News Archives 2023-1st Quarter

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The Oswestry Town Mayor visited Borderland Rotary

The Mayor, Jay Moore gave a heartfelt talk at Borderland Rotary last week and explained the charitable, mental health task force he is setting up and talked about being the mayor.

Jay started with a summary of the way he intends to deal with mental health issues in the under 18s, and said, “Covid casts a long shadow generally, but particularly in youth mental health and there is little current facility to cater for this so I decided that, rather than channel all monies I can raise into one charity, I would set up a fund that can be directed when and where it is needed most. One of the fund-raising events I’ve set up, with help from the Mayoress, Poppy King, is a two-part walk called the Oswald’s Trail Challenge and these sponsored walks will take place on Sunday 26th March and Saturday 8th April and hopefully, they’ll be community events as well as fundraisers”.

He then discussed the roll of the Mayor and how he had approached his Mayoral year. Jay continued, “When I first stood for the council, I had no ambition or desire to become Mayor and it seemed very unlikely that it would ever be my turn but, a couple of years ago, resignations and election results bumped me up the order and here I am, and I’m giving it my best and having a blast! Although my picture is in the paper most weeks, I don’t feel I’m the one in the spotlight – rather, I‘m holding the spotlight and showing off what a great community we have here in Oswestry and working together can only make it better”.

To find out about Oswald’s Trail Challenge, please email oswaldtrailchallenge@hotmail.com

Oswestry man returns from ‘New World’ to join Borderland Rotary

This week, Borderland Rotary welcomed a new member, Steve Jerman who has recently returned to the country and area of his youth after having spent the last two decades in Boise, Idaho which is situated in the north-west high plains of the USA.  

Steve grew up in Weston Rhyn and some may remember the petrol station his family ran on the cross-roads at Gledrid before the bypass was built in the ‘70s. He attended Oswestry High School where he did an ‘A’ level in a very rare subject in those days - Computer Studies. He went on to Liverpool University and then to jobs with Hewlett Packard and Cisco Systems which prompted the move across the ocean to the United States.

Steve said, “I loved my time in Idaho but just felt it was time to return to my roots and, as I can happily work from home, it just seemed right. I have very happy memories of Oswestry, the surrounding countryside and the people and over the last year I have re-acquainted myself with all three. As I met my wife through Rotary in Gloucester, many years ago, I decided to get back involved and I’ve been made most welcome at Borderland and I look forward to getting involved with all their activities”.

Is mountain biking the new golf ?

It’s all hands to the pump (excuse the pun) as things start to wind up towards the Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday 13th May which will start, as usual, from Rhiwlas Village Hall at 10am and, this year E-bikes will be very welcome and it looks like there’ll be lots of them there. Sales of E-bikes were steadily growing but Covid suddenly gave them a great boost as many people discovered their ‘inner cyclist’.

James Davies from Mule Cycles in Oswestry has ridden the challenge for many years and is now one of the main sponsors and whilst demonstrated an E-bike to Borderland President, Chris Bryan-Smith he said, “I think that mountain biking is the new golf as it has become such a popular social sport and a great way to get together with people, exchange ideas and keep fit at the same time. The new generation of electric mountain bikes has only added to this as, with their incredible versatility, they make it possible for riders who may find some routes a little daunting, achieve their goals without pushing themselves too far. But don’t think they take the value away from cycling as you are still outside in the beautiful countryside, you still have to peddle hard and it all helps your cardiovascular system. All in all, they are a great addition to the cycling cannon so whether you own a tradition or an E-Bike, why not enter the Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge and start raising money for Air Ambulance while keeping fit. Just go to www.borderland-mtb-challenge.org and join the rest of us”.

Borderland Rotary help Love Oswestry

Borderland Rotary members helped with the finale of the Love Oswestry Festival, handling traffic control by the TSB Bank and then at the passage by Wetherspoons as the children streamed from Red Square carrying their lanterns aloft in to the park which was, by then, cloaked in darkness. It was a wonderful sight as the parade, led by the mayor, Cllr Jay Moore beating out the rhythm on his drum, wended its way around Cae Glas Park, past the bowling green and out onto Willow Street. Sam Jones from Love Oswestry, who organised the day-long event said, “It’s been such hard work but hopefully, totally worth it. We’ve been helped by so many people and organisations but I must mention Bridie and the team at Design in Mind as they have facilitated the making of the lanterns – and weren’t they great? I think the festival is now firmly on the events calendar in Oswestry”.

