Why not send us a CLUB INTERNATIONAL PROJECT SHEET FOR THE ROTARY YEAR 2008 – 09 & beyond? This will help us to produce an ‘At a glance summary’ that will enable clubs in the District to see who is doing what and where. It will make it easier for clubs working on similar projects to exchange ideas and experience, and potentially attract funding support. Click here for a blank form

Home page and What's new

Welcome to our home site. Hope you find this site informative and useful for news and reference purposes. 

Key message from the Chairman,  John Versey for 2008-09  We aim to enable Rotarians to provide humanitarian service across the world by: 1. Advising on priorities 2. Responding to new ideas and new situations 3. Providing information to encourage action

Make dreams Real

Every day, some 30,000 children under the age of five die from preventable causes. The President of RI for 2008-09, Dong Kum (DK) Lee, asks Rotarians everywhere to focus on the most precious resource of every community: our children. His priorities are: PolioPlus, and the four emphases: Literacy; Water Management; Health and Hunger; Family of Rotary.

The RIBI President for 2008-09, Ian Thomson, would like us to support a project called 'School 4 All in Africa'. Over 90% of disabled children in Africa do not go to school. RIBI's joint commitment with Leonard Cheshire Disability can help change this. Click here for an RIBI press release.

The District Governor, Les Lee’s view:
Les has no specific preferred projects but would like clubs to identify and support projects within the RI President's three Emphases of Literacy, Water, Health and Hunger with the special focus on children and reducing the mortality rate of those under the age of five.

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What's new...

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Great Missenden and Chesham succeed in the Three Peaks Challenge: Congratulations to the three Rotarians - two from Great Missenden and one from Chesham for successfully completing the Three Peaks Challenge within 24 hours ... and along with another person in the team, they raised over £3,200 for the international charity, Sight Savers International. Click here for a story filed by Paul McDowell of how they formed the team, their background, training and the actual climb.

In the first picture, L to R: David Walker [Chesham Rotary Club], Paul McDowell and Gavin Plews [Great Missenden Rotary Club], and David Barnard [MS Centre in Halton]. [25 Aug 2008]

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A Play Pump at Bambatha Primary School, S Africa: Many thanks to all the Rotary Clubs in the District who supported the project.  Click here for a full report by Brian Leech of Rosebank Rotary Club ...."There were only smiles of appreciation.....At one stage we asked if some of the learners could be let out of class to play on the Play Pump so as to be photographed. We were nearly killed in the rush! ..." [23 Aug 2008]

Play Pump 2008 - Project proposal: Frank Taylor of Hatfiled Rotary Club is seeking support from clubs for installing 16 Play Pumps in a multi-district project. Click here for details. Please Contact: Frank Taylor [6 Aug 2008]

Loop-the-loop-the-loop! Five ordinary Rotarians, One District Governor, One Rotaractor and an Inner Wheel President took up the challenge of performing a 'loop-the-loop' in a glider in aid of Wolverton and Stony Stratford's fund raising effort for the children of Velangaye School in KwaZulu Natal. Click here for details of their experience and the DG's comments and his challenge to Sandy and Amanda for their turn.

L to R top row: DG Les Lee, Rotaractor from Milton Keynes David Beach, DG Les Lee. The group photo: All the Loopers with President of Wolverton and Stony Stratford RC, Jane Lynds with the clip board

Thanks to all the eight 'Loopers' and to the London Gliding Club for their enthusiastic support. Shall we do it again next year? If you think you would like the chance to share the excitement of 'looping' in a glider and could raise £250 for charity then get in touch with me, John Moss johnmoss5@yahoo.co.uk [3 Aug 2008]

The District International Committee will be publishing a newsletter periodically - called the e-bulletin. Rotarian Stephen Sypula is the editor. The first issue is available now. You can also access them by clicking on the Newsletters/e-bulletin section from the menu on this page. [24 July 2008]

A new e-mail group has been set up to share information concerning International Service within Dist 1260. Please click here for details and instructions on 'How to Join'. [14 July 2008]

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Shelterboxes in Burma, update: Many thanks to all the Clubs who responded to Dist International Chairman John Versey's appeal in May 08 ... you may be interested in this photograph of Shelterboxes in use in Burma.  Click here for BBC News coverage with more stunning pictures. [9 July 2008]

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Update on RIBI preferred project for 2008/09: School 4All in Africa: Over 90% of disabled children in Africa do not go to school. RIBI's joint commitment with Leonard Cheshire Disability can help change this.  Click here for an RIBI press release. Click here for a provisional Project Sheet 9 Jul 2008]

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Club Case Study ... to see how a club in our District, Stevenage Grange, produced a multiplier effect using matching grants for a project to 'Make Blindness History', click here. The article was published in the June edition of Rotary Today Magazine, June 2008. [July 2008]

The following two press releases have been issued by the  Rotary Club of Stevenage Grange:

Please click here for the full press releases. [July 2008]

Update on Siyabonga Bus Project in South Africa:  

Message from John Versey, Chairman of Dist 1260 International Committee and lead organiser from the Rotary Club of Hertford Shires: "Thank you for your support for the Siyabonga Bus Project.  I am pleased to say that the Bus was presented to the Siyabonga Care Centre on the 23^rd May. My wife and I were lucky enough to be there when the bus was presented as I had hoped. They were so pleased to receive it that the staff sang to us and then spontaneously danced around the bus.

