The aim of a Vocational Training Team or VTT is to train others or be trained.

This years team is heading out Uganda for two weeks to train birth emergency skills to health professionals from Ngora Freda Carr Hospital and from surrounding health centres.

The team itself consists of four midwives. Samantha Fleming is a consultant midwife and Claire Carter teaches infant feeding and care of the preterm baby from Royal Berkshire Hospitals.  Danielle Naughton is a practice development midwife and Gillian Pearce is a governance midwife and the Rotarian Team Leader, both from Hillingdon Hospital.

We will be training student nurses, midwives and health professionals covering various subjects including haemorrhage, deteriorating pregnant woman and baby, newborn life support, and difficult deliveries such as when the baby’s shoulders get stuck. Claire covers how to keep babies warm and how to feed them when it is difficult to latch babies onto a mother’s breast.

We will also be working with the community, along with the Rotary Club of Ngora, who are planning a Rotary Family Health Day for our last Friday in Ngora. This could be a challenge!

The events planned are Family Planning, Antenatal Care, Immunisation, Deworming, Cervical cancer screening, health education and training on menstrual hygiene. When I attended their meeting a couple of weeks ago via zoom, they had just completed a similar day and had 1500-2000 people attending!  It looks like it will be a busy day!  

Our VTT is funding the menstrual hygiene element of the Family Health Day, and we will also be giving health education.  We also give a small payment to each person who attends the Health Day to cover their travel costs and the loss of a day’s pay.

There is no system in Uganda for continuing education, so by providing this training we are able to give health professionals an update on their skills. To do this we use World Health Organisation guidance and Global Health videos. One day is going to be spent training health professionals to become trainers, so that they can pass the information on once we have left. We also leave equipment, so that the trainers can carry on.

Gillian Pearce
VTT Team Leader
​Member of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club

On the evening of Saturday, November 28th, 2023, Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club hosted a memorable and successful Indian Cultural Night at Holyport Memorial Hall, the first of its kind. The event brought the local community together in a celebration of Indian culture while raising funds for two deserving charities: Alzheimer's Dementia Support and the Indian charity Goonj.
 
The event was a resounding success, attracting a diverse and enthusiastic crowd of individuals from Maidenhead and beyond. Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club, renowned for their commitment to community service and philanthropy, pulled out all the stops to create a night that will be long remembered.
 
On arrival guests were greeted by members of the club adorned in full traditional Indian attire and were gifted beautiful bangles by the club.  They then walked through a beautifully decorated entrance which included a statue of Hindu God 'Ganesh' and Rangoli, a traditional Indian decoration made with brightly coloured ground rice.
 
Guests were treated to a delightful and authentic Indian meal prepared by Kebabsaab Catering, which featured a delightful array of flavours and aromas, highlighting the rich and diverse cuisine of India. The delectable spread included a wide selection of appetizers such as Samosas and Channa Masala, curries, saag panner, tandoori naan and mouth-watering Gulaab Jamun with Kulfi for dessert.
 
Rajan Gujral, Event Organiser, commented “We organised this event to coincide with the start of Diwali, India's biggest and most important holiday of the year.  Diwali is a festival of lights that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the human ability to overcome challenges. Our Indian Cultural Night, and Rotary, certainly ticks all those boxes!”
 
Prior to the cultural programme, Katie Hodges, District Governor of Rotary in the Thames Valley, started the evening with lighting a lamp. This is a very symbolic Hindu ritual, to ward off any darkness and negativity.
 
The entertainment for the evening was equally enchanting, as the event featured live performances of traditional Bharatanatyam dances and energetic Bollywood songs. Dancers adorned in colourful attire brought the art of Bharatanatyam to life, mesmerising the audience with their grace and precision.
 
The event was not only a feast for the senses but also a tremendous success in raising funds for two vital charities, with more than £2000 raised. Alzheimer's Dementia Support, a local organization that provides invaluable assistance to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's and dementia, will greatly benefit from the generous donations. Additionally, the Indian charity Goonj, which works towards providing essential resources to underprivileged communities in India, will receive crucial support to further their noble cause.
 
Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the event's sponsors, volunteers, performers, and, most importantly, the attendees for their support in making the Indian Cultural Night a triumphant and memorable evening.
 
