September 2015

Youth Services and an introduction to various Charities


7th September - Youth Services - A Review by Mike Redshaw

There have been major advances in the Scope and Content of Youth Services, and Mike described how we will progress these in the future.

He stressed Team Work and the need to look to the future.  Everything we do should Promote Rotary, and be in the spirit of Service Above Self.

If we do this Team Members receive a ‘feel even better factor’.

Mike’s talk was well received by members, and we look forward to enhancing our successes, and finding more opportunities.

Photo: Rtn Mike with President Bob

14th September - Trekking in the Annapurna region of Nepal by John Holmes

On Monday 14th September the Club welcomed John Holmes, a retired teacher, who had volunteered to talk to the Club about his charity trek in the Annapurna Range in Nepal in 2014.    John was introduced by William Saunders.     They both sit on the Organ Donation Committee at Burton Hospital.     William explained that John has a particular interest in organ donation matters as his daughter, Phillipa, sadly died in her mid twenties of an undiagnosed heart condition and her donated organs helped to save or improve a number of lives.   In 2011 Phillipa had done a trek in the Annapurna Range and John and various brothers in law and friends decided to do the very same trek to honour her memory and raise funds for two relevant Charities.

John came armed with plenty of photographs and maps and horrified those present by announcing that his talk normally took an hour.    However he had been persuaded to only talk for the regulation 25 minutes and he gave a really interesting talk in the prescribed time.     This was not helped by the laptop blipper either stubbornly refusing to change the screen image or leaping 3 ahead.   Is it me or does this happen most weeks?    Is there anything we can do to sort it out?    

John explained that they planned to do a circular trek which was about 200 miles long.    He admitted they had cheated by flying the first stage [frankly, having seen the terrain, I don’t criticise them]    To cut a long story short they only got half way round before having to retrace their steps because of appallingly snowy conditions.    In fact a number of other trekkers in the region who were caught away from shelter perished in the dreadful conditions.   John’s party were lucky because they were staying in a village when the bad weather suddenly arrived.   Even without the snow it was clearly very tough going because of the vertiginous terrain, altitude and distances involved.    Two of their group became ill and had to be medi vacced out.    One of them was later diagnosed with typhoid probably contracted in India before the trek.    Despite the privations it was, obviously, a fantastic adventure and John proved himself a more than able raconteur.    His photographs were not half bad either!    I could have listened for the other 35 minutes.

VP Sue gave the vote of thanks and remarked that she loves travel and as she is an experienced abseiler she was off to Nepal as soon as possible.

PS.    John informed us that Katmandu has a population of 1 million people.    Hands up those like me who thought it was smaller than Burton.

Photo: John is shown here with President Bob.


21st September - Burton Hospitals Foundation Trust Bereavement Midwifery Service

Deborah Price, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Burton upon Trent, introduced Sam Evans, a bereavement nurse, who gave a presentation to the club outlining the hospital's facilities and service provided in support of bereaved mothers and their families; including support by specialised nurses and doctors both clinically and emotionally. 

The facilities include a small suitably decorated room for general use and a room, recently uprated, for use by the family. There is also a Bereavement Garden. Sam emphasised the 'massive difference' that charitable donations and assistance had made regarding the facilities provided.The service facilitates creating memories for the bereaved, for example, by providing memory boxes of small items and continues to offer emotional support until the next pregnancy.  

The service deals with about 150 cases per year.


Photo: Sam receiving a cheque from President Bob as Rtn Deborah looks on


28th September - a talk about a charity in Grenada by Martin Tomlinson


Martin Tomlinson with President Bob and JVP Graham

The talk this week was by Martin Tomlinson President of Ashbourne Rotary.     He had told me that he would like to give a talk on a charity in Grenada.   The Charity tuned out to be The Robinson Trust founded by Jim and Jean Robinson.    Jim, a retired Naval Officer, had settled on the island and was so distressed by the child poverty he decided to start the Charity to alleviate some of the problems.   Martin and his wife holiday in Grenada each year and had become friends with the Robinsons and take an interest in the Charity’s work.   Martin was not seeking money for the Charity and simply thought what the Robinson Trust was doing would be of interest to us.

He started his talk with an explanation of where Grenada is and the historical and social background of the island.    He gave a very professional slide show which concentrated on the work the Trust was doing with a Catholic School.    He also highlighted how he had collected a large quantity of nearly new shoes from a school in his home village of Kirk Ireton and taken them out to the island for this particular school.     He was very impressed with the efforts that were being made by this school to help the pupils.    It was clear from his photographs that the children were happy and doing well.    I suppose that the children had all been under strict instructions to come in their best uniforms for his visit but they really did not look as though they needed nearly new shoes !   I’m sure they did.

