven hardy souls (incl cameraman) plus Bess set out from The Red Cow at Chrishall on 9th February in what proved to be one of the few days without rain so far this year. We expected lots of mud after the recent wet weather and in some parts, we got it in spades! Our route is shown on the map marked in red, and we took the clockwise direction from Chrishall. It turned out to be a very pleasant walk on mainly footpaths, with very few roadways to traverse. We took a break on a convenient bench near to Duddenhoe End and surveyed the last quarter mile into the village itself which could only be achieved by crossing two very muddy looking fields. We decided to avoid the mud and take a short cut along the road to join up with our original route at the eastern end of the village. And a good thing too, as it turned out, otherwise we should have missed the lovely little thatched chapel which was tucked away at the back of Duddenhoe End. The building is still obviously in use and looks to be beautifully tended. By this time we were past the halfway point and strolled on with renewed vigour at the thought of Sunday Lunch at the end of it. We went past a very muddy pathway around Chiswick Hall to complete the intersecting loop with last month’s walk; we then made our way towards Chrishall Church which could be seen about half a mile away on the opposite hill. One last push brought us back to the Red Cow after passing a small flock of (seldom seen) bull finches, much to Ray’s delight. In all we had completed almost exactly five miles, having cut off about half a mile with our short cut. At lunch we were joined by John and Margaret Newham and settled down to a well earned drink and meal. This was well up to the usual Rotary Walk standards, the Red Cow being a delightful and bustling little village pub.
7th Feb 2014 : Indoor BowlsMembers of the Club gathered at Thriplow Village Hall for its Annual Indoor Bowls Tournament. The event was organised by Peter Mitton and his Social Committee. A great evening punctuated by a break for a light supper.
5th Feb 2014 : Technology TournamentThe engineering prowess of youngsters was put to the test at this year’s Rotary Club of Royston’s Youth Technology tournament. Teams from schools around the area had to solve a problem using the materials provided Rotary president Ray Munden said: “It always surprises me how innovative the youngsters can be in grasping the concept of the project and then putting it into a practical use. “Everyone taking part has to be praised for the way they approached the project and came up with ideas to solve the problem they had been set,” he said. The schools taking part in the tournament held at The Cambridge Motel in Shepreth were Meridian, Roysia, Greneway from Royston, and Freman College, Edwinstree and Ralph Sadlier schools from Buntingford. Mr Munden added: “Rotary has been running the tournament for the past seven years and each year we see high standards which reflect positively on our local schools, the teachers and the students.” The judges assessed each team on its planning, design analysis, design development and construction skills before the pieces of equipment were put to the test. The winners of the Foundation Group were Meridian School I with Roysia II second and Meridian II and Greneway II joint third while a team from Meridian took the prize in the Advanced Group. However, the award for the most innovative design sponsored by Johnson Matthey went to a team from Roysia School. The team was presented with the award by Debbie McGarrity, the Johnson Matthey Site and Community Co-ordinator. Each youngster taking part in the tournament was presented with a certificate by Royston’s mayor, Councillor Robert Smith. Results: Foundation: 1st, Meridian I (Ben Crawford, Daniel Dawes and Eryn Symonds) 2nd, Roysia II (Ellis Hughes, Alice Reynolds, Poppy Morley and Oliver Fisher) 3rd, Meridian II (Laurie Brewster, Lewis Wood, Libby Woodley and Joshua Lewis) and Greneway II (Lewis Ricketts, Samson Watson, Ella Bearpark and Molly Neillson) Advanced: 1st Meridian (Connor Sullivan, Philippa Martin, Samuel Cutis and Aaron Paul) Johnson Matthey Award: Roysia II (Ellis Hughes, Alice Reynolds, Poppy Morley and Oliver Fisher)
3rd Feb 2014 : Royston Town DiaryThe Rotary Club of Royston has launched a new community website to help clubs and organisations to publicise events. The Community Diary is designed to give as much up-to-date details as possible of events happening in Royston. Rotary club member Tony Briar, who set up the website, said: “From talking to various groups during sessions of our Rotary Royston Breakfast Club we discovered that there was a need for a community diary. “The idea was for groups and organisation to publicise their own events and also be aware of what else was happening in the community. “We hope that all organisations will contact us for access and we can produce a comprehensive diary of events taking place. “The success of the community diary will be seen by the number of clubs and organisations contact us,” he said. Further details on the community diary can be found at www.roystondiary.info or from Tony Briar at diaryadmin@roystondiary.info The Rotary Royston Community Breakfast Club started at the end of last year and provides a forum to discuss community issues. The club meets once a month at The Bull Hotel, Royston and details can be obtained by e-mailing communitybreakfast@roystondiary.info 1st Feb 2014 : Collection in Morrison's Supermarket
Our
collection in Morrison's Supermarket last Saturday raised £252 for our
charity fund.
