Rotary Club news
Rotary Club of Misbourne Matins’ Charity Golf Day 9th June 2011
Michael Syson is supporting the charity during his year as president of The Rotary Club of Misbourne Matins. His main fundraising event will be a golf day at Gerrards Cross Golf Club on 9th June. There will be team and individual prizes as well as dinner after the golf. It is £280 per team of 4 and there are opportunities for companies to sponsor a hole.
For more details contact Michael at michlav.syson@btopenworld.com
The Rotary Club of St Albans Charity Cycle Ride – Sunday 16th May
The Rotary Club of St Albans Priory have chosen us as one of their headline charities for their annual charity cycle ride. You can choose whether you cycle the 10, 20, 30, or 40-mile route which all go through beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. The ride starts and finishes at Oaklands College Campus, St Albans. There will be prizes and refreshments on the day. For more details and to enter go to http://www.saccr.co.uk/index.htm
The Rotary Club of Cwmbran Vale – Bikeathon – 25th April 2010
Keith Davies of The Rotary Club of Cwmbran Vale organised his first bikeathon in aid of the charity. On the day 54 riders took part. Keith would like to thank Pontypool Road Cycling Club and Cwmbran Round Table, who took part and have raised a significant sum of money for the charity. The Bikeathon has raised about £3,000 – thanks to Keith for all his hard work.
Rotary Club of St Albans Priory Charity cycle ride – 16th May 2010
The Rotary Club of St Albans Priory have chosen The Prostate Cancer Charity as one of the beneficiary charities for their annual charity bike ride. You can ride 10, 20, 30, and 40-mile routes start and finish at Oaklands College Campus, Hatfield Road, St Albans and take you through the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. Riders will get a free t-shirt, medal and certificate as well as drinks and refreshments on the day. For more information check their website: http://www.rotaryclubofstalbanspriory.com
John’s Walk – September 2009
John Hayes, a member of The Rotary Club of Tilehouse, completed part of the Via de la Plata. It took him and his friend, Tony, 15 days to walk 370 km of the 1000km route. The weather conditions were very hot with temperatures over 30C and very little rain. It was particularly challenging as they were carrying their rucksacks, weighing about 13kg, all the way.
John has raised over £200 so far, you can sponsor him at:
www.justgiving.com/JohnHayesWalk
A Grand competition
The Rotary Club of Colchester Forum organised a Grand National Sweepstake and raised £1,885.00 for the charity. One of the winners, Mr Lee, very kindly donated his winnings back to the charity.
Ben Nevis Trek 23rd May 2009
John Hiscock from the Rotary Club of Hoddesdon took part in the Ben Nevis Trek on 23rd May 2009, with 14 other participants. Here is his story:
“On 23rd May this year I walked up Ben Nevis. It was the toughest ascent I have ever made and a twisted ankle at 3000 feet meant the last third involved a lot of mind over matter – similar to that of Ranulf Fiennes on Everest - though his mountain is seven times as high! I’m a sucker for a challenge and have first-hand experience of the medical condition. I press-ganged 68 friends from Hoddesdon Rotary, the 41 Club and elsewhere into sponsorship of £800, nearer £1000 with gift aid. The response was humbling.
At the briefing in Fort William there were 15 of us, split roughly between men and women ranging from Clarissa at 14 to yours truly at nearly 67. We were reminded how climate can change suddenly and usually varies considerably between base and summit – like Boy Scouts we must be prepared. Our kit was to be inspected! Conditions on 23rd were anticipated to be cloudy/showery, with 25mph winds gusting to 55mph, wind-chill to minus 5 and 6 feet of snow at the top.
We set off up the Pony Trek (Tourist Route) at 8.15 am and climbed a rough steep rocky path to a bealach (saddle) near a lochan at 570m (1870 ft) where the path rose over Red Burn and up the 8 zigzags towards the summit plateau. I was doing well then I snagged my left Achilles on a rock that had me limping like Hopalong Cassidy. The top third of the walk required determination but I thought of those who had showed faith in me and those who would be merciless in the ribbing if I wimped out. It began to rain and we entered the cloud level. The last three hundred meters were on crusty treacherous snow where one of the party kicked steps for me and Pauline lent me her pole, that I promptly bent! Throughout, our guides were hugely supportive and sensitive to the pace needed by the slowest yet we completed the whole walk in around 7 hours, apparently a record for the charity teams this year – supreme athletes do I hear you say?
At the finish The Nevis Inn has pints that do not touch the sides and walkers with an immense sense of achievement: our party all made it and their company was great. Our two splendid fund-raisers, Gemma and Pauline, both walked and carried their banner for the summit photograph. That evening we celebrated with champagne and haggis!
