Young overseas visitors meet Bradgate Park deer

Promoting Peace through understanding other people’s beliefs, cultures and customs is one of the guiding principles which drives Rotary International members.

As part of that, for several decades, Rotary members have invited young people from different parts of the world to attend Youth Exchange Camps.

For ten days, District 1070 — the 70 Rotary clubs in the East Midlands of England — are playing host to eight young people from Sweden, Taiwan, Croatia, Turkey, Italy, Slovenia, Romania and Hungary.

Five of them met with hosts from Bradgate Rotary in Bradgate Park where club secretary Jane Black, who is a volunteer guide at the park, outlined the history of the park and its famous resident Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for nine days before being beheaded. Jane also debunked some popular myths which had grown up around the park’s iconic Old John Tower and nine trees said to have been pollarded (cut back) at the time of Lady Jane Grey’s execution.
 

The visitors were delighted to see some of the park’s other famous residents, the 600 Red Deer and Fallow Deer.

Rotary members Eddie Pearson and Malcolm Davies were leading the welcome to the visitors. He and other leading Rotary volunteers from across the East Midlands including project lead Parvez Bhatty joined the overseas visitors for a meal at a pub in Newtown Linford.

Afterwards, one of the visitors – but which one? – took away a little plastic duck which is raising awareness of breast cancer. Cmducks | Hi, Chloe Mae! | Facebook

Bradgate Rotary, aided by members of other Rotary Clubs are holding a duck race in the brook in Knighton Park, Leicester, on Sunday, September 6. (1) Facebook