October to December 2011
A Christmas mulled wine and mince pies party, organised at her home by Rotarian Mary Peace (right), raised £150 for the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice. The club matched this figure so at our Christmas dinner today president William Smith was able to hand over a cheque for £300 to Michelle Surrell (centre) on behalf of the hospice.
Rotarian Sheila Wainwright helped Mary arrange the fundraising event.
NORTHERN BALLET
A visit by Northern Ballet's chief executive, Mark Skipper, was crowned by his invitation to club members to tour the company's new multi-million pound headquarters in Leeds. A date has been fixed for February.
Mark, who previously had a career in banking, joined Northern Ballet as deputy stage manager in 1987, rising to company manager, head of planning and acting administrator. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.
He explained that the company was formed in 1969 as the Northern Dance Theatre. It now has the lowest subsidy of any such group yet, with 40 dancers and 27 musicians plus technical staff, it still stages more performances than any other touring ballet company.
"Recent government cuts have affected us all. Our Arts Council subsidy has been cut from £3.3million to £2.5million. It's a tough situation to deal with," he said.
Mark saw the company into its new £12million home in Leeds last year, fully funded by a Lottery grant.
"It's an amazing place for us - really top of the range. We have more studios than the Royal Ballet," he said. "It really is the best dance building in the country."
A vote of thank was proposed by Rod Peacock.
TRADITIONALLY each new member gives what was once called a ‘My Job' presentation after they have been in the club for a short time. At last week's meeting it was the turn of civil engineer George Marsden who delivered a talk that is now entitled ‘My Life and Times'.
George, who was born in Yorkshire in 1944, spoke about how the political and social environment had shaped civil engineering since the war. He studied at Manchester University from 1962 and worked for well known companies, including Mowlem, until he became a consultant.
Projects in which he has been involved have include a number in Yorkshire, among them the Ponds Forge sports facility in Sheffield, a state-of-the-art high-rise at Huddersfield University, Gascoigne Wood colliery, York hospital, the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, the Jorvik Centre in York - and the Trinity Walk development in Wakefield.
Last year the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's lifeguards saved 107 lives and helped more than 18,700 people who got into difficulties off Britain's beaches.
The RNLI operates over 160 lifeguard units and it aims to build up the numbers so that eventually every UK region that needs cover on its beaches has seasonal patrols. The club has now helped the project to the tune of £100 with the presentation of a cheque to Colin Senior, who has been associated with the RNLI for more than 30 years.
Colin explained the lifeguard service to members and showed films demonstrating the high standards of fitness and competence that are demanded of lifeguards, who go through a rigorous training programme in the swimming pool, in the sea and on the beaches. Some also qualify in the handling of equipment such as inshore rescue boats.
A vote of thanks was proposed by David Garforth.
15th December 2011
24th November 2011