28th Jan 2014 : Magic BusA charity which helps deprived children in India through sport has received a donation from the Rotary Club of Royston. The charity, Magic Bus, helps children by using sporting activities towards a better life in the future. Charity worker Ellen Brooks told members that the idea was to give children a path “from childhood to livelihood”. The charity gives children the opportunity for education and, eventually, seeking a career. The charity is run in 10 states in India and has reached out to more than 250,000 children. Ellen said: “For the children the games excel in building physical, social and personal skills. The lessons we give teach children about education, gender, health and key issues affecting them.” As part of its international commitment, the Rotary Club of Royston has donated £500 towards the charity. 12th Jan 2014 : Monthly Walk - HeydonThis month’s walk started and finished in sunshine at the King William IV in Heydon. On leaving the King Will we headed for Great Chishill; turning left at the Heydon boundary onto the public footpath to Chrishall. Following the recent heavy rain it was extremely heavy going in places, however, we still managed to reach the Chrishall cricket ground and then the Red Cow. Chrishall, mentioned in the Domesday Book, one of only two villages in the country with Christ in its old English name, is at 482 feet, the highest point in Essex. Our route took us past the 12c parish church dedicated to The Holy Trinity. With fine views of Essex to the south we then walked across the valley to Chiswick Hall. After a short break we continued on our way to Building End and on into Great Chishill. Then, down May Street past the Maltings, thought to be the oldest part of the village, we followed the footpath round to the Pudgel’s and across to New Road and turned right. There again, some nice views towards Barley, Melbourne and, in the distance, Barrington and Cambridge. After the caravan park and house we turned left, passed through the wood, turned right up onto the Heydon Road and back to the King Will for some fine food and drink. 11th Jan 2014 : Annual QuizA total of sixteen teams sat down to subject themselves to the questioning of Quizmaster, Phillip Martin at the Annual Rotary Quiz. Scoring was in the capable hands of Karin Weston & Ken Charles. The evening included fish & chip supper was supplied by Fish'n'Chick'n of Royston. The Quiz was won by TADS from Thriplow - Howard Peacock collected the trophy. The Wooden Spoon was won by the 41ers. The evening raised about £650 for the Rotary Club of Royston Trust Fund. 17th Dec 2013 : Christmas DinnerThis year we decided that our annual Christmas Dinner would be at the Sheene Mill Restaurant in Melbourn. We had an excellent meal and the staff looked after us very well. With Poppers and balloons going off and tapping our feet to the Cam Sax Quartet's "jazzed" up versions of well known Christmas tunes an excellent night was had by all.
11th & 20th Dec 2013 : Christmas FloatOnce again, Rotarians were out in force helping Santa to visit all the children in and around Royston on his Christmas Float. Santa has many helpers from Round Table, who organise it, Rotary, Lions, 41 Club and Ladies Circle. On 11th December it was our turn to take Santa around the Orchard Road, Burns Road route and, on the 20th, around Bassingbourn
8th Dec 2013 : Monthly Walk - Barley & Gt ChishillA few of us were up bright and early and made for the Barley Village Shop to get a cup of coffee and a croissant to set us up for the walk. We met the rest of our party just along the road at the Fox & Hounds. This month, our walk took us across fields to the parish church of Little Chishill (photo). It was a beautiful sunny morning which made the walk all the more enjoyable. Shortly afterwards, on our way to Great Chishill we stopped briefly for refreshments. We touched the edge of Gt Chishill by the old windmill before returning, across the fields, to the Fox & Hounds and lunch.
4th Dec 2013 : Hope & Homes for Children Carol Concert
A group of some 15 Royston Rotarians, once again, helped to fill St Mary Abbots Church, Knightsbridge for the Annual Carol Concert in aid of Hope and Homes for Children, an international charity working to ensure that all children have the chance to grow up in the love of a family. The concert was led by the Rev. Jenny Walsh. Besides singing carols we were entertained to singing by Cooper's Company and Coborn School and a harp recital by Jessica King-Holford. The reading was by Edward Fox. On the way home, courtesy of Richmond's Coaches, we drove down Regent and Oxford streets to see the London Christmas lights.
20th Nov 2013 : Zimbabwe a National EmergencyPaul Bolton, the Club's International Chairman, presented a cheque for £500 to Tom Benyon OBE, a director of ZANE - Zimbabwe a National Emergency. Tom gave the Club a very entertaining and informative talk about ZANE and, in particular, its work with pensioners and children with clubbed feet. Tom (71), himself, raises huge sums of money for the charity by doing sponsored walks, most recently he walked from Holyhead to Oxford. You can learn more about ZANE and Tom's walks by visiting ZANE's website
18th Nov 2013 : Rotary reacts to Philippines DisasterMembers of the Rotary Club of Royston have reacted immediately to donate much-needed aid to the Philippines disaster fund. In less than a week more that £1,000 has been raised to provide victims of the disaster area with ShelterBoxes and LifeStraws. Paul Bolton, chairman of the club’s international committee, said: “Our international programme for the year, and maybe years to come, could be dominated by this terrible event.
“We need to recognise this as the largest single emergency in recent years –
and the Rotary Club of Royston is determined to respond.”
He added, however: “At the same time we have to remember we still have
responsibilities to the charities we said we would help before this
disaster.” Money for the ShelterBox – the cost is £590 each - came from the Club’s international fund while almost £700 was raised from a charity curry night held at the Ashiana Spice restaurant in Royston on Thursday evening (14 November). This included donations from the restaurant, staff and clients of Royston accountants Hardcastle Burton and the Duxford-based company Iceni Waters. Donate Now Click here www.justgiving.com/Royston-ShelterBoxes Or text RRTF90 £5 to 70070
ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, groundsheets, water storage and filtration equipment, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.
LifeStraw® is a portable water filter that effectively removes all bacteria and parasites responsible for causing common diarrhoeal diseases. LifeStraw® requires no electrical power or spare parts and can be carried around for easy access to safe and clean water.
16th Nov 2013 : Children in NeedThe Rotary Club of Royston collected more than £1200 for this year’s Children in Need appeal. Members were collecting donations in Royston town centre on Saturday – with the help of Pudsey Bear. Club president Ray Munden said: “In these times of austerity it’s remarkable how generous people will be, even more so when you consider that this collection coincided with many people donating significantly to the Philippines disaster. “When you become aware of some of the heart-breaking stories about children and the help needed then we begin to understand the importance of a charity such as Children in Need. “But it’s not just children who are suffering from illness and handicaps who receive help. It is those, too, who are living below the poverty line as there are still many children in this country in that situation,” he said.
10th Nov 2013 : Remembrance SundayThe Remembrance Day service was held by the war memorial in Royston. It was cold but sunny when Clarice Wahlich, Club Vice President, laid a wreath on behalf of the Rotary Club of Royston.
