Summary of Club Activities

At the club meeting on 1^st July club President, Steve Young, made Dr Tony Sarafian an Honorary Life Member in recognition of the many years of service to our club and the Rotary movement in general. Tony has been a stalwart of the club filling virtually every club official position including his year as President in 2007-8. Another long-standing club member, Geoff Baker, was presented with a long service award in recognition of his contribution to the club and for his lead role over many years in staging the annual Rotary Classic Run. Club members paid personal tributes to Tony and Geoff.

The club hosted the Chipping Sodbury Young Innovator competition in the town hall in late June when some 47 students from Chipping Sodbury and Brimsham Green Schools exhibited their project work in a range of categories. Students from the same schools demonstrated their cooking skills at two recent Rotary Young Chef competitions. The club made a financial pledge to support the Junior Fascinating Rhythm Chorus to assist with the cost of staging a mini production of Cinderella later in the year.

At the end of June several club members supported the Physionet charity to load a container lorry with surplus medical equipment destined for Cape Town.

A dozen club members served beer and cider at the recent successful Sodburyfest event staged on the Ridings amidst a great atmosphere.

Finally, the club had a stand at the recently held Yate Ageing Better Festival in Yate Shopping Centre presenting an opportunity to raise the awareness of our club and its activities in supporting the local community and beyond.

Stuart Fraser

2024 Rotary Classic Run

Some 180 cars, vans and motorbikes of all colours, shapes and sizes lined up in Chipping Sodbury High Street on June 30^th for the 28^th running of the Rotary Annual Classic Run. Chipping Sodbury Rotary Club President, Steve Young, and town Mayor, Adrian Rush, greeted the participants at the start before they set off on a tour including a break at Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Club where refreshments were served by the members of the Chipping Sodbury Inner Wheel Club. Crowds came out to view the vehicles at the start of the run and again at the finish on the Ridings. Prizes were awarded for ‘Best Car’, ‘Best Motorcycle’ and ‘Best Costume’ and the winners were Ralph Mora, Patrick Horton and David Chapman respectively.

President Steve Young said ‘Yet another very successful event with participants commenting on how they look forward to the event and how much they enjoyed the day. Moreover, it was gratifying to see so many residents in the high street to see the vehicles on display. I must pay tribute to Mark Benstock as the lead club organiser for ensuring the success of the event, our major fundraiser of the year.’

Golf  Day

The club annual golf charity day, held at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club on 24^th May, was a resounding success. With thirteen teams competing and with support from generous sponsors some £3525 was raised and which will go to PROPS a Bristol based charity which empowers adults with learning disabilities to achieve purposeful and rewarding work opportunities. Our thanks go to the participating teams, our sponsors and to the golf club for hosting the event.

Twinning

In mid-June sixteen club members and partners travelled to Mannheim for a three day Rotary twinning meeting hosted by the Mannheim-Kurpfalz Rotary Club and attended also by the Toulon Rotary Club in France. The highlight of this memorable event was a gala dinner at the renowned Schwetzingen Palace, preceded by a tour of the palace and its outstanding and expansive gardens.

Presidents Lunch

On 2^nd June some 60 club members and guests met at the Kendleshire Golf Club for a celebratory lunch to mark the culmination of a very successful year for our club President, Steve Young.

Tea Dances

Out of the proceeds from our last round of tea dances the club made a significant financial donation to the Alzheimer’s Society. We also made a financial donation to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity. On the youth front our club supported, once more, the annual ‘Kids Out’ event at Cattle Country, Berkeley, where some 800 students with learning difficulties gathered for a day of fun. We were delighted to invite 19 students and teachers from Culverhill School in Yate. The club also made a financial donation to the school to provide timber to build new raised plant beds for the gardening activities at the school, supported on a weekly basis by club members. A financial pledge was made to the Alexander Hosea Primary School in Wickwar to contribute to the costs of refurbishing the school library.

International

On the international front we made a financial donation to,’ Tools for Self Reliance’ a UK based charity, to help with the cost of storage at their local facilities before the shipment of tools to a number of countries in Africa.