Martin also gave a short presentation on the islands rum distillery.    It was certainly not like the Bushmills Distillery we visited in Northern Ireland earlier this year!

It was also very pleasant to welcome three other Rotarians from Ashbourne who had come along to support Martin.    This, I know, gave President Bob the idea of us having another “Scatter Week”     This is planned for the 4th April 2016 and I am aware that President Bob is keen that we all make a real effort to visit another Club.

Graham Dean


Related pages...

March 2023

more John Etchells on National Service ; Kathryn Caple on Rotary Foundation ; Trevor Wright and Yvonne Campbell on the Burton Carribean Association

February 2023

more Steve Smith, 'My Job' ; Richard Farman, 'Zeppelins over Burton' ; A Welsh Music and Supper Evening

January 2023

more Mark Semmence, Head of Repton School ; Richard Winterton, Auctioneer ; Burns Night Supper

December 2022

more Business Meeting / SGM ; Queen's Green Canopy ; Santa's Grotto ; Christmas Party ; Christmas Service & Lunch

November 2023

more Special General Meeting ; Burton Rotary Quiz Night ; 'the Shoebox Appeal' ; 'Derby Wood Recycling' ; Who am I?

October 2022

more WORLD POLIO DAY ; 'Seham Village Project, India' ; District Governor's Visit ; 'Vernon Barnes' Golf ; Bucket collection for Pakistan Flood Relief ; golf match v Ashby ; Ukrainian Aid ; Evening of Magic ; 'The Octagon Centre' ; 'Fall Fighters'

September 2022

more The 2 of Us ; A shared reflection of the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ; Philip Metcalfe, 'Future Plans for the National Forest'

August 2022

more The Club Summer Party; The Archie Gentles Trophy golf tournament; Rolleston Scouts; Visiting Angels; a 'Scatter' week

July 2022

more Risk ; Winshill Football Club; the Caudwell Charity and Caudwell Sensory Packs; Burton Rotary Club Under 11’s Shield

June 2022

more The Club Assembly ; Clive Baker, 'Paddle steamers' : Andy Pownor, 'Army Life' : The Club Handover

May 2022

more The Washlands Litter Pick ; The resumed AGM ; Tony Rundle on 'Taking Better Pictures' ; Peter Barnett, 'Walking into Retirement' ; Charlotte Greenwood on her trip to Ghana

April 2022

more 'Christians Against Poverty', the Pirelli Stadium Poster Parade, the AGM, & the St George's Day Dinner at Bretby

March 2022

more The Club's 85th Birthday; and talks by Clive Kearney on his career, Kim Smith on 'Winshill Community Centre', and Emily Bakhita on 'Service to Children'

February 2022

more John Moffatt on 'Peace Building & Conflict'; A Joint Meeting with Bretby RC for Rotary Day; and an introduction to Rev Mike's Hearing Dog.

January 2022

more Burns Night, and a talk by Donna Adams on ‘Connecting Communities’

December 2021

more The Club Christmas Party, President's Walk, and a talk by Julie Groves on Christmas Past

November 2021

more Everest Base Camp (at The Winery), Curry Night at The Apne, Business Meeting & Special General Meeting, 'End Polio Now', 'William Bagshaw Stevens'

October 2021

more Club Quiz, Vernon Barnes Memorial Golf, DG Martyn Bye's visit, Mrs. Paul Harris, Trafalgar Day dinner, The Northern 500

September 2021

more 'Kids Aid, Tanzania', 'Membership Development, Ideas & Plans', 'Modern Policing'

August 2021

more The Archie Gentles Golf Tournament, The President’s Garden Party, and a Scatter Meeting

Tom Day hands over to Ben Robinson

June / July 2021

more A double handover, a new President takes office, and a lockdown release party. Talks on Rural Action Derbyshire and Burton Albion Community Trust.

March 2020

more Repton's new Village Hall, Sign Language for beginners, The Mighty Amazon.
Meetings between March 2020 and June 2021 were online.

February 2020

more The Butterfly Children, an evening meeting with RC Bretby, Skittles, and our Charity Race Night

January 2020

more Burton Prostate Cancer Support Group : Antiphospholipid Syndrome : Jack's Teddies

December 2019

more Joint Carol service and Christmas Meal at the Dovecliff; Christmas Lunch with partners; Post-Christmas Walk

November 2019

more Special General Meeting; Burton YMCA; Bonsai; Burton Speakability & the Stroke Association. It was a clean sweep for Bretby RC in our quiz: Bretby City won with Bretby All-Stars runners-up. Must do better!