18th Oct 2013 : Concert Raises over £3,500 for Myeloma UKA evening of music and laughter for an audience of 260 people raised more than £3,500 for research into a rare form of cancer. The evening was organised by Barry Love, a member of the Rotary Club of Royston, which sponsored him in his fundraising campaign for research charity, Myeloma UK. A packed audience at the Cambridge Motel laughed and sang along with operatic tenors Tim Lole and Neil Allen, who perform as the Opera Dudes ('two modern day Mario Lanzas'). Barry Love was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2009. The disease is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow and Barry was given 18 months to live. But after 4 years, he is enjoying a busy life, thanks to experimental treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Barry has devoted much of his 'extra time' to supporting the research effort which so helped him. Though the new drug is not a cure, Barry is sure that it has increased his life expectancy by several years, and this enabled him to take on his current role as Community Service Chairman for Royston Rotary Club, fundraising and providing assistance for many local and national causes. Barry told the audience that Myeloma UK's Clinical Trial Network would benefit from the event. The Network prioritises and invests in the most promising treatments and one of its centres of excellence is based at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where Barry was treated. Consultant oncologist, Dr Jenny Craig, as well as several myeloma patients were able to attend the concert and they joined in the loud applause for Margaret Wright of Thriplow, winner of the £500 first prize in the raffle, who promptly donated her winnings to Myeloma UK. “What an evening it was!” said Barry after the show. “It was a natural choice for me to support Myeloma UK, and it was a real joy to raise a large sum while informing more people about the wonderful work this charity is doing and, also, special thanks to Margaret Wright for her great generosity” 13th Oct 2013 : Monthly Walk - MeldrethIt had been raining all night and it was still pouring with rain when eleven stout Rotarians, partners and friends set off for our regular monthly walk from the British Queen in Meldreth. This month led by Jeremy Izod. Luckily the rain didn't last for too long and we didn't have to cross too many muddy fields. Our walk took us by the river Mel which is home to the white clawed crayfish, the only crayfish native to the British Isles; the 13th century Topcliffe Mill and, as we passed through Whaddon, the Marley Eternit factory, originally built in 1902 and home to a small locomotive known as "Puffing Billy". Our walk ended back at the British Queen where we had lunch. 24th Sept 2013 : Swimathon Monies DonatedMonies raised from this year’s Rotary Club of Royston’s Swimathon has been handed over to two charities; the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service and Headway, the brain injury charity, each received a donation of £1,300. The cheques were presented by Rotary vice-president Clarice Wahlich to Linda Hill, from the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service, and Karen Bevan, from Headway. Linda Hill told Rotary members that the air ambulance service last year was involved in more than 13,000 missions, each costing £2,270 and without any Government direct funding it needed to raise £7.6 million a year. Karen Bevan said it was essential for Headway to raise awareness its role in helping people with brain injuries and brain damage. “It’s always a challenge for us to get funding which is the reason donations such as this are much appreciated,” she said. Some 13 teams took part in this year’s swimathon at the Royston Leisure Centre in March and between them completed a total of 1,302 lengths of the pool. Clarice Wahlich said: “The Swimathon is an important fund-raising event for the Rotary Club of Royston and this year we were again able to provide donations to two worthwhile charities.” Picture: From left, Linda Hill, Clarice Wahlich and Karen Bevan.
23rd Sept 2013 : Boules at the British Queen, MeldrethThere was a magnificent turnout for the Club's 2013 Boules competition held at the British Queen in Meldreth. The evening included a supper of Scampi or Sausage and Chips. The winners of the "Golden Balls" were Peter Mitton, Clarice Wahlich and Tony Briar with runners up Sephrone Webb and Ruth Martin.