Several club members continue to support the Physionet charity, most recently to load a container lorry with surplus medical equipment destined for Fiji.

Speaker

A recent speaker to club members was Mark Steeds, a well-known local historian and supporter of PROPS and the Long John Silver Trust who gave a fascinating insight into piracy activities through the years. We also had a talk from Mark Flower, CEO, Age UK, South Glos who explained the comprehensive services they offer for over 50s and the challenges faced in raising funds.

Donation

Finally, club members recently made personal donations to replenish much needed food stocks for the Blonde Angel Street Team who provide a brilliant service to help rough sleepers in the Bristol and Bath areas.

May 2024

Our club was delighted to have partnered with the Yate and Sodbury Sports Network for the inaugural Family Fun Day at the Yate Outdoor Sports Complex on 27^th April. The weather was unkind, but this did not detract from a good attendance and a decent amount of money was raised to go to Cancer Research UK. Some of our club members really got into the spirit of the day entertaining children and adults alike demonstrating what can only be described as a somewhat unique human fruit machine. Watch out for more appearances at future Rotary club events.

Recently the club has agreed to financial donations and pledges to some six local schools for a variety of projects and events. This was the second such set of awards in this Rotary year. On the international front the club made a further financial donation to Aquabox, a charity that enables the availability of safe drinking water in countries of need. We also made a financial donation towards the costs of transporting much needed medical equipment, via the Physionet organisation, to Zimbabwe. Remaining with Physionet, a few club members joined Rotarians from other clubs on 11^th May to load a lorry with medical equipment destined for Lesotho.

Our speaker in April was Richard Lewis, a volunteer with the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, who gave members a fascinating insight into the lifesaving work undertaken around the clock both in the air and on the ground.

Club members are now helping at Culverhill School in Yate on a weekly basis, working with students, on a range of gardening related activities.

Our major fundraising event of the year beckons. On Sunday 30^th June the club will stage the annual Classic Car Run. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes and motor bikes will line up in Chipping Sodbury High Street from about seven in the morning and they will be seen off by our club President and the Mayor of Chipping Sodbury from eight thirty. After a drive through quietish roads, including a refreshment stop midway, entrants will return to the Ridings in Chipping Sodbury from about one pm onwards. As always, members of the public are encouraged to come along and view the participants’ vehicles and motor bikes before they leave the high street and on their return.

On the social front some 15 members, family and friends enjoyed a recent walk in glorious sunshine in Lower Woods on Inglestone Common.

Stuart Fraser

April 2024

The final tea dance of this season was staged on 27^th March in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. Again, the hall was full with some 95 guests enjoying dancing, appreciating the music and tucking into the customary homemade cake. Guests generously donated a total of £298 bringing the grand total of donations to £1258 for the five tea dances held since November 2023, all of which will go to deserving dementia related causes. A huge thank you to all those who have supported these events. Our aim is to get the new season of tea dances underway in the autumn.

In the past month the club has made a financial donation to a local student for a school trip to Borneo to undertake conservation work and to help local schoolchildren. The local Oasis Memory Café has received a further donation to help with the costs of a canal boat trip at Saul Junction for thirty Memory Café attendees. We also paid for the purchase of some welcome new jigsaws. On the international front and prompted by a worldwide appeal from Rotary International the club made a further financial donation to ShelterBox, the international disaster relief charity which provides humanitarian aid to countries suffering from disastrous events. The club also gave further financial support, via Care International UK, to an initiative called ‘Lend with Care’ where the aim is to assist small enterprises in developing countries to set up and run businesses. Progress is monitored and it is satisfying to learn that previous financial support has been put to good use.

Club members joined several other volunteers in early March to participate in the monthly litter pick sessions organised by the Yate and Sodbury Clean Up Group. As ever an incredible amount of litter was collected in the space of one hour, especially in and around Morrison’s car park and not for the first time! Also, the club continues to support the PhysioNet charity based in Berkeley, where surplus medical equipment is currently being prepared for transporting to Lesotho and elsewhere.

Our club annual Charity Golf Day is scheduled to take place on 24^th May at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club. More entries are still needed. Please contact Ian Joseph at bigjos1953@gmail.com

Finally, on the social front friendly games of boules have resumed on a weekly basis and we continue to get together for occasional lunches at local restaurants.

Stuart Fraser

March 2024

March was another activity filled month for Chipping Sodbury Rotary Club. We were delighted to make a financial donation to the Oasis Memory Café at Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church to help with the costs of a trip for Café attendees to enjoy a day out on a canal boat at Saul Junction in late April. The club also made financial donations to the Medical Detection Dogs Charity, to the Forest of Avon Trust and to the Brains Trust.

By the time of publication, the club will have staged its fifth and final tea dance of the season. All donations made by attendees will be distributed to local dementia related causes. A new season is scheduled to get underway in the autumn.

Club members helped to plant some 200 trees in Hawkesbury Upton recently and to conclude the tree planting season some 50 trees were planted in hedgerows in the middle of a field adjacent to Chipping Sodbury Common.

Once more, club members joined the Yate and Sodbury Clean Up Group volunteers for the monthly litter collection effort. Our speaker in February was Ross Arnott, ITV sports presenter and formerly a reporter with the Sodbury Gazette. Ross entertained members present to a comprehensive summary of his career to date. Our March speaker was James Murden who gave a very informative talk concerning the development of his Musical Festival ‘Good Times’. James explained how the event has increased in popularity, clearly illustrated by the fact that the 2024 event at Yate Town Football Club will extend over six days with 12000 tickets already sold and featuring big names, including Jools Holland.

Looking ahead we are preparing to stage, in conjunction with Yate and Sodbury Sports Linka Charity Sports Fun Day at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex on 27^th April. The event will commence at 1pm and go on until late in the evening providing fun events for kids, charity games, drone show, food and drink and much more with music throughout. Also, the club’s annual Charity Golf Day will take place at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club on 24^th May. Sponsorship for holes is being sought and entries remain open. For further information contact Ian Joseph at bigjos1953@gmail.com.

Stuart Fraser

February 2024

It was with great pleasure that club President, Steve Young, inducted Richard Williams as our latest new club member at our business meeting on 5^th February. The occasion was made even more memorable given the visit to our club by the Rotary District Governor, Anne Bartholomew (see photo). Anne observed how impressed she was with the size of the club, the enthusiasm and spirit in evidence and the sheer volume of activities undertaken by the club, supporting the local community and beyond.

The fourth in the latest round of tea dances, was held in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall on 1^st February. Once more, the event was very well supported with just short of 100 attendees enjoying music, dancing, a free raffle and with light refreshments provided by the ladies of Chipping Sodbury Inner Wheel Club. Attendees gave over £300 in donations, all of which, along with donations from the other tea dances in this round, will go to worthy local dementia related causes. The last in this round of tea dances will be held on Wednesday 27^th March in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall starting at 2pm promptly.

The club has agreed to fund a popular event in the annual Chipping Sodbury Festival in June, namely a puppet workshop and show to entertain many local primary school children.

Yate has close links with the village of Genieri in the Gambia. Our club has agreed to make a financial contribution to the construction of a dining room shelter to enable the children to eat their school meals under cover.

On 3^rd February some 50 club members, family and friends joined others in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall for a memorable Burns Night Supper. Entertainment was provided by the outstanding Rock Pipes Band, and we enjoyed an excellent traditional Burns Night meal. We were invited by the band to select a local worthy recipient of the proceeds of the raffle and our club President announced that the raffle proceeds would go to The Blonde Angel Street Team who continue to do a wonderful job in supporting the homeless.

Several club members joined the monthly litter picking activities of the Yate and Sodbury Clean Up Group on 4^th February. Once more, in just one hour, some 25 volunteers collected an almost unbelievable amount of litter and other discarded items.

Stuart Fraser

January 2024

2023 ended with a very enjoyable club Christmas dinner at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club. Some 60 members and guests attended.

The club’s final donations for 2023 were made to the Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity and to the Caring in Bristol Charity’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. The latter contributed to a significant overall sum raised to support the homeless in Bristol over the winter. The club also donated clothing, footwear, food and toiletries to the charity’s Caring at Christmas Appeal.

As we move into 2024 our first tea dance will take place on 1^st February in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall starting at 2pm. A further tea dance is scheduled for 27^th March.

Several of our members attended an Inner Wheel meeting in early January to hear a very informative talk by a representative of the charity Medical Detection Dogs to hear how many dogs can be trained to help identify various medical conditions and diseases in humans.

The club was delighted to learn that the two nominations we submitted for the annual South Glos Council Community Awards scheme had been successful. Sarah White, the lead for the Yate and Sodbury Clean Up Group and the Yate Community Bike Hub will receive their well-deserved awards at a ceremony at the end of January.

As the year progresses club members will continue to support the fortnightly Oasis Memory Café sessions at Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church, the Berkeley based PhysioNet charity providing equipment to a range of countries worldwide and litter picking with the Yate and Sodbury Clean Up Group.

On the social front several of us gathered at a local pub in early January for a new year catch up.

Stuart Fraser

December 2023

CHIPPING SODBURY ROTARY CLUB – ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2023

It was with great pleasure that our President, Steve Young, inducted Anne Berry as our newest club member at our meeting on 4^th December.

At Victorian Day on 3^rd December the club had its traditional stall selling mulled wine, mulled cider, hot chocolate, and mince pies. Despite the weather people turned out in their hundreds to enjoy the varied entertainment and soak up some festive atmosphere topped off with a very impressive float carrying Father Christmas. Again, our presence resulted in a very worthwhile fundraising effort for our charity account.

Our third tea dance of the season was held on 12^th December in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. With the support of the local branch of the Alzheimer’s Society and the ladies of the Chipping Sodbury Inner Wheel Club the event proved to be very enjoyable for the large number of attendees with dance, music, light refreshments, and a raffle. In early 2024 two further tea dances are scheduled on 1^st February and 27^th March.

2023 was another very successful year for the club as readers will observe from the following summary:

Community – Financial Donations, events and support:

• Alzheimer’s Society
• Oasis Memory Café
• Yate and Sodbury Clean up Group
• Five tea dances
• PROPS Charity
• Rotary Community Awards to three local residents
• Caring in Bristol Charity – The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2023.
• Caring at Christmas – donation of warm clothing, food, and toiletries
• Julian Trust Night shelter
• Green Community Travel
• Royal British Legion
• Participation in the Chipping Sodbury Annual Remembrance Service and Parade
• Sodbury Slog – marshalling
• Annual Sodfest
• Chipping Sodbury Big Christmas Lunch
• St John the Baptist Church
• Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity
• Yate Ageing Better Festival
• Hosted an event to welcome Ukrainian guests.

Youth – Financial Donations, events and Support

• Rotary Kids Out day at Cattle Country Adventure Park
• Annual Rotary Youth Leadership Award participation supporting a local secondary school student.
• Chipping Sodbury School Rotary Racer Enterprise
• St John’s Mead Primary School – supported attendance at summer outdoor event
• Crackerjack Children’s Trust
• Jessie May Children’s Hospice
• Eight local schools and groups – financial support for a range of projects
• Staged Rotary Young Innovator Competition for local secondary schools

International – Financial Donations and events

• Rotary International Foundation Charity
• ShelterBox (emergency shelter for major disasters worldwide)
• Aquabox (equipment to facilitate safe drinking water)
• Medicine provision for Genieri, a village in Gambia
• Care International ‘Lend with Care’ initiative
• Community War Graves Commission
• Rotary Twinning Visit to Toulon to meet with Rotarians from France, Germany and Italy

Fundraising

• Annual Classic Vehicle Run
• Annual Charity Golf Day
• Victorian Day
• Sodbury Slog

Social

Boules, skittles, quizzes, pub outings and variety of guest speakers

Finally, we would be delighted to hear from anyone if they would wish to hear more about the Rotary movement and membership. Please contact us at csrotaryapplication@gmail.com

Stuart Fraser