May I thank all those who supported me: despite a few concerns, I deeply enjoyed the challenge but next time I will pick somewhere a little bit flatter!”
Rotawalk
The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh is organising a 5 km sponsored walk on Sunday 17th May around the lakes of Dinton Pastures Country Park, in Berkshire. They are raising funds for various cancer charities. For more information or to register go to http://www.rotawalk.com/
Dawn Walk
More than 100 people took part in The Rotary Club of Goole sponsored Dawn Walk on Sunday 14th September. Three reporters from the Goole Times were among those that took part in the six-mile walk, which began at the Rugby Club and followed the riverbank to Hook and finished back at the Rugby club for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea!
Rotarian Graham Hawksworth said:
"We would like to say thanks to everyone who took part in the walk. We would also like to say a special thanks to the Goole Times for all their help and support; the Rugby Club for the use of their club house and kitchen facilities, which they let us use for free; Peter Graham Bakers for providing all the bread rolls for the bacon sandwiches and also the ladies in the kitchen who prepared the sandwiches.”
They have raised over £6,000 from this event.
The Rotary Club of Southport
On Saturday 9th August Chris Little and his team won The Rotary Club of Southport’s 2008 Dragon Boat race. The wet and windy weather conditions made it a challenging and close race but they won the trophy that was named after Chris’s dad, Peter Little, who died in February this year of metastatic Prostate Cancer. He loved the event so much that a team of his family and friends decided to take part and raise money in his memory. You can still sponsor their efforts at
www.justgiving.com/christopherlittle.
The Rotary Club of Easthampstead
On 28th April, The Rotary Club of Easthampstead held their annual golf day at Bearwood Lakes Golf Club. Popular entertainer, Tom O’Connor, took part in the competition. The organisers asked participants to bid for Tom to play in their team and the successful bidders were very happy with their investment as Tom is a first class golfer. He also entertained his team mates throughout the day with his inimitable sense of humour. After the golf there was an auction of sporting memorabilia and the highlight of the day was Tom O’Connor’s after dinner speech. His array of golfing anecdotes was hilarious even for the non-golfers.
Tom O’Connor with his team mates.
The whole day was enjoyed by all, the weather was kind the course in good condition the dinner most enjoyable, The Rotary Club of Easthampstead have been organising golf days for some years now but this was our best yet.” Robin Wood President of Rotary Club of Easthampstead
The golf day was a huge success and raised £6,000 for the charity.
West Highland Way Walk
Graham Bate and Graham Hawksworth, the president and vice president of the Rotary Club of Goole, walked the West Highland Way on 18th May 2007. The walk was hard work but they overcame blisters to complete the walk and hope to raise over £2,000.
Four Rotary Clubs in Luton: Barton-le-Clay, Luton Chiltern, Luton North and Luton Someries organised the Miles of smiles campaign to raise of £75,000 for various charities and created a record-breaking mile of smiles. You can find out more at www.milesofsmiles.info
The Rotary club of Barton le Clay donated £1,600 (Left photo)
The Rotary club of Luton North donated £350 (Right photo)
The Rotary club of Letchworth
The Rotary club of Letchworth Garden City raised £500 and invited us to the club for the cheque presentation.
Tilehouse Rotary Club
The Rotary Club of Tilehouse have worked tirlessly on our behalf for over two years and their fundraising efforts to date have raised over £17,500. They have organised various fundraising activities including the Thames Source walk. During our 2006 Awareness week, they supported the cause by holding a Pants To Prostate fund raising day in Hitchin's Market Square. There were various fun stalls and activities but the main event was the Paint your Pants competition, where contestants had to design and paint their ideas onto pants and knickers which were hung out to dry on a washing line.
One of their members, Robin Hayhurst, ran in the 2005 Great North Run and nine of their members ran in the Milton Keynes Half Marathon on 23rd July 2006.
In 2006 the club organised a Dawn Walk and raised over £5,000. They will be repeating the event on 2nd September. If you would like to take part or organise your own walk then contact Gemma Cornwell on 0208 222 7630 or email gemma.cornwell@prostate-cancer.org.uk.
On 5th June 2007 they organised a Golf Day at The John O'Gaunt Golf Club.
A great day was had by all and they raised over £5,000 for the Charity.
Some of the clubs that helped in 2006
The Rotary club of Ashford nominated us as their charity of the year for 06/07. They organised several fundraising events and raised £2,000.
The Rotary club of Mardyke Valley organised a St George's Night and raised £2,711.50.
The Rotary Club of Elthorne Hillingdon organised a charity golf day and raised £10,250.00.
For more information contact:
Gemma Cornwell
Community Fundraising Manager
Tel: 0208 222 7630
Email: gemma.cornwell@prostate-cancer.org.uk
