Press releases October to December 2006
EXTRACT FROM THE WAKEFIELD EXPRESS DATED 8TH DECEMBER 2006
Young tacticians at a Wakefield school have swapped the white board for a chequered one after a Rotary club handed them a host of new equipment.
All the pieces are now in place for Sandal Magna J & I School to start their own chess club, with some help and coaching from Roland Mold, chairman of the Vocational Service Committee.
The Wakefield Rotary member has been co-ordinating the new club at the school on Belle Vue Road, Wakefield, after a similar initiative introduced by a fellow Rotary club in the south.
Mr Mold said: "This scheme has actually become an international one now and we are the first club in Yorkshire to do this.
"Chess teaches the importance of preparation and concentration and is the ultimate exercise in problem-solving.
"The children have been great and are very keen. We have some excellent chess players from Britain and it is a game for everyone to play and enjoy."
30th NOVEMBER 2006
CLUB members have committed themselves to signing up as many Wakefield people as possible - both young and old - for NHS Organ Donor Register.
The move followed a face-to-face appeal by Rotary district donor register officer, Stan Richardson, a member of the Halifax Calder Rotary Club, who urged members to get local people to commit themselves to the life-saving project.
Stan has been touring clubs in Yorkshire for the past four years promoting the campaign. One person, he said, can donate a heart, lungs, two kidneys, pancreas, liver, small bowel, bones - and restore the sight of two people.
At present 10.7 million people are on the register with a government target of 16 million by 2010 but, said Stan, this was likely to be an underestimate in view of medical progress.
"There is a desperate need for organs," he said, "I admire what has happened in Belgium where people have to become donors from the day they are born. I think it should be compulsory in this country, too."
29th NOVEMBER 2006
STUDENTS from three Wakefield high schools faced a day of challenges when they took part in a leadership and personal development course organised by Outward Bound and supported by Rotary.
The event at Featherstone Rovers' ground in November involved 33 youngsters from Kettlethorpe, Crofton and St Thomas a Becket High Schools.
It was set up by Wakefield Outward Bound Association whose chairman, Colin Moran, a former Wakefield club president, said: "It's been a great day and all the youngsters have done tremendously well. Everyone involved - the teachers, course leaders, the Outward Bound Trust and local association members - should be congratulated."
He was supported on the day by other Rotarians, including Wakefield president Dennis Edwards, last year's Wakefield OBA chairman and now its treasurer.
Course director Iain Rennie, from Outward Bound's Ullswater centre, said: "All the young people engaged well and were focused throughout. They had to learn a number of key skills, such as communications and team work, and take what they learned from one task on to the next."
Twelve of the students will be selected to go forward to a week-long course at Ullswater. Funding for this will come from various sources, including Wakefield Rotary Club.
The event at Featherstone, which followed one organised at Walton a year ago by Wakefield OBA, was run under the auspices of the Department for Education and Skills' ‘Aim Higher' programme.
23rd NOVEMBER 2006
WAKEFIELD war veteran Roy Turner experienced harsh and horrific conditions working on the Burma Railway as a prisoner of the Japanese - but he showed Rotarians there is still humour to be found in every situation, no matter how desperate.
As a soldier, he spent three-and-a-half years in captivity after the fall of Singapore. He explained how he and hundreds of comrades, herded into cattle trucks, were taken to work on the railway at the River Kwai, labouring reluctantly for the enemy on only three cups of rice a day.
Despite these experiences, he was able to offer what he described as 'light-hearted reflections' on the ordeals suffered by him and his fellow prisoners, including the construction of a brothel for their guards.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Rotarian Bill Forrest, like Roy a member of Probus in Wakefield, who reflected on Roy's determination to survive.
16th NOVEMBER 2006
THE Wakefield and Pontefract clubs shared the honours at the area Rotary
quiz hosted by Wakefield members at Waterton Park Golf Club on 9th November..
This was Rotarians' last meeting at the golf club. Regular Thursday meetings are now held at the Chasley Hotel, where this week members were told the quiz had raised £300 for the annual Rotary Disabled Games.
Recent donations by Wakefield club include £100 each to St Martin's Hospice and the Starfish Project, which helps stammerers.
Rotarian Dr Peter Slater and his wife Fran have each received certificates for 20 years' service as hospital volunteers. The couple, who are still involved in wheeling patients to Sunday services at Pinderfields' chapel, were presented with their awards by Anne Hallaways, head of voluntary services for the Mid-Yorkshire Hospital Trust. Both had previously received Rotary awards for their work.
26th OCTOBER 2006
AFTER a lifetime struggling with a serious stammer, the crunch came for Craig Hammond when he found he was unable to read bedtime stories to his son. Now he can cope with those stories - and such has been his achievement he was able to talk to club members about his success in overcoming the problem.
"I am extremely proud to be a recovering stammerer," he said, "and it's all down to the Starfish Project."
Craig, a factory worker from South Kirkby, spotted a reference to the scheme in a national newspaper, made contact, attended one of their courses at Ridgewood in East Sussex - and has not looked back since.
"Although I can speak words, I can't explain how grateful I am to the Starfish Project," he said.
He said life had been a challenge for him. He had problems at school where he had been bullied, leaving with no qualifications. Later he tried to find escape in drink.
The Starfish Project, set up ten years ago, is a non-profit making organisation, which, by giving training in breathing and speech, offers effective and sustainable control of stammering. It is supported by Hailsham Rotary Club, one of whose members suggested that as part of his training
Craig should speak to the Wakefield club. He showed members a video of him trying to talk when he first joined the Starfish course last year and another demonstrating the huge progress he had made in just two days. His address to Rotarians at Waterton Park Golf Club was the ultimate proof of
his success.
After a series of questions, a vote of thanks was proposed by Colin Robertson and members gave Craig a well-earned round of applause.
For more information log on to www.starfishproject.co.uk or telephone 01825 767268.
19th OCTOBER 2006
FRAN SLATER, wife of club member Peter Slater, has joined a very select band - she has earned a Paul Harris award, a tribute paid to few people outside the Rotary movement.
She and Peter were surprised to each earn an award for their 21 years' service to Pinderfields Hospital where, together with other volunteers, they have given up their Sundays mornings to push patients in wheelchairs to services at the hospital's chapel.
Club president Dennis Edwards, paying tribute to their work, presented Peter with a sapphire badge to mark his second Paul Harris award, while a Fran received a medal and certificate.
3rd OCTOBER 2006
FAMOUS FIVE TAKE THE RYLA STAGE
FIVE young people who embarked on a tough course to earn their Rotary Youth Leadership Awards took on another challenge when they faced their Wakefield sponsors.
The five were Ellie Hirst and Paul Johnson from Kettlethorpe High School, Katie Hoole and Heidi Dyson from Wakefield Girls High School, and Jonathan Muir from St Thomas a Becket School. (PICTURED on the PROGRAMME page)
They described their experiences and the benefits they had reaped at an October presentation at the Chasley Hotel to members of the Wakefield and Wakefield Chantry clubs, who had paid £360 for each of them to take part in the five-day outdoor course at Hardcastle Crags.
Their presentation, backed by a computerised display set up by Heidi, was also watched by teachers and parents.
The teenagers explained the mental and physical challenges they had experienced and showed how these had helped develop their confidence and their leadership and communications skills.
More than 60 young people from across Yorkshire took part in two courses, organised in July and August through District 1040 whose RYLA awards chairman, Colin Moran, paid tribute to the five local youngsters and the support they had received from both teachers and parents.
Colin, a member of the Wakefield club, said they had provided a "superb example of teamwork".