Borderland have a lesson in canal restoration

Borderland Rotary members were treated to a crash course in canal restoration the other day when Fred Barrett from the Shropshire Union Canal Society came and gave a talk and, with the help of an ingenious model explained exactly how the section of the Montgomery canal, from Redwith Bridge to Crickheath Wharf, has been restored. 

Fred discussed the truncated restoration story from the Big Dig in Welshpool in 1969 to the current and future plans. He said, “I got involved in 2008 and became somewhat obsessed with the project which was then from Redwith to Pryces Bridge, just off the Knockin Road, near Maesbury. We completed that section in 2014 but boats could still not use it as there is no ‘Winding Hole’, or in laymen’s terms, turning point. We then set about the section from Pryces bridge to Crickheath Wharf. Now the wharf at Crickheath was then built by contractors so all we had to do was join them up – easier said than done”. 

Fred demonstrated the method of restoration with the help of a model, made up from short lengths of guttering. He showed how the various layers of lining were positioned and how finally, concrete blocks, a mere 60,000 of them, were moved onto the canal bank and then slid down a chute to the bed of the channel and laid in position.

Fred continued, “Although volunteers use diggers and dumper trucks, the work can be quite physical as the 60,000 blocks had to be handled about three times to get them to their final resting place but don’t let this stop any prospective helpers from coming forward to help with the section to Schoolhouse Bridge, we have volunteers from 16 years old doing Duke of Edinburgh Awards to octogenarians – there’s work to suit all ages and skills so why not join us or at least support us as Borderland Rotary have, just go to www.shropshireunion.org.uk  – I’ve loved every minute of my time on ‘the cut’ ”.

Borderland help Osnosh keep cool

Borderland Rotary have donated £750 towards an industrial freezer to keep all their great food cool and it’s hoped that it will be in situ at Osnosh soon. They just seem to get more and more busy serving food in their Oak Street base on Wednesdays and Fridays and preparing food the rest of the week.

Donna, who heads up admin said, “We are so grateful to organisations such as Borderland Rotary as they have beaten a path to us to offer help as we are generally too busy to get out and raise money. We are, of course, applying for funding from many sources but it’s really nice of people visit us and offer their help, be it volunteering or financial”.

Community kitchens throughout the country are needed more than ever in these tough times and Osnosh is no exception and has seen its clientele more than double over the last year.

Donna added, “It’s a bit strange really, it’s good to be busy but by being busy we realise what a great need there is in the community for the services we provide so if you’ve got time, come and visit us, see what we do and maybe even volunteer. We’re here for the public and mainly run by the public”.

Borderland Rotary receive good news from AICO

AICO’s community engagement officer, Jane Pritchard gave a talk at Borderland Rotary the other evening and brought good news to the gathered throng as she announced that AICO would continue to sponsor one of the club’s major events, the Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge, which will start at 10am on Saturday May 13th 2023 Rhiwlas Village Hall, just west of Oswestry. 

Jane Pritchard

Jane also gave a potted history of the company and its values and aims and said, “AICO has a magnificent headquarters building on the edge of the Maesbury Estate but I’m not sure that everyone is aware that the company was established in Oswestry some thirty three years ago and was built up from very modest beginnings to the national market leader in the development and supply of home safety systems, that we see today. The business is centred around our own brand smoke alarms, which are manufactured, exclusively for us, in the Republic of Ireland. As the company has grown, we have tried not to forget the community around us and have engaged with many local good causes and charities. The Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge is a good example of the way we try to help as the money raised from the event goes to support the Air Ambulance and other local groups”.

The 22-mile challenge is sponsored by Dairi-Pak, Mule and now AICO and takes the riders over natural trails, green lanes, and farm tracks, on private land in the foothills of the beautiful Berwyn Mountains and is available to riders of all levels of competence. However, it’s not for the faint hearted as there’s only about 300 metres of tarmac and probably no more than that on level ground. Some may wish to ease the pain by entering on their E-bikes and they are very welcome. You just need a bike, a helmet, and the heart of a lion! 

For more info click  here

Borderland donation to RJAH Charity

A massive heartfelt thank you to the incredible members of Oswestry Borderland Rotary for donating £750 to our Garden for Alice appeal. 

The money was raised via their Christmas Tree of Wishes, which they held in the main entrance of RJAH throughout December!