The project has proved immensely successful and your generous gift has resulted in the local community also now providing better premises which are now viable as a result of the transport.  The government has now provided additional support so that the centre is expanding and some of the Rotarians and others locally are contributing to provide more buildings.  The centre is going from strength to strength." [26 June 2008]

Cyclone and its aftermath in Burma [update 2] - District 1260 Appeal from John Versey, 8 May 08:  

The Burmese government have identified specific aid agencies to allow in and these are working closely to provide necessary aid. It is my intention to start an immediate appeal to support the people of Burma to provide aid equally through Shelter Box and Aqua Box, the two recognised Rotary Charities. 

Please send any donation that you wish to give to the Assistant Treasurer, Phillipa Eccles, 25, Massie Close, Willen Park, Milton Keynes MK15 9HG. Please make out the cheque to Rotary District 1260, and write on the back of the cheque that it is for 'District 1260 Burma Appeal'. We will then pass on the total amount directly to the two charities to provide support as needed.

Click here for BBC News about Shelter Box gaining access into Burma [10 May 08]: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7393659.stm

Cyclone and its aftermath in Burma [update 1]: Some tens of thousands have died and several hundreds of thousands have been made homeless, without clean water. Some areas have been cut off. The ruling Junta are just beginning to let Aid Agencies in.

There are no Rotary Clubs in Burma. As yet there is no news of any RIBI co-ordinated effort. Clubs who wish to contribute should consider, as usual in these circumstances, Rotary Box Schemes and International Aid Agencies listed under Disaster Notices page on this website - like Red Cross.

Red Cross have 15,000 volunteers in Burma. Rotary Shelter Box have been given permission to enter the country. 200 Shelter Boxes are on their way, with four people to help distribute them. About 1,000 more boxes are being prepared. [7 May 2008][Pictures from the BBC website]

Why not attend the District Assembly to help you plan your Club's activities for the new Rotary Year ... and meet up and exchange views with members of other Clubs representing International? It is on Thu 8 May 2008 at Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, 6:30 for 7 pm. [Apr 2008]

Club Case Study - Click here to see an example of excellent practice in world community service by a club in our District, Wolverton and Stony Stratford. Many success stories of the Club have appeared on this website under What's New and News Archive.  [6 Apr 2008]

The happy children at Velangaye school, KwaZulu Natal, S Africa, with their new blankets. They have also received 80 pillows, a cooker and two large fridges in the past few days. They were paid for from the 2007 'Loop-the-loop' challenge organised by John Moss of Wolverton & Stony Stratford Rotary Club. Many thanks to all those who made it possible. 

There is another opportunity to do 'Loop the Loop' in Aug 2008 to support further projects in the school. [28 Mar 2008]

Update on Siyabonga: Good news - The matching grant application has been approved by RIBI for one of the District endorsed projects to get a minibus for a hospital in Siyabonga, S Africa.  The clubs that pledged support have been sending in their contribution. 

The Saldanha Rotary Club in S Africa will now place an order for the minibus. It will be collected and handed over to the Siyabonga Care Centre. John Versey, our Dist. International Chairman, hopes to be in S Africa around 20 May 2008 for the handover. [Click here for earlier details] [Mar 2008].

Why not do 'Loop the Loop' Challenge, raise £250 and support Wolverton and Stony Stratford Rotary’s ongoing projects to improve health and education facilities for the children of rural Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa? The date is Sunday 3 Aug 2008. Click here for details of Loop the Loop or for the School Project.[Mar 08]

The Velangaye Secondary School in KwaZulu Natal is in crisis. With 90 students sleeping two to a single bunk last year, there are now about 120 youngsters sleeping at the school and having to lay on straw mattresses between the overcrowded bunk beds. They need beds, bedding, blankets, toilets and washing facilities, more cooking rings and a fridge or two.

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Any suggestions....project in Kenya... School and water well ? An acquaintance of one our Dist 1260 Inner Wheel members living near Aylesbury, and a volunteer with School Aid wishes to develop a school and help in providing a water well in a village near Mombasa, Kenya. 

Click here for a brief summary of her work to-date and her vision for the future. She has £1,000... and now she is looking for help / partnership with a Rotary Club to take the project further. If any of you can suggest a way forward or a Rotary Club that would be interested, please let Guru Guruswamy b.a.guruswamy@btinternet.com know. [13 Feb 08]

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World Water Day - 22 Mar 08: Lack of water has adverse effects on poverty reduction strategies, illiteracy, and health. The UN has declared March 22, 2008 as the World Water Day.... Why not make a special effort to support water related projects?

“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity” –Kofi Annan

 

At least 1.1 billion people lack access to a supply of safe water. And 2.4 billion lack access to basic sanitation . Every year millions of people, mostly children, die from diseases associated with unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Each day, some 6000 children die for want of clean water and sanitation. Click here for more info. [13 Feb 08]

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For the Chairman's update on District activities (dated 8 Jan 08), click here. [Feb 08]

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If you have any comments or queries concerning this website, please contact: Guru Guruswamy, Website manager:  b.a.guruswamy@btinternet.com