Committee Members – David Bracegirdle, Arnold Bolton, Howard Burgess, Dennis Dowdeswell, Keith Dixon, Maurice Holden, David Johnson, John Kelley, John Stanton, Graham Tall, Colin Wilding.
My sincere thanks goes to the Committee for their help during the year. At the start of the Rotary year we put forward a budget of £8000. We have three main categories for our consideration – Service to the Community, Community and Vocational Service Funding, and Charitable Donations.
Blackpool Holidays – we continue to support the District Blackpool Holidays and we have to thank Colin Sallis for taking on the organization. Currently, twenty four people plan to go on the holiday in May.
Know Your Blood Pressure Day – this event takes place on the 18th April and we hope to provide this service as part of the Stroke Association's awareness campaign.
Youth Opportunities – we continue to provide support to Kenilworth School, as required, for Young Enterprise, Young Chef and Youth Speaks. The latter was particularly successful for the senior team but as we know they were unable to attend the National Finals in Cheddar, Somerset.
Special Citizen Award – Arnold Bolton found another deserving recipient for our annual award – Mr Derek Jones. Unfortunately, he was too ill to personally receive the award but his son was able to attend on his behalf. Mr Jones passed away early in 2009.
Christmas Lights – we support Kenilworth in their official lights switch-on and provide the Fair Organ and free soup as popular attractions.
Tuesday Blind Club – Dennis Dowdeswell has maintained the rota and although more volunteers would be beneficial, it appears we can continue to support this worthwhile service.
School Dictionaries – we have to thank Maurice Holden for organizing this and some 320 dictionaries will be donated to local schools. Each will carry an identifying label with the Club's name.
Rotary Disabled Sports – we again supported this event, at its new venue, by sponsoring the Boccia.
NCH John Waterhouse Project – on-going garden maintenance is still funded and we offered to help fund any other essential needs. As yet nothing else has been forthcoming.
Kenilworth in Bloom – we have sponsored a planter for this year and this should be in place shortly.
Life Education – four local schools have been supported financially, to enable them to have the Life Education caravan at their premises. We have had a letter of thanks from one school acknowledging our help.
Kids Out – we have offered financial help to District in order to support other Clubs with a more obvious need than our own. In the interim, Philip Southwell is currently trying to arrange for a small group of needy local children and their parents to go on this years event.
Kenilworth Youth Centre – with the aid of a matching grant we have given financial support for the purchase of sports equipment and to pay for a babysitting training course.
Young Carers Project – three very special young carers have been sponsored by us to allow them to take a well earned break on the Warwickshire Association of Youth Club's narrow boat trip this summer.
Mablethorpe Holiday – we responded to a District request to finance a child to go on the holiday in August.
We continue to receive and carefully consider requests for financial help from individuals and local organizations. They have been many and varied this year.
We sponsored the local Guide's Swimming Gala and also gave help towards this year’s Gang Show. We have also helped with the setting up of a new Rainbows Unit in Kenilworth. Two young Guides have been supported in order to help them attend a planned Jamboree in Germany. A Guide Leader was also funded to enable her to attend an International House in Mexico. She is due to speak to us at Club to tell us of the experience.
Warwickshire Association for the Blind were helped to purchase six re-conditioned computers which will help them continue their good works. Baby Lifeline have been given support to help purchase new 'syringe drivers' for Warwick Maternity Hospital. St John's Boys Club are being helped to set up and improve their table tennis facilities, with the help of Keith Dixon. A local girl, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was also given financial help to purchase a computer which will enable her to continue with her local voluntary work. A very talented eleven year old tuba player has been given financial help because his family were struggling to fully cover tutorial fees at the Guildhall School of Music. This year we pledged our annual street collection to the local Alzheimer's Society. The local Parkinson's Society will also receive a donation from us once we have had their speaker at the Club.
Our work is still not complete but we are still well within our planned budget and will continue to offer support where it is needed, within our local community.
David Bracegirdle, Chairman of Community & Vocational Services Committee (17.04.09).