Sherie Soper, who organised the event with husband Justin for Borderland said, “It was hard work and long hours but the people visiting and working at the hospital were so generous and made us feel very welcome. We were pleased to be able to raise money for such deserving cause and grateful to everyone who contributed. Borderland Rotary also made rounded the figure up”.

If you would like to read more about our current fundraising appeal, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/gardenforalice

Borderland Rotary donate to earthquake emergency in Turkey and Syria

Borderland Rotary respond to the Turkey, Syria earthquake with a donation of £1000 to ShelterBox, a charity that’s been supported by the Rotary Club since its inception in 2000. 

Cathy Osselton, chair of the international committee at Borderland said, “You can’t help but be moved by the tragic scenes that have been on our TVs in the last few days and we at Borderland Rotary immediately responded and discussed the best way we could help and, as Rotary has been involved with ShelterBox for many years, it was decided that this would be the quickest and most effective use of the donation because they already have people in the area”.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity based in Cornwall and is one of the most innovative charities as it provides direct physical help to the heart of the disaster area. Typical the large green ShelterBox contains tents as temporary shelter, water filters, water carriers, solar lights, cooking sets, blankets and mats and even a children’s activity pack. All the items are packed in the sturdy green box and distributed by the ShelterBox Response Teams directly to the people on the ground who are in distress. The aid is tailored to the nature of each individual disaster so items supplied may vary.

Cathy continued, “We will monitor the situation as it develops and consider ways of further helping and if anybody would like to help in anyway, please contact, president@borderlandrotary.org”.

Borderland Rotary are to give money away.

Yes, it’s true, Borderland are going to give away money. After a very successful year which included the Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge, the Fireworks at the Venue in association with Manic Events and not forgetting the wonderful Christmas Parade, Borderland Rotary are now in a position to start giving away the money to good causes, charities and anyone in real need.
Jonathan Jones, who organises the Major Events at Borderland said, “It’s now time to spread some of the money around the local area. We, as a club, with the help of volunteers and some very generous people, work hard to put on events throughout the year and I hope they are good for the community.  They are certainly good for our club as they give structure to the year and targets to aim for. So, if you’re involved with a good cause, a local charity or know of someone that could really use a helping hand, please get in touch”.
Borderland Rotary has a long history of events and work in the community and may be announcing a new fundraiser in the near future.
Jonathan continued, “We know that things are very tough at the moment and I just hope we can help in some small way. Please contact the club and tell us about the cause you support or are part of and we’ll see what we can do”.
Please contact Borderland by emailing president@borderlandrotary.org and please put “Funding request” in the subject bar.

Oswestry Rugby Club benefits

from the Borderland Rotary/Manic Events Bonfire Night

Way back in November when fireworks were flashing and banging at the Venue, Oswestry Rugby Club, at very short notice helped the show go on by putting their flood lights on and freeing up the parking area outside. Jonathan Jones, who organised the event for Borderland Rotary said, “Everything was such a rush as we had to relocate the firework display to the Venue with the help of Manic Events, and the Rugby Club couldn’t have been more helpful so it gives me great pleasure to donate some money to the Club”.

Although the Oswestry Rugby Club in its current form was set up in 1976 there has been rugby played in the area since the turn of the last century in 1900 - and long may it continue.

Jonathan continued, “The Firework display has always been primarily a community event and the money that is left after all the costs are met is just a bonus and it’s great to be able to share it with local organisations”.

If you’d like to help with this year’s fireworks in the autumn, please contact us.

Borderland Rotary are supporting School Breakfast Clubs

Borderland is helping four local schools with their Breakfast Clubs and so far, Meadows Primary has received one donation of £200, Gobowen two donations totalling £500, St Martins two donations totalling £500, Holy Trinity two donations totalling £500 and Woodside one donation of £300.

Justin and Sherie Soper were instrumental in this project for Borderland and Justin said, “This money, a total of £2,000, was in part, raised in partnership with Morrison's Community Champions who helped arrange a 'Shredder Event' at Morrisons Store in Oswestry where EvaStore Document Management kindly provided their Shedding Truck, free of change, to shred unwanted documents for the public in return for small donations. Morrisons then enabled us to raise further funds with our 'Christmas Tree of Wishes' in their store in December. I’d also like to thank AICO who donated £300 to boost the Breakfast Club funds and Borderland Rotary for rounding up the money so that we could help with this much needed initiative. I hope we can launch other fundraisers and continue this support throughout the year and, if anybody out there would like to help us with these events, please get in touch”.

