Community Service

Local projects currently supported

1. Food organisations

We have continued to offer support to St Paul’s Foodbank by way of food and other product contributions. Our focus on these contributions has mainly been through Mukesh’s personal efforts and those of a few others.

We have made financial contributions also, with contributions totalling £2,620 to St Pauls Foodbank, the Open Kitchen and Hounslow Community Foodbox.

2. Christmas Benevolence

We were able to supply Christmas hampers to 60 elderly Hounslow residents who would be  expecting to spend their Christmas alone. We obtained details of names and addresses from Hounslow Age Concern and we had anticipated that they would also deliver the hampers, but this was not to be and Bob, Mukesh, Sugra and Mumtaz delivered them. The hampers were beautifully prepared by Sugra.

We were also able to provide, with support from volunteers from Al-Mustafa Welfare  Organisation approximately 125 food parcels to Hounslow CareLeavers and other disadvantaged young people. Brigitte organised the majority of this, with help from Karin, including the delivery of a number of the parcels to the homes of the benefitting CareLeavers.

We were also able to support Hounslow Inner Wheel’s Shoebox Project.

3. Care Leavers

For some years, the Club has been working with the Leaving Care Team in Hounslow Council to support care experienced young people who are taking their first steps into independence in the adult world.

These over eighteen year olds have often had a difficult start to their young lives and a number have difficulties in building friendships and integrating into communities. 

We introduced an Activity programme a couple of years ago to encourage their involvement in sports. 

We are fortunate that Rotarians from the Club several years ago created a Silver Jubilee Charitable Trust which has enabled us to fund some of the things we have been able to provide. To start 2023 we have been able to support a couple of youngsters with the provision of boxing clothing to help them in their pursuit of boxing activity.

As these youngsters move out of care, they are helped by the Leaving Care Team to develop their maturity by a transfer to independent living and we have helped to provide a number of household items, usually donated by Rotarian members, but in addition, we have purchased some essential items to get them off to a good start in their new homes.

We continue to provide a number of youngsters with refurbished laptops to enable them to continue their studies and develop their careers. We reported recently that we were able to provide many of them with Sim Cards, courtesy of Vodafone, and we understand from the Leaving Care Team that these have proven to be so very useful to the young people.

We continue to explore other projects which will prove of benefit to a number of the youngsters.

4. Wilderness & Nature based therapeutic programme April 2025

L B Hounslow’s Leaving Care have reported to us that looked after children and care leavers have found that, traditional talking therapies are hard for them to engage with and they do not find them as useful as their intended purpose. Consequently, some of the young people don’t engage in the therapy though they may be in high need of it.

The Care Team therefor organised alternative group-based outdoor therapy, funded by Hounslow Rotary Club with a £1,000 grant; young people selected in consultation with the psychology team, taking part in a nature therapy programme in natural wooded areas in the borough.

The programme was initially delivered in May of 2025 and this was followed by further wildlife ventures into the countryside involving shelter building, outdoor cooking, walking, camaraderie and communication, opening up this therapeutic programme to more young people and care leavers in financial hardship.

5. Laptops, Sports Direct gift cards and sim cards

We have continued to provide occasional refurbished laptops to young Care Leavers in need of them for educational or employment needs, and also gift cards to acquire sports clothing (including foots) to enable their participation in football and other sports to support their involvement  and integration.

6. Grandmentors Project Hounslow

In July 2025, we provided support by way of a grant of £200 to Grandmentors to help the young people they are supporting to travel to the White Spinder Climbing Centre.

7. Avon Tyrrell for Care Leavers

We undertook a successful activity event in 2022  - three days and two nights of physical and mental activities at the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre in Hampshire. That event took place after nearly two years of Covid experience and the response we received was significant and sufficient to tempt us to fund a second event at Avon Tyrrell in September of 2025. We received a £500 bursary from UK Youth but the costs were otherwise fully funded by our Club.
We booked lodges to accommodate 12 young people and three LBH supervising staff, providing full board, plus a range of activities to include abseiling, kayaking ,paddleboarding, raft building, high ropes and tree top trail and including a session on problem solving. We booked transportation  to and from Avon Tyrrell by coach. 
The weather for the event was a little disappointing. Their long warm summer weather we had been enjoying for weeks  had faded to be replaced by a few periods of rain, but this did not deter the young people from their experiences.
Unfortunately, not all the young people booked to participate arrived for the Wednesday morning departure from the Spot, so the participating group was a little smaller than anticipated, but they all had a great time, all undertaking the full range of activities booked. The lodges used, were great.
Our aim, to provide the young people with an opportunity to make friends, improve their skills of communication and integration within communities.