Ingenious ideas are often beautifully simple and that certainly applies to the charity, Tools with a Mission (TWAM). Volunteers across the South East and the Midlands collect unwanted tools of all types, refurbish them, sort them into packs suitable for business start-ups in different trades and ship them off to four countries in Africa. Further details can be found on the TWAM website.
After an online presentation from TWAM in the autumn of 2022, Uppingham Rotary Club liked the idea and decided to help. However, the first hurdle was where to store any donated tools? Fortunately, Mrs Jasmine Knew, who lives close to this year’s Rotary Club President, Colin Gordon, came to the rescue with space in a barn at the back of the Old Hall in Belton-in-Rutland. Publicity followed using newsletters, WhatsApp groups and the Nextdoor app which brought donations flooding in. Collections were made all over Uppingham, also from Lyddington, Thorpe by Water, Harringworth, Billesden and Belton, to name just a few locations. In many cases, really good quality tools were donated and it would be fascinating to somehow put tracker chips on them all to follow what will become of them. Of particular interest would be three Singer sowing machines, which will no doubt lead to three or more African women starting successful tailoring businesses.
Uppingham Rotary received a big thank you from TWAM, which we want to pass on to all the generous donors and also to Jasmine Knew. It’s great to make good things happen and that’s what Rotary is all about.
more Purchase an essential piece of equipment for Sailability
more Supporting various community food banks
more Sunday 23 October
more An annual Outward Bound type course
more Hopper
more Our project 2016/17 delivered with benefit of a District Grant
more Defibrillator 2017/18
more A project to help AIDs orphans cared for by the Mango Tree Trust in Western Kenya - with the help of a Rotary District Grant
more Provision of a community access defibrillator for Uppingham with the assistance of a Rotary District Grant
more Club participation in a project to provide playgrounds in Mbale Uganda
more A joint project in aid of East African Playgrounds
more Club participation in District 1070 Uganda Motorbike Ambulance Project
more Our 1st Foundation grant project. Handover of an autoclave by members of the Rotary Club of Accra(West) on behalf of Uppingham to the Ghanaian Ministry of Health for use in eye surgery camps.