Claire Bennett, Headteacher at Woodside Primary School said, "We are so grateful to Justin, Sherie and Borderland Rotary Club for their generous donation of £300 for our Breakfast Club. To ensure as many children as possible benefit from this money, we are going to invest in some games and activities that children can play whilst attending our Breakfast Club. As well as ensuring children have a breakfast before they start the school day, we can further enhance their social and emotional wellbeing, giving them the best possible start to the school day."
If you feel you can help, please contact president@borderlandrotary.org

Triumphant return of much loved Pantomime

King Offa and the Dragon is the title of this year’s legendary Rhydycroesau Pantomime after a Covid break of two years and it was certainly a joyous homecoming as the cast took on this wonderful story, written by members of the team, Brian Smith and Tom Evans. It is a very funny take on Celtic, Welsh, Saxon and general border politics and myths from the dark ages, mixed with slapstick, reworded songs and of course, a very large, very red dragon whose voice seems to come from the very earth the characters are squabbling over.

The lead characters put on a fine show with the bombastic King Offa (Elspeth Carr) obsessing about his turnip diet and assisted by his noisy henchmen, Bogoffa (Jonathan Jones) and Clearoffa (Julia Walkey) while the Queen (Heather Smith) plots world domination with her Prime Minister, Boris (Demi Williams) who, in a bright yellow suit, bares an almost worrying similarity to another well-known Boris. Prince Owain (Tom Evans) plays an heroic, brave and principled Welshman but he is soon smitten by Princess Freya (Bekah Plaisted) a delicate yet outspoken flower who wants peace at all costs and soon falls in love with Owain. Jones the Sheep (Harry Jones) a young shepherd plays a blinder and seems to know all the words to all the songs. (No offence meant to other cast members - and I hope, none taken)

The plan to build Offa’s Dyke will disturb an ancient standing stone beneath which, a mighty Dragon sleeps. We are all warned at great length by the Druid, (Tony Pepper) who has an ode for every occasion, that this is not a good idea. Luckily, the cast tell him to get to the point but they don’t listen to what he says and the stone is removed to reveal the massive Dragon (Harry & Emily Jones) and his voice is like thunders as he threatens the destruction of all the known world. It is then decided that the dragon should be slain, but who can do this? Step up, with a great flourish, Wulf the Dragon Slayer (Brian Smith) who turns out to be not quite the slayer he thinks he is. It is left to Prince Owain and Princess Freya to promise peace and let the Dragon go back to sleep. So, an understanding is reached, peace returns to the land, the prince marries the princes and we all sing! Just a great vibrant, funny show that will appeal to children and grown-ups alike. 

The opening night was a fundraiser for Borderland Rotary and members and friends raised nearly £500 for Rotary charity. Chris Bryan-Smith (Borderland Rotary President) said, “The warmth and simple fun of the show was so refreshing as King Offa tries to take control of Wales with the help of his scheming Queen and inept Prime Minister, Boris and Prince Owain defends the honour and land of his Celtic forefathers and inevitably, falls in love with Princess Freya, the daughter of King Offa and the Queen. And, of course, there is a massive Dragon to deal with. The work that goes into these productions is immense and the cast, crew and musicians and everyone involved deserve a resounding round of applause. Just what you need on a cold January evening – just a great show”.

You can see the show at Rhydycroesau Village Hall SY10 7JA on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st, Friday 27th, Saturday 28th January at 7.30pm with matinees on Sunday 22nd and 29th January. £6 Adults - £3 Children.

Borderland Rotary support Montgomery Canal restoration

Good news down by the waterside as Borderland Rotary recognise the monumental effort that the Shropshire Union Canal Society has made in restoring sections of the Montgomery Canal so that the stretch from Gronwen, near Maesbury Hall Mill to Crickheath Wharf can be opened this spring. People seem to think that restoration involves a little bit of weed clearing and hedge laying but this work is nothing short of major league civil engineering and the stats reinforce that. The group, made up solely of volunteers moved some 3,500 tons of hardcore and lade over 60,000 concrete blocks in their quest to return a canal that has been dormant for nearly a century, to a workable waterway. It will soon be possible to sail a boat from Crickheath Wharf to anywhere in the UK on the main canal system – London, Leeds, Liverpool – to name but a few. The donation will help the Society with the next phase of the restoration from Crickheath to Schoolhouse Bridge, which is due to be rebuilt this spring, and encourage youngsters to take an interest in the flora and fauna that lives along the course of this wonderful old canal.

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