October 2019

more Burton Mail Heroes Awards; District Conference at Scarborough; Archie Gentles Golf Trophy; Wheelchair Football; Trafalgar Night Dinner

September 2019

more The Staffordshire Search & Rescue; Burton Albion Community Trust; the Great Dane link; Julia Coffin, a Rotary Peace Scholar; Vernon Barnes Memorial Trophy

August 2019

more The Club Summer Party, an Indian Banquet for charity, and Burton U3A

July 2019

more A new President takes office. The Lymphoma Action Organisation; Gambling & Young People; Rotary Young Leadership Award; Summer Social Walk.

June 2019

more The Club wins the Bernard Simcox Trophy

Club Assembly; From Clinigen to the Dovecliff; The Club Website; President’s Celebration Dinner & Handover; Marquee Summer Party at Repton School

May 2019

more French meal at the Mulberry, The Children Reading Project, Views on Cricket, Know your Blood Pressure

April 2019

more AGM, Microbreweries, and Archives

March 2019

more Our Charter dinner, a golf tournament, and Adventures in Happyland!

February 2019

more The best service project in the District

A Murder Mystery, The Methodist Housing Association, Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust, an evening meeting with partners

January 2019

more A Taiwan Expedition, Homestart and Derbyshire Cricket

December 2018

more Rotary Hearing Ambassadors, a Fayre, two collections, the Carol Service, Christmas Lunch and the Christmas Walk

November 2018

more Special General Meeting, Carol Hickebottom's 'My Job', The YMCA Sleep-out, Can’t drive a bus - can fly a plane part 2, Annual Club Quiz, Global Sight Solutions

October 2018

more The District Conference, Chris Cutchey's reflections on Bumrungrad, Can’t drive a bus - can fly a plane, and Trafalgar Night

September 2018

more An Umpire’s Road to Wimbledon, an Antarctic Expedition Cruise, Around the World in 20 Minutes, and a golf match

August 2018

more The 'Auntie' project, and 'Sheila's Life in Pictures'

July 2018

more A new president and visit from the new District Governor, a local hero, a garden party, Tom Day's 'other Job', Royal Crown Derby, Young Carers, and the 'Archie Gentles' golf tournament.

June 2018

more Club Assembly, Iron Man, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, a visit to St Kilda, Rotary Football, an outing for Carers+, and the President hands over.

May 2018

more Do you remember Berni Inns? A visit to Amazon

April 2018

more The National Conference in Torquay and a Devon safari, Scatter Week, Rotary Peace Scholars, our Annual General Meeting, 'Know your Blood Pressure', and Young Photographer Competition

March 2018

more The Pirelli Stadium Parade, Tony Bentley's 'My Job', the District Quiz, Addiction and Redemption, and our 82nd Charter Dinner

February 2018

more The Crich Tramway Museum, First Responders, 10 pin bowling, a joint evening meeting with Bretby RC, and the induction of two new members

January 2018

more Donna Louise Hospice, Dentaid Boxes, The Falklands War and 'Young Chef'

December 2017

more Charity Collection, 10 pin Bowling, Carol Service, 2 Christmas Lunches, Christmas Walk - and Disasters!

November 2017

more 'Just Us', Indian Polio Vaccination, Rotary Quiz, a charity 'sleepout', The Thai-Burma railway, and Burton - a Great Place to do Business

October 2017

more Repton Crypt, Purple for Polio, Trafalgar Night and Muddy Boots

September 2017

more A Family at War, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award

August 2017

more RYLA and Burton Albion Community Trust

July 2017

more Carers, Drones and our Summer Party

April 2016

more The Young Photographer competition & Photography for Dummies

March 2016

more Trade Aid and Marketing

February 2016

more Third World Poverty, Terminally Ill Children, After War and Forensic Science

January 2016

more Helping children across the world

December 2015

more Air Ambulance

November 2015

more Polio to Farming

October 2015

more Group Support, our Club's History and Social Media for Dummies

August 2015

more Kidney donation and third world issues

July 2015 -

more World Challenge & Car Rallying

June 2015 CAB to the Navy

more a month of fascinating talks

May 2015 Dementia

more As the Rotary sponsored Memory Cafe is opening in June 2015 this was particularly timely talk

April 2015 Bletchley Park

more One fascinating talk and lots of Bank Holidays

March 2015 - Embalming to Motor Bikes through Small Change

more some really fascinating talks

January 2015 - Bees, Barnardos and the Jinny Nature Trail

more wide ranging topics this month

December 2014 - Visionaid, Music and Moravia

more some excellent pre-Christmas talks

November 2014 - Dementia, Auntie and Pumps

more A wide range of talks about different charities

October 2014 - Food banks and a visit from the District Governor

more A quiet month but with two thought provoking talks

September 2014 - Football, solicitors and Danes

more A really busy month - four speakers and a visit from our Danish twin club

August 2014 Models and War

more Some very different talks in August

July 2014

more DEBRA, Street Angels and Ben Robinson's My Job

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