8th Sept 2013 : Monthly Walk - AspendenTwelve of us set off on a beautiful sunny morning from the Fox Inn, Aspenden for what turned out to be a very enjoyable walk of about six miles, led by our President, Ray Munden and his wife Joan. Our walk took us close to the cottage, Button Snap, the one time home of the writer and poet, Charles Lamb. In the kerbside is set a stone medallion that once adorned the Westminster Bank in Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane London. Our walk ended back at the Fox Inn where we were joined by Neil & Sarah for lunch. 4th August 2013 : Royston Charity Kite FestivalThousands of people turned out for this year’s Royston Charity Kite Festival run by the Rotary Club of Royston. Organiser Karin Weston described the event on Therfield Heath on Sunday as “an overwhelming success”. She said: “We had one of the largest attendances in recent years and the weather was just perfect for kite-flying. “Everyone seemed to enjoy the displays that took place during the day,” she said. The Rotary Club of Royston is hoping to raise about £7,000 from the event with a substantial amount being donated to President Ray Munden’s charity of the year, the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth. Mr Munden said: “This year’s event certainly attracted the crowds and we believe that more than 5,000 people attended. It helped, of course, having decent weather during the whole day.” This year included some spectacular displays from the Great Ouse Flyers and Essex Kite Flyers, Dark Star, Team Spectrum and Stafford Wallace with his Indian Fighting Kites. The event was opened by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Andie Harper and was visited during the day by the Mayor of Royston, Councillor Robert Smith, and Councillor Jane Gray, chairman of North Herts District Council.
28th July 2013 : Fowlmere Nature Reserve & BBQPresident Ray Munden (a keen birdwatcher and helper at the Reserve) and Doug Radford (Site Manager) took members of the Club and their partners on a guided tour of the Fowlmere Nature Reserve. We learnt how the Reserve got started and the work that has to be done to maintain an environment that is attractive to birds and other wildlife. During our walk we managed to see a kingfisher catching its lunch, a pair of grey herons, a barn owl and a common tern amongst other things. The walk was followed up by an excellent BBQ at Mike Taylor's.
23rd July 2013 : Friends of Chernobyl's ChildrenA cheque for £500 has been donated by the Rotary Club of Royston to the Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. The cheque was received by the South Cambridgeshire group’s co-ordinator Vanessa Cross. She said: “We could not make everything work without donations such as this.” The group recently had 19 children from Belarus come to the United Kingdom for a month-long recuperative visit in which they were involved in activities which met both their recreation and medical needs. “We always see a difference in the children from the time they arrived to the time they depart,” said Mrs Cross. Groups across the country were set up to help children after Belarus was covered in a blanket of radioactive material following an explosion at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl in April, 1988. Rotary club president Ray Munden: “This is one charity we have supported for many years and we realise the worthwhile work which is being carried to help these children.” Mrs Cross also received a matching donation of £500 from Vardhan Rajkumar, the chairman of the Royston-based company Thermal Engineering. The company supports the work of the group. Friends of Chernobyl’s Children www.focc.org.uk/South_Cambridge Thermal Engineering www.thermalengineering.co.uk/
14th July 2013 : Monthly Walk - Much HadhamOne of the largest walking groups for some time set off from the Parish Church in Much Hadham. It was a gentle five mile stroll through delightful Hertfordshire countryside - woodland and meadow. After a brief stop at Perry Green for refreshments our pathway back to the Bull in Much Hadham took us through the edge of the Henry Moore Foundation Park where we were able to admire some of Henry Moore's sculptures. An excellent lunch was had at the very friendly Bull public house on Much Hadham High Street.
8th July 2013 : President's HelloIt was a beautiful sunny day when members of the Club and their partners gathered at the home of the Club's new President, Ray Munden and his wife Joan who had invited them for the annual President's Hello. Ray and Joan treated us to a wonderful lunch.
25th June 2013 : Handover to 2013-14 PresidentRoyston Rotary’s new President has kick-started his Presidential year with a pledge to inject as much fun as possible into the Club’s proceedings. Speaking to a packed house of Rotarians, their partners and guests at the annual Changeover dinner at Sheene Mill, the twin themes of ‘Win-Win’ and ‘Fun’ dominated Ray Munden’s ambitions for the Club in the coming year. The new President planned to increase the club’s community service activities and also funds raised. People are more likely to contribute if we can give them some value for money enjoyment, said Ray as he looked forward to events, such as the Opera Dudes concert and the Ashiana Spice evening, that would both attract and inform people from outside Rotary. “These enjoyable events do provide value for money, raise charitable funds and also publicise Rotary, so it’s a case of win-win” he told dinner guests
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