Our Community & Vocational Service Chairman is

Rtn. Stan Dover

Kids Out & Blood Pressure &  Stroke Awareness Day 

Kids Out

On June 8th 2011, The Rotary Club of Chigwell took around 30 young and variously handicapped children to Paradise Park near Broxbourne in Hertfordshire for a fun day out. Here the children saw and sometimes touched animals that they have only up to now only seen pictures of in books or on television. The look of delight and excitement on their faces made the whole day worthwhile for the Rotarians and helpers. They were fed and entertained by the Rotary Club at no cost to the children or their carers.

This event takes place every year and is one of the highlights of Community Service for the Rotary Club of Chigwell.

Some pictures below of the children with Rotary Club of Chigwell members on the day of the event. See you all again this year kids, it was great sharing the day with you!

 Blood Pressure & Stroke Awareness Day

In April last year we repeated our annual Blood Pressure and Stroke Awareness day.

This took place in Debden Broadway shopping parade, and over 60 members of the public had their blood pressure measured and checked by qualified Doctors and Medics. This completely free service funded by The Rotary Club of Chigwell advised some of the members of the public to make an appointment with their G.P’s. Some were more urgent than others, so perhaps the Rotary Club may have saved a life or a future life threatening trauma for someone’s family. The organiser of this event is pictured below (2nd from left). Well done June, and to all your helpers.

Below is a photograph of the team of Rotarians from The Rotary Club of Chigwell who performed the tests.

This is just one of the many services performed by the Rotary Club for the community, and will be repeated again in April 2012.

Our International Chairmen this year are Rtn. Susie Sen & Rtn. Pru Choudhury

Congratulations must go to Suzie and Pru for the ‘Bollywood’ evening they arranged on the 29th October. Early indications show that the profit for the evening will exceed £2500-00, with every penny being donated to charity!

We have two unique ways of helping people overseas who find themselves affected by disasters.

(1) The Aquabox scheme.

(Thanks go to the Rotary Club of Wirksworth for the following picture and text)

(The picture hows an ‘Aquabox’ plus contents; filter kit, water purificationtablets, muslin, tap and survival bags)

Natural disasters come in many forms – earthquake; cyclone; flood; refugee displacement – but all share a common factor. The most urgent single problem facing the relief agencies is the provision of a supply of safe drinking-water. The solution is AQUABOX, a robust plastic tank with water purification tablets and packed with essential welfare items for a disaster situation. Once the welfare contents have been removed, each AQUABOX can be used to purify up to 1100 litres (240 Gallons) of polluted water, making it safe and pleasant to drink. which equates to 5000 cups of clear clean water.

Visit http://www.aquabox.org/intro.asp for more info.

(2) The Rotary ‘Shoe Box’ scheme.

Originally started in District 1280 in 1994, the Rotary Shoebox Scheme was at that time intended to provide children of Lasi, in north-east Romania with Christmas gifts. Since then, the scheme has become an RIBI International Project and every District in RIBI is involved in this popular scheme. Boxes about the size of a shoebox are filled with toys or presents for children who otherwise would not receive presents on Birthdays, Christmas, or on their own religious holidays.

Gifts are now sent out throughout the year to many different countries in Central  and Eastern Europe. Toys are especially useful all year round for Birthday presents in the Orphanages, Homes and Hospitals. All age groups, including teenagers, have welcomed the boxes. Go to www.rotaryshoebox.org for more details.

 Since the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, and the Floods in N.W. Pakistan, these Aquaboxes and Shoe Boxes are required more desperately than before

On the evening of 5th March 2011, the Rotary Club of Chigwell booked the West Hatch School Swimming Pool and organised a sponsored swim. This was headed up by Rtn Paddy Hagerty. It was the fifth year in sucession he has organised this event.

 Last year he raised over £1500-00, all of which was donated to the President’s Rotary Charities.

The London walks for 2011 have now been completed. Next years walks will be listed here when they are announced.