Each year, the Stonehaven Rotary Club usually sponsors 2 places on the RYLA weeklong, full-time residential leadership development course. Last year, like so many other events, it was cancelled but it is expected that the RYLA Camp will go ahead over two weeks in July. 2021 IS THE 35th ANNIVERSARY OF RYLA IN SCOTLAND, AND IN CELEBRATION OF THIS THE CLUB IS HOPING TO SEND 3 YOUNG PEOPLE AND ARE LOOKING FOR HELP WITH FUNDING THE THIRD PLACE. THE COST OF A PLACE IS £560. This is a rare opportunity for local youngsters from age 16 to under 18 to experience and learn things about themselves, about working in a team and about leading and supervising other people.

You can find out more about it by clicking on this link

https://www.rotary-ribi.org/districts/page.php...

A variety of activities both outdoor and indoor help develop young people in a safe and enjoyable environment. Activities for all participants include hill walking, rock climbing, abseiling, mountain biking, kayaking (river), raft building, swimming, mental and physical team challenges. Good communication and teamwork are key and all are mentored on these aspects, including daily talks from speakers with experience of various team challenges. Its not a pass or fail course. The aim is to help participants realise their leadership potential.

While the course takes place at Abernethy’s Outdoor Centre, located in the Cairngorm National Park, it is not an activity holiday. While the activities are largely centred outdoors, which add a physical dimension to the problems, all are based on elements of problem solving, communication, organisation, delegation and teamwork, etc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON SPONSORSHIP OR ATTENDING RYLA PLEASE Contact Angus Mackintosh.

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Robin Lanning has asked me to place a Letter of 'Thank You' from CHSS on the Club Website - Click on the Link.

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Little Drops Charity Trust - St. Joseph Centre Projects - Feb' 21

An 'Extract' from the Annual Report February 2021 - By Muriel Thomson to the Rotary Club of Stonehaven.
India update: India went into lockdown in March 2020. The whole country was given only 4 hours’ notice of the lockdown. Many of the migrant workers in the cities were immediately left jobless and homeless so they had no choice but to flee back to their villages. The number of Covid19 cases began to escalate with the country recording around 100,000 daily cases at the peak in September. Social distancing was near impossible with many families living in cramped conditions with up to six people in one small room. The hospitals at the height of the pandemic were overwhelmed and unable to cope. Many people were turned away as there were no beds available. Hospitals in the big cities had two patients lying top to toe in the beds in the emergency units and another patient lying on the floor below. In the rural villages things were no better. They had little access to medical care and poor or non-existent testing facilities. By mid summer it seemed to be a hopeless situation but despite the country having the second highest cases next to USA it has managed to pull through. It has somehow averted what could have been a major catastrophe. The Government began to open up businesses and industry at the end of October in an effort to prevent a total collapse of their economy…..an economy which was already on a big slowdown prior to Covid19. As things begin to get back to some form of normality the migrant workers are slowly returning to the cities seeking employ-ment. India now has the unenviable task to deliver the world’s largest Covid19 vaccination programme to its population of 1.38 billion. The vaccine has been heralded as ‘A new dawn’ for the country. However the government faces another challenge with 69% of Indians hesitant about receiving the vaccine.

We're for Communities - February 2021

Raj Hamid who became an Associate member of Stonehaven Rotary Club a few months ago is owner of Carron to Mumbai and NuSpice restaurants in Stonehaven,

Since the start of the first lockdown, Raj and his team produced hundreds of meals for frontline health workers, the elderly and children, and gave them away for free because he saw the impact that these restrictions had on the most vulnerable members of our community. He said he saw it as his duty to reach out and offer the support he was able to, delivering free food from the restaurant and budgeting-in free shopping for the elderly as well.

Last summer, Raj received the Evening Express Aberdeen Champion’s award and the Community Spirit Award from Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action.

Another member of Stonehaven Rotary Club, Derek Sedge, owner of DMS Taxis has been working with Raj helping to deliver food to the elderly.

At Christmas time, Raj offered a free Christmas dinner for those who need it with his 5 daughters helping to hand out the meals. Now Raj and his family are helping children in the town by serving free cooked meals from the restaurant to children of all ages every Sunday with his 5 daughters helping to hand out the meals. Around 200-250 children have been turning up to collect a meal every Sunday.

Well done to Raj and Derek who are both having to work hard to keep their businesses going throughout the pandemic restrictions but who also want to support the community in these difficult times.

A Bit of Christmas Cheer - December 2020.

The Rotary Club of Stonehaven agreed to support an initiative to provide a Christmas gift to recipients of both the Transform (Catalyst Vineyard) and Far & Wide foodbanks, serving the local area. Members were invited to donate some of the money they would have spent on lunch at the weekly club meeting which cannot take place because of Covid restrictions. Thanks to members’ generosity, we have raised £1,550 for this cause. This has allowed us to provide each of 59 households with a gift of a food voucher to the average value of around £25, depending on the size of the household.
These gifts will be delivered during the week of 21 December in addition to the existing food parcels.
Each gift will be delivered along with a Christmas card from the Rotary Club of Stonehaven.
In addition to the Christmas gifts, we will also make a donation of £130 to the Transform food bank which we directly support through supply of drivers on a weekly basis for delivery of food parcels.
These gifts will be delivered during the week of 21 December in addition to the existing food parcels.
Each gift will be delivered along with a Christmas card from the Rotary Club of Stonehaven.
In addition to the Christmas gifts, we will also make a donation of £130 to the Transform food bank which we directly support through supply of drivers on a weekly basis for delivery of food parcels.

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Planting to Raise Awareness of the Rotary Fight for a  Polio Free World - Thursday 19th November 2020. 

Two million Ruby Giant Purple crocus corms were available this year in batches of 4000 bulbs and these have all been bought by Rotary Clubs throughout the UK – including Stonehaven Rotary Club. Usually we involve the local schools in the crocus project but that was not possible this year because of COVID. So, it was up to us to get them planted!

We wanted them to make a splash of colour in the town adding to the colour of all the planting that the Stonehaven Horizon Project does. We all appreciate the work of this group to improve our town and we asked for their support to get them in.  One place we wanted people to see them is at the Welcome stone at Stonehaven Station. The grounds of Kincardine Community Hospital was the other place to give the patients and dialysis unit users something to brighten their day.

On Thursday 19 November, Rotary club members and Horizon volunteers met up to plant the crocuses. We are all looking forward to seeing them in the spring-something to look forward to next year. Thank you Horizon for your support!

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Another Defibrillator for Stonehaven - November 2020

Stonehaven Rotary Club agreed to finance the purchase and installation of a further defibrillator
at the Jim Glennie Pitches in Mineralwell Park. This was a community venture with Stonehaven Community Council donating the defibrillator and Stonehaven Rotary Club paying for the box and the installation.
There were logistical challenges to getting the installation completed due to lockdown and the subsequent gradual return to work. However, the defibrillator box was eventually installed and recently, the defibrillator itself was placed in the box so that it is now ready for use.
The Photo shows Stonehaven Rotary Club Treasurer - Brian Cordiner and Moira Dickson, representing Keiran’s legacy, the charity from which the defibrillator was purchased, placing the defibrillator in the box. You can find out more by visiting the Charity's website http://www.keiranslegacy.co.uk. 
We sincerely hope that no one will have to use the box but we are pleased that Stonehaven Rotary Club has been able to install this valuable piece of equipment in case it is needed.