The Rotary Foundation was formed in Chicago in 1917 with the vision
of improving lives throughout the world. Since then Rotary's own
charity has spent more than $3,000,000,000 to fight diseases, support
education, provide clean water, grow local economies, support mothers
and children and promote peace; extending the reach of Rotary far beyond
the club.
Rotary came to Oswestry in 1929 when the Rotary Club
of Oswestry was formed since when 2 further clubs, Oswestry Borderland
and Oswestry Cambrian, have started in the town.
2017 will be the
Rotary Foundation's centennial year and as part of the preparations to
mark that milestone, Rotarians from two of Oswestry's clubs recently
joined together, with the help of students from the Derwen College, to
plant crocus bulbs at the entrance to the town's Central Car Park to
provide a purple display next Spring, and every spring thereafter.
This
will echo the planting in Cae Glas Park in 2010 by local primary school
pupils to mark the continuing battle to eradicate polio for which the
youngsters have raised over £6,000 over the last 5 years through
sponsored walks in the park.
The Central Car Park is the first of a
selected number of locations around the town; 2 or 3 further sites will
be planted.
Starting the immunisation battle against polio back
in 1985 through its Foundation, Rotary remains a lead partner along with
the World Health Organisation and Bill and Melinda Gates, since when an
estimated 10 million children have been spared polio-inflicted death or
paralysis. The battle is not over and, whilst polio is no longer
endemic in our country, we cannot rest until it is eradicated worldwide.
Find out more about the Rotary Foundation's Purple4Polio campaign.
Crocus Planting – Joint Project with Oswestry Borderlands Rotary Club
Planting of the first site (150 bulbs) by the entrance to Central car park will be carried out on Monday October 17th by Rotarians from this Club and Borderland assisted by students from Derwen College. The Town Mayor and the Press have been invited to the planting to help commemorate next year's centenary of Rotary Foundation and promote the End Polio Now campaign.
Further planting at Salop Road and Whittington Road will be done later in October (by Rotarians only).
At the request of the Town Mayor, it is also proposed to plant bulbs by the Welcome sign on the Trefonen Road.
The initial 300 bulbs have been donated by Derwen College and the additional bulbs for Trefonen Road are being supplied by the Mayor.
Borderland are organising temporary signs to be displayed when the bulbs are in bloom and it is understood that these will be supplied at no cost to either Club.
David Gordon,
Chair Foundation Committee
4th October 2016
more Dave will tell us about his time in Australia on the Rotary Friendship Exchange - just before the first lockdown!
more Our annual sponsored crocus walk to raise awareness of Polio and raise funds to continue Rotary's vaccination campaign against this disease. This event has now been postponed.
more Students at The Marches follow up their Polio campaign briefings to plant crocuses.
more Justin Soper was asked by The Marches via Mark as Chair of Foundation to give year assemblies on Rotary's End Polio' campaign to Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and the 6th form.
more The aim of this course is to enable young people to learn the skills they need to cope with the stresses of life in the 21st century and become leaders and ‘Peace Advocates’.
more Members of the Foundation Committee will address the Oswestry School Bellan House Assembly ahead of their sponsored Crocus Walk on the 27th March
more Our Lady's Rotakids group made a presentation to pupils at assembly ahead of the Sponsored Crocus Walk to raise funds to End Polio Now.
more Our annual sponsored crocus walk to raise awareness of Polio and raise funds to continue Rotary's vaccination campaign against this disease.
more Oswestry Rotarians Justin Soper and Mark Liquorish with Borderland Rotarian Sherie Soper are delighted to receive the Marches' fundraising effort towards Rotary's campaign to End Polio.
more Our Foundation Team will be hosting an information stall on Festival Square today. Fingers crossed for kind weather!
more Part of Foundation Committee's plan to plant a tree for every Rotarian.
more Pupils from Bellan House Oswestry School and Our Lady and St Oswalds will be taking part in a Sponsored Walk around Cae Glas Park today to raise funds to continue the worldwide vaccination campaign against Polio.
more Collection for End Polio Now @ kinokulture Screenings of 'Breathe'
more President Ian and Crocus Walk organiser David Gordon visited the Bellan House Assembly this morning to present the pupils with a certificate for their participation in the Sponsored Walk in April.
more President Ian Haigh and Event Organiser David Gordon took part in an assembly at Our Lady and St Oswald's Primary School today.
more Annual Crocus Walk for End Polio Now! Rearranged from March 3rd
more 'A Purple thumbs up and a Big thank you in helping to eradicate Polio'.
more Annual Crocus Walk for End Polio Now!
more Foundation Committee members will explain to the members of our Club what the Rotary Foundation is all about.
more Sponsored Crocus Walk for End Polio Now!
more In 2010, Bellan pupils helped Oswestry Rotary Club plant 5,000 purple crocuses in Cae Glas Park, Oswestry. On Friday 27th February 2015 at 11am a further bugle call will sound to start the 4th annual Bellan "Crocus Walk" in aid of "END POLIO NOW".
more The World Health Organisation reports @ 18th February 2015 that the provisional year-end figures for 2014 are 359 wild polio virus confirmed cases worldwide (57 fewer than 2013) and 54 circulating vaccine derived polio cases worldwide (12 fewer than 2013)
more Speaker Rtn Hywel Williams (Wrexham Yale)
more Foundation "Indoor Olympics Fun" Evening - Rhydycroesau Village Hall
more No child anywhere in the world should have to suffer from this completely preventable disease. It only costs US60 cents to protect a child against polio for life.
more BBC 2 documentary exploring the history of the search for a polio vaccine. Stephanie Flanders examines her own family's story in relation to the disease.
more Sponsored walk in aid of the End Polio Now campaign in Cae Glas Park from 11.00am.
more Polio Presentation to the Bellan House Assembly
more United Airlines give away 10 million air miles to charities - vote for Rotary International every day until 31st December!
more 5 reds and 5 whites from Geoff's cellar with cheese chosen to accompany.
more Ade Adepitan: Journey of My Lifetime Premieres On Channel 4 (UK) Aug 19
more A 'Revels Evening' at Rhydycroesau Village Hall - no, not the Mars confection, but what?
more Pupils from Oswestry School Bellan House received certificates from Rotarians Steve Thomas and Emma Wilde
more Sponsored walk in aid of the End Polio Now campaign in Cae Glas Park from 11.00am. You can download a sponsor form or donate online from this page.
more Members of the Foundation Committee address the Oswestry School Bellan House Assembly ahead of their sponsored Crocus Walk on the 28th February
more In the 2013 Richard Dimbleby Lecture, one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs and leading philanthropists, Bill Gates, explains his optimism for a world free of the debilitating disease, polio.
more Rotary Clubs Together for World Polio Day Rotary members across Great Britain and Ireland are putting on a show for World Polio Day (Wednesday 24th Oct).
more Phill Gittins blogs from his Rotary Peace Scholarship course in Thailand starting in June.
more Bellan House Pupils celebrate the 5,000 crocuses planted last year with a sponsored walk in the park and raised £1,691.94 including Gift Aid! Well done!
more We planted the crocus bulbs in the park in October now all are invited back to see a fantastic display (fingers crossed!)
back The Role of the Foundation Committee