Press releases dated April to June 2008

26th June 2008

A QUARTET of Wakefield members, who between them completed a 50km walk raising about �300 for Oxfam, received certificates from Peter Gallivan, performing what was almost the last duty of his presidential year.

The four who took part Walk Wakefield 2008 in June were Sue Parkin, Richard Edge, Colin Moran and Michael Stead. They each covered a section of the walk which took them through parks and around lakes in the Wakefield district.

12th June 2008

THE RIGOURS of life at sea were described by retired BP chief engineer Adrian Dunn when he talked to members about the history of tankers, whose crews are still paid at a higher rate because of the dangers they face.

The first tankers, he said, were built in the late 1880s when they were relatively small ships; now tankers carry perhaps 330,000 tons of oil. He described how today's supertankers operated, how their holds - as tall as the nave of Wakefield cathedral - were filled and cleaned, and how important safety and environmental issues had become.

During the Second World War BP lost 65 per cent of its ships and 900 men, a measure of the dangers the crews faced, largely from U-boats which would try to single out the tankers.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Joe Colley.

29th May 2008

ROTARIAN David Pickover, who takes over the reins as president in July, told the club's annual assembly that during his year there would be no change for change's sake. He said the club had 56 members with collectively more than 1,000 years' Rotary experience, which would be used to good advantage.

"We want evolution rather than revolution," he said at the meeting at the Chasley Hotel on May 29.

Committee chairmen for 2008-09 outlined programmes which covered projects and activities ranging from the annual community service awards to holidays for carers, from support for Mercy Ships to Wakefield junior schools chess tournaments.

It was also announced that West Bretton farmer Philip Platts has agreed to take on the role of Vice-President for the year commencing 1st July 2008

Assistant district governor elect Jim Walkden, from Normanton Rotary Club, congratulated the club on its plans for the year ahead.

24th April 2008

�A SUCCESSFUL way of intelligent giving' was how Simon Tutton explained the Community Foundation for Wakefield to club members at their meeting on April 24.

The foundation, set up early last year, is part of an expanding network of grant-giving organisations relying on donations from companies and individuals. Its trustees aim to provide a bridge to local groups in need of cash support. These have already included the Sunshine Tots at Eastmoor and Kidzaware, a project that uses puppets to help children learn about social problems such as disability.

Over the next three years the foundation plans to set up a �1million endowment to create revenue to help groups such as these. Mr Tutton said: "There is no lack of will but there is often lack of money. This is where we can help the local community."

Donations routed through the foundation became tax efficient because the organisation was a registered charity, he said. Anyone wishing to find out more should visit www.communityfoundationwakefield.co.uk.

17th April 2008

This meeting saw the induction of Jane Butler as a new member of the Rotary Club of Wakefield. She was introduced by Sue Parkin and warmly welcomed by all those present.

UP TO 50 people including Rotarians are now involved in pressing forward with this summer's Wakefield Arts Festival, the club's big project for 2008.

Sue Parkin, one of the principal organisers and chairman of the club's youth opportunities committee, told the annual meeting at the Chasley Hotel on Thursday (April 17) that top talent from across the city was lined up for the day-long event at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School on Saturday, July 5. Admission is free during the morning and afternoon when there will be music, drama, dance and pictorial art from schools and groups. The event will be topped with an evening concert by The Big Chris Barber Band.

Tickets for this are �21, or �18.50 if bought by May 31, available from Townsend Fine Jewellers in Marygate. Further details are on the website at www.rotarywakefield.org.uk.

The meeting heard reports from committee chairmen outlining the club's activities and successes during the year. These ranged from the Reading in Schools project to the junior schools chess competition, from the Rotary youth leaders course to support for a variety of charity projects overseas, many of them in Africa and India. Reports were provided by Sue Parkin, community service chairman Michael Brown, vocational Roland Mold, international Michael Townsend, foundation Guy Cliff, ways and means Richard Edge and membership services Ron Sagar.

When the new Rotary year begins in July, David Pickover will become president, John Harrison treasurer and Ron Sagar secretary. Club council members will be Chris Noble, Geoffrey North, Martin Perry, Philip Platts, William Smith and Michael Townsend. Changes in committee chairman will be: Community service Peter Clarke, vocational Alistair McKinlay and international William Smith.

The club's president's night was held at the Cedar Court Hotel on Saturday, April 12, when entertainment was provided by comedian and singer Mark Stanley.

10th April 2008

FOR three years a small number of club members have been regularly conducting mock job interviews at Wakefied City High School and on Thursday, April 10, they learned how these fitted into the overall work to help students make the transition from school to work.

Teachers Sharon Crossley and Jean Kee showed how information, advice and guidance were given to City High pupils and how Rotary and other organisations played an important part in helping raise school leavers' aspirations. They were grateful, too, for the help given by local businesses who offered work experience and also those that came into the school to run workshops.

The City High School has more than 640 students aged 11 to 16, making it one of the smallest in the district. There had been huge improvements in exam results and the school had twice had outstanding Ofsted reports, members were told. This year some students will be working with the new Hepworth Art Gallery, taking an active part in designing one of the working school rooms that will form part of the gallery. Others will be involved in the garden area.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Ralph Wardle.

3rd April 2008

THE WAKEFIELD club is backing a head and neck cancer specialist nurse for a place on a Rotary overseas group study exchange.

The nurse, 38-year-old Julie Hoole from Wakefield, talked to members about her work and the fundraising she has done for Macmillan Cancer Support. If the club's application is successful, Julie will go either to South California this year or Tanzania in 2009. She said that in either case she would look at the health care being provided to poorer communities and would seek to share experiences.

Julie has been a specialist nurse with Macmillan Cancer Support for the past seven years, following three years in palliative care. She has done much to raise the profile of head and neck cancer and the work that is being done to relieve its effects. In the process, she has raised �15,000 for Macmillan nurses, boosted by taking part in three of the organisation's fundraising challenges. She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2005, walked the Great Wall of China in 2006 and is just back from the Sahara.

Club president Peter Gallivan said that in view of Julie's tireless work for local cancer sufferers, it would be hard to think of a more suitable candidate for the exchange scheme.

LATER: on the 29th May 2008 the club was informed that Julie would be part of the GSE team departing for California on the 25th October. She has our congratulations and best wishes.