Bulletin for March 2024

                                                  Rotary Club of Cheltenham North

                                                             March 2024 Bulletin

“Never let anyone try and make you into something you are not. Remember what it is that you want, and always stay strong in that."

Rotary works towards Global Peace Dave King

Rotary has a vital role in advancing the cause of peace” – those were the words of Rotary International President, Gordon McInally, at the Presidential Peace Conference in London last month.

McInally was one of the keynote speakers at the day-long event, attended by more than 650 Rotarians from 50 countries, reflecting on the theme of promoting and strengthening positive peace to create hope in the world.

The Non-RYLA trip to Storey Arms, Near Brecon

Sunday February 25th.!!! Gwynne Tucker-Brown

RYLA is Rotary Youth Leadership Award held at Storey Arms outward bound centre. It is a residential course designed to meet the needs of 16 and 17 year olds. The course is basically an outdoor pursuit course which incorporates team building and problem solving exercises. The course runs in the summer on 3 different weeks from Sunday to Friday.

Rob Fry is the Rotary liaison with Storey Arms.

On Sunday, February 25th they held an ‘Open Day’ to which we were invited. Our committee, Youth and Community, had decided to sponsor a candidate from Cheltenham Academy.

Vivien agreed to accompany me and navigate. We set off at 12.00 armed with a list of the road numbers, a road map also my satnav. We had a good run at the beginning although it started raining and did so for the rest of the journey. We were fine until we reached Merthyr where there were vast road works taking place. From then on it was a disaster, the satnav failed because we lost signal and were also unable to raise Rob on his mobile for the same reason.

We then spent a very challenging hour exploring the roads around Merthyr trying to get back on track. Advice from a passer by put the kibosh on things as she told us NOT to go on the Brecon road!! This was crucial as it transpired it was totally the wrong advice! In spite of Vivien’s 2022 Super Scale Road Atlas our destination of Storey Arms was not mentioned at all, as it is only the Centre not even a village. As I could not raise Rob and an hour of trying to find the right road the decision was taken to abandon the exercise and head for home.

Sadly our return journey was also fraught with problems. We decide to head for the M4 which as we approached it we found it was closed! We then were diverted through Newport, slowly, thank goodness as I suddenly saw the 20MPH signs everywhere! We had one comfort break then stopped at a Service station for a Costa coffee in a soulless café. It was not quite the day out that had been planned!! We eventually arrived home just before 6.00pm after a 210 mile journey taking 5.5 hours of driving!!

There were lessons to be learned!! Perhaps I should have signed up for the RYLA course especially the problem solving part! We now know exactly the route that we should have taken and ignored the satnav, we were within 5 miles of our goal!!

Rob’s remarks that it had never happened before did not make us feel better!! I feel a little more sympathy would have been more in the Rotary Spirit.

Will we try again, of course, we don’t give up that easily, character building!! I can hear what you chaps will say to our escapade and perhaps quite rightly so who is to know at the time!!

We are just pleased you are both back safely – well done for trying.

School in a Bag – new school in Tanzania

The following information was obtained from the latest newsletter from SIAB. Luke is the CEO. As a club we have been supporters for several years encouraged by Rosanne.

John Leveille of Instem writes: “I think Instem's (makers of life science software)high empathy culture was part of the initial attraction to School in a Bag. Luke's story inspired several members when they heard him speak at a conference. They returned to work and shared the story with others at Instem. Instem has so many learners on our team that it all just made perfect sense. What better way to positively impact the future then helping the next generation learn and develop."

"For the first year, Instem made contributions to SIAB in different ways, experimenting with different touch points. At a certain point our charitable giving got organized into a committee and that group of employees was inspired to seek ways to have even more impact. We explored with Luke and the idea of building a school was suggested. Instem was incredibly excited to see just how much was possible through this project vehicle.”

We provided Instem with three country options - Nepal, Tanzania and The Gambia - where we had partners on the ground capable of managing a school build. Tanzania got the vote and of the three village options offered to Instem - Igingilanyu, Vitono and Iwatani - they opted for Vitono village. A school build there would eliminate the 5 kilometre walk for the village children to get to nearest school.

The next step was to make a presentation at a big pharmaceutical meeting in Frankfurt. “This is a far cry from village halls and a WI audiences” I said to the team as the enormity of presenting for 90 minutes to a sector we had very little in common with washed through me. Not helped by the fact that the other keynote speakers were a professor of statistics who worked at NASA and the youngest sufferer of Multiple Sclerosis who had developed her own bionic application to help assist the use of her arm. We got on with setting up the SchoolBag assembly line in our own designated room and the nerves began to set in.

We needn’t have worried. In fact, we were so different from the pharmaceutical companies exhibiting at Phuse that we stood out and became of intrigue. Following my 90 minutes, the 200 SchoolBags were packed over the course of the day and we funded a further 160. It was fabulous - we met really enthusiastic businesses and individuals keen to support us beyond Frankfurt. In Jennifer Dootson, we found a star who set about really championing our cause amongst the employees at Instem.

“I think Instem's high empathy culture was part of the initial attraction to School in a Bag. Luke's story inspired several members when they heard him speak at a conference. They returned to work and shared the story with others at Instem. Instem has so many learners on our team that it all just made perfect sense. What better way to positively impact the future then helping the next generation learn and develop."

"For the first year, Instem made contributions to SIAB in different ways, experimenting with different touch points. At a certain point our charitable giving got organized into a committee and that group of employees was inspired to seek ways to have even more impact. We explored with Luke and the idea of building a school was suggested. Instem was incredibly excited to see just how much was possible through this project vehicle.”

We provided Instem with three country options - Nepal, Tanzania and The Gambia - where we had partners on the ground capable of managing a school build. Tanzania got the vote and of the three village options offered to Instem - Igingilanyu, Vitono and Igwachanya - they opted for Vitono village. A school build there would eliminate the 5 kilometre walk for the village children to get to nearest school.

Finally, we presented Instem with two build options - the ‘need list’ and the ‘wish list’.

In a world where a new school-build for a comparable number of children in the UK costs over £5 million, at £60,684.98, just under £12,000 more than the ‘need list’ build, the unanimous decision from Instem was that the 'wish list' was a ‘no-brainer’. Hurray! We were off! The villagers of Vitono, 30kms north east of Iringa donated a five-acre plot of land and under the watchful eye of Willhard Mbogela, president of Iringa Rural Development Initiative (IRUDI) and School in a Bag’s In Country manager in Tanzania, contractors broke land in 2021 by clearing the site, laying out the footprint of the school, digging foundations and commencing construction. Named the Mgongo Pre and Primary School, the school would be built to a five-year plan.

In a phased approach, to date, a three-classroom block has been completed along with the toilet block, kitchen and shallow well. 84 children are now being taught in years 1 and 2 occupying two of the three classrooms whilst the head teacher has an office in the remaining third. In the next academic year, the new Year 1 class will move in to third classroom and the head teacher office will begin construction along with the next classroom block.

Toilet Block

The completed 3-classroom block

Kitchen Block

And naturally all the children in years 1 and 2 have a schoolbag

Huge congratulations to Luke at school in a bag.

Future Programme Clive O’Gorman 

Mon, Mar 4th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Guest Speaker at the Queens Hotel A Club Meeting at the Queens Hotel Guest Speaker Malcolm Rolfe who give a talk on "Hope and Homes for Children" Host Peter Watson. ____________________________________________ 

Fri, Mar 8th 2024 at 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Opening of Cheltenham Future's Community Garden Cheltenham North is supporting the opening of the Jubilee Community Garden at Cornerstone Centre, Whaddon by Edward Gillespie, Lord Lt. of Gloucestershire. ____________________________________________ 

Tue, Mar 12th 2024 at 9:30 am - Fri, Mar 15th 2024 - 6:00 pm Love Thy Turf Cheltenham North are supporting Cheltenham Races again this year as Volunteers. See website for more information Contact Richard Purdon. _______________________________________________ 

Mon, Mar 18th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Business Meeting at the Queens Hotel A Club Business Meeting at the Queens Hotel Host Kevin Gwilliam _______________________________________________ 

Mon, Apr 1st 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting CANCELLED Club Meeting CANCELLED Bank Holiday _______________________________________________ 

Sat, Apr 13th 2024 at 9:30 am - 12:30 pm District Assembly The District Assembly Details TBA 

Sat, Apr 13th 2024 at 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm Cheltenham Wine Festival 13th April 2024 The Cheltenham Wine Festival will take place on 13th April 2024 at the Function Room of the Cheltenham Ladies College Fitness Centre, Malvern Road, GL50 2NX. Tickets now available See Website (An ideal Present) _________________________________________ 

Mon, Apr 15th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel A Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel Speaker TBA Host David Rees _________________________________________ 

Mon, Apr 29th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Guests & Speaker at the Queens Hotel A Club Meeting with Guests and Speaker at the Queens Hotel Speaker TBA Host Steve Wood

Mon, May 6th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting CANCELLED Club Meeting CANCELLED Bank Holiday _________________________________________ 

Thu, May 9th 2024 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm A District Council Meeting via Zoom A District Council Meeting via Zoom Details TBA _________________________________________ 

Sat, May 18th 2024 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Pendyrus Choir Concert A Concert by the Pendyrus Choir plus Soloists To be Held at the Leckhampton High School. More details including cost of tickets to follow. _________________________________________ 

Mon, May 20th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel A Club Meeting at the Queens Hotel Guest Speaker TBA Host Michael Bone _________________________________________ 

Mon, Jun 3rd 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Guest Speaker at the Queens Hotel A Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel. Details of Speaker TBA Host Bernie Campbell _________________________________________ 

Mon, Jun 17th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club AGM, Assembly and Handover to Nigel Gilhead the Club President for 2024/25 at the Queens Hotel Host Kevin Gwilliam _________________________________________ 

Fri, Jun 28th 2024 at 12:00 pm - Sun, Jun 30th 2024 - 1:00 pm Rotary Cluster Conference A Cluster Conference covering Four Districts See website For Provisional Programme and Timings. ________________________________________ 

Mon, Jul 1st 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel Details of Speaker TBA Host Ann Carter _________________________________________ 

Mon, Jul 15th 2024 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Club Meeting with Speaker at the Queens Hotel A Club Meeting at the Queens Hotel Speaker TBA. Host Vivien Barr _________________________________________