Fifteen years ago Mike Emery founded the international children’s charity World at Play. Its aim was to give children, whose lives were affected by war and poverty, an opportunity to enjoy some of the normal things of life by playing, laughing and generally having fun together. The Rotary Club of Llantwit Major, meeting at the West House Hotel, was told about the charity by visiting speakers Siobhan O’Reilly from the University of the West of England and Sarah Miller who is a Youth Project Manager from Newport. The charity has been particularly active in Croatia, Bulgaria and Kossavo together with impoverished countries in central Africa. They explained that language was no problem when children were encouraged to play without fear. Engaging handicapped children who were often confined to a bed was very rewarding when fun and laughter suddenly entered their lives. In 2019 the charity will lead two expeditions to Uganda where there are currently seventy-eight thousand refugees many of them children. Volunteers are self-funding and then join the charity overseas for up to ten weeks at a time. The speakers said that they had found the experience of working with the charity personally life changing.
Club President Gareth Rees thanked the visitors for their excellent description of the charity and were pleased that a number of Rotarians served as trustees of World at Play. He was particularly pleased to welcome to the meeting Peter and Tricia Emery who had seen the charity their son had founded become so successful. Mike now lives and works from Norway; Peter is a former president of Llantwit Major Rotary Club.
'What We Do' Main Pages:
Policies governing Rotary clubs
moreMembership is at the heart of the club
moreWhat is Rotary?
moreInteract is Rotary International's service club for young people aged between 12 and 18. The Interact club in Llantwit Major is made up of year 12 and 13 students from Llantwit Major Comprehensive School
moreThe club council is the management committee for the club.
moreThe International Service function deals with charities and events that are international, such as donating Shelter Boxes following catastrophes abroad, and contributing to the Mary's Meals charity.
moreCommunity and Vocational Focus
moreTrust fund
moreFoundation is the overarching charity of Rotary International
more