Club President, James Ticehurst, shared his thoughts on the event: "We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our community. This Indian Cultural Night was a testament to the power of unity and cultural exchange. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of this event and helped us raise much-needed funds for these remarkable charities."
 
Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club plans to continue its tradition of hosting vibrant and impactful events that bring the community together while supporting local and international charitable causes.

​For more information and to be kept up to date about other events organised by the club visit www.maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk or contact Lisa Hunter on 07876 341334 or e-mail info@maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk

The unpredictable autumn weather played ball on Saturday as volunteers from Maidenhead’s Rotary and Rotaract Clubs came together to plant crocuses around the town. Rotarians of all ages donned wellies and got their hands dirty to sow a carpet of purple crocuses which will flower early next year.
 
The initiative aims to raise awareness of the global campaign to eradicate the polio virus. The disease, which causes paralysis mainly in children under 5, was once widespread in more than half the countries in the world.
​
Rotary International was a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in the 1980s, when 350,000 children a year were affected. Today, thanks to a global vaccination and monitoring programme, the wild polio virus is endemic only in two countries, and there have been only 9 cases worldwide this year.
 
More than a dozen volunteers from Rotary and Rotaract planted crocus corms at Maidenhead Library, the Desborough Theatre behind the Town Hall and the approaches to Maidenhead at Thicket Corner and Furze Platt Road.
 
Harrie Hayward, Project Coordinator from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary, said: “One of the reasons I joined Rotary was this idea that an organisation would decide to rid the world of a disease, and then do exactly that. It’s totally amazing that the vaccination campaign has been so successful. The polio virus is literally fighting for survival as the number of cases is pushed down every year.”
 
Rotary’s slogan is ‘We are people of action’, and we prove that by going out into the community and doing things, whether delivering food parcels during COVID, getting people moving on the Maidenhead Boundary Walk or supporting other groups organising local events.
 
“Today we had some new members, members from Maidenhead Rotaract, Rotary project partners for 18-30 year olds, and Rotary Direct members from elsewhere in the Thames Valley. It’s great to see people of different ages and backgrounds coming together for worthwhile projects.” Harrie continued.
 
But the purple planting doesn’t stop there as on Thursday, Maidenhead Bridge Rotary will welcome a team of corporate volunteers from Ashfield MedComms, who will help to plant more crocuses in the Nicholas Winton Garden in Oaken Grove Park.
 
For more information and to be kept up to date about other events organised by the club visit www.maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk or contact Lisa Hunter on 07876 341334 or e-mail info@maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk

I don’t often get to experience 4:15 in the morning. I did once take my daughter (asleep) to see the Didcot Power Station cooling towers get blown up – but that is another story 😊

But 4:15am on a Friday in May was required in order to be in Windsor Great Park by 5am, to be in position marshalling the Endurance Race route by 6am.

We were located quite far into the park near to The Royal School so the first horses and riders didn’t reach us until after 7am but I’m sure the very early start was fully justified…!

Endurance Racing is pretty straight forward – horse and rider complete loops of the course and the winner is the one with the fastest time. The distances are pretty long 160km, 120km, 100km.

However as you would expect the health of the horses is critical. They get a 40min rest and vet inspection after each lap. If their heart rate and other inspections don’t meet the necessary criteria then they are withdrawn. It doesn’t matter whether the rider is the son of the Crown Price of Bahrain or not. Mind you it doesn’t hurt if you buy the best horses and have the best support team .

In the end the winner is the fastest time by the rider who keeps their horse in the best condition.

Our job at the marshal positions was to watch out for riders and warn any other users of the park that they were approaching, this normally ranged from farm vehicles and school traffic to dog walkers and bike riders. Even the occasional bus.

There did seem to be a big group of bird watchers wandering around the park during the morning. We could hear reports of their progress over the event radio’s. Entertaining to us but seemed to annoy the control room quite a lot. The radio reports did provide us with a running commentary of the horse positions as well as calls for transport for retiring riders and horses.

Brian and I accidentally had the talk button pressed at one point so everyone could hear our conversations….nothing interesting - sorry.

The weather was good and dry and there was always someone to talk to as a lot of the time is spent waiting before the 3 mins frantic work as the group of horses pass by.

The busiest moment was 13 horses coming one way with another 12 coming the other who then wanted to turn right across their path, coupled with members of the Bahrain Royal family watching from 4 big SUVs and a man putting his dustbins out from his house. The highway code was properly observed and all passed off well and 5 mins later there was not another soul in sight.
​
In all quite an enjoyable morning in the quiet of the Great Park, the sausage sandwiches and biscuit deliveries from the organisers certainly helped.

No idea who won though 😊
ADAM

The organisers of Maidenhead’s annual Rotary Boundary Walk have honoured one of the event’s most dedicated supporters.

For 15 years Brenda has opened her riverside garden in Bray to be the landing stage for walkers ferried across the River Thames as they complete the 13-mile fundraising walk around the town.

The ferry is manned by Maidenhead Sea Cadets from TS Iron Duke and without their help and the support of Brenda the river crossing would not be possible. Her assistance has ensured the safe landing of thousands of walkers as they disembark from the cadets’ boats.

On Saturday Brenda was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of her contribution by Rotarian Eddie Piekut and Leading Cadet Krish from TS Iron Duke.

Chair of the sea cadets Andrew Adamson said: “Brenda has been our guardian angel. Her commitment over the past 15 years has been vital for the success of the Boundary Walk. Her landing spot in Bray and the warmth of her hospitality have made the Thames crossing a memorable experience for walkers.”

Eddie added: “Presenting Brenda with a Certificate of Appreciation is a great honour. We are delighted to collaborate with Brenda and the sea cadets. Their support has made the ferry crossing of the Thames a highlight of the Boundary Walk. It’s with pride that we jointly present Brenda with this certificate.”

The Boundary Walk is a fantastic way to raise money for your favourite good cause. Taking place this year on Sunday, October 1, the event sees hundreds of walkers raising thousands of pounds for their chosen charities as they retrace the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough.

Organised by the Rotary Clubs of Maidenhead Bridge and Maidenhead, it is a ready-made fundraiser. The route is fully signposted and marshalled by Rotarians and all participants have to do is register, raise sponsorship and complete the walk.
​
To register for this year’s walk see: www.maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk/boundary-walk.html

The sun was shining on Grenfell Park this Easter Weekend as Maidenhead Bridge Rotary took over the town centre park to host their annual Easter Family Fun Day.

Now in it’s 11th year, over 800 people enjoyed the free event helping the Rotarians to raise more than £1,800 which will be donated to Daisy’s Dream, a Twyford based charity that support children and families affected by bereavement.  The club also raised money for Foodshare by holding a special hamper raffle, won by Sue Ingram.
 
Children enjoyed the many activities on offer including bouncing like bunnies on the inflatable slide, having their faces painted, playing bar skittles and trying their luck at the coconut shye.  Of course the main attraction was hunting around the park following clues to answer the Easter-Themed quiz so they could be rewarded with chocolates.re
 
​​Families sent time playing and enjoying the sunshine, whilst decorating bunny masks, seeing how many marbles they could get inside a flowerpot under timed conditions and of course enjoying the many treats on offer.
 
A first this year was a new feature, pat a Pekingese, which say lots of children petting these adorable miniature dogs and learning more about pet welfare.  Although when special guest, Festival Fox, made an appearance, the small dogs weren’t the biggest fans!
 
For the second year running we were joined by MooMusic who put on several singalong play sessions that had everyone, old and young, joining in.
 
Event Organiser Adam Hunter, commented “We have had a great day with excellent support from the local community.  We’re thrilled with the number of people who came to enjoy this superb park in the centre of town and join in the fun.  Here’s to doing it all again next year!”
 
For more information and to be kept up to date about other events organised by the club please do browse our website, or contact Lisa Hunter by e-mail info@maidenheadbridgerotary.org.uk

A new interactive information board about one of Maidenhead’s best loved community events has been unveiled.
​
It is packed with information about Maidenhead Boundary Walk, a sponsored walk run every October by Rotary that sees hundreds of people taking part to raise money for charity.

Positioned next to Boulters Lock, near the start of the 13-mile walk, the information board features a map of the route, the history of the event, and interactive QR codes linking to the Boundary Walk website and a downloadable version of the map.

The Boundary Walk commemorates the centuries-old tradition of ‘Beating the Bounds’, in which the Mayor annually toured the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough, and the board shows where historic boundary stones can still be found. The tradition was revived in its current form by Rotary and the East Berks Ramblers in 1982.

The information board was produced by Eddie Piekut of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club as part of a Royal Borough innovation project.

He said: “The Boundary Walk is a historical asset for Maidenhead and something to celebrate. We hope the information board will be a point of interest for residents and help promote the walk route as a wellbeing activity.”

On its reverse, the board features a map of the old Maidenhead Borough and information about organisations like the Ramblers and Maidenhead Civic Society which have been involved in the event over the years.
Eddie said the Royal Borough plans to refurbish some of the boundary stones and route signage to improve year-round access.

This year’s Boundary Walk, which takes place on Sunday, October 1, will mark 50 years since the last official ‘Beating of the Bounds’ led by then mayor Euphemia Underhill in 1973.
To sign up for this year’s walk see www.boundarywalk.org.uk

Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club celebrated its 10th Birthday on Saturday, 19th November 2022, at CIM Moor Hall in Cookham.  The community-based club organised a fabulous and glamorous party for its members and guests to mark the special occasion. More than 100 guests enjoyed a three- course meal and then danced the night away.
 
In the 10 years since the club was formed, they’ve taken on crazy challenges such as the Thames Path 50k Walk in aid of Send a Cow which saw them buy two whole farmyards, The Big Climb – climbing the outside wall at Longridge 244 times, the equivalent of base camp to the summit of Everest, to raise money for Rotary Foundation and the epic 24 Challenges in 24 hours… 24 physical and mental challenges including swimming, Zumba, clubbercise, boxing, cycling, football and so much more.

They have also raised money for Children in Need, taking Pudsey Bear on tour round local schools, supported DASH, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, The Thames Hospice, The Brett Foundation, Daisy’s Dream, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Thames Valley Air Ambulance and so many more good causes.
 
Then there’s been their community projects, the flagship Easter Family Fun Day providing much-needed free entertainment for local families in Grenfell Park each year. They also organise an annual Health Awareness Day where they’ve saved lives offering blood pressure checks, diabetes and cholesterol tests.

Possibly the biggest contribution the club has made was through their Covid Response Project which saw them feed 32 families every week for over a year; and support more than 120 households with errands such as shopping, prescription collection and befriending, a project they are immensely proud of.

Lisa Hunter, Founder President, commented “When we created the club, we said we wanted to bridge communities, bridge cultures and bridge generations and we are still very much doing this. I am excited to see what the next 10 years bring and am very much looking forward to working with all the amazing members of the club to share ideas and take action.”

Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club is a proud, and very involved club within Maidenhead and surrounding areas. Their members are always willing to help local causes, often rolling up their sleeves providing hands-on volunteering, they’re passionate about and making a difference!
 
The club has also grown, with more than 50 members, all doing their bit to make our world a better place.  This commitment and dedication was recognised by the BBC in their “Britain’s Volunteer Army” program, hosted by Ross Kemp in 2020; and Lisa Hunter was also awarded a British Empire Medal in The Queens New Year's Honors List 2022, for her contributions in leading the Covid Response Project.
 
You're Invited!
If you're not a member of the club yet, then we’d also like to extend an invite to you and your friends to join us at one of our fun upcoming events to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved. 
 
Remember we’re a very relaxed, flexible and friendly club so you don’t have to commit huge amounts of time to get involved.  It’s a great way to meet new people, try out new activities and give something back to the local community.

A valiant team of volunteers from Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club and Ashfield MedComms, an Inizio Company, braved the elements to transform a forgotten garden at Richard Silver House, an assisted living home, on Friday 4th November.
 
Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club had been contacted by a relative of a resident living at the home asking for help to tidy up the communal garden area so residents, and their families, can enjoy the outside space.  Naturally they leapt into action.
 
Ably assisted by a team of five corporate volunteers, the team worked hard to dig out existing gravel, remove damaged weed-control fabric, empty and re-fill raised planters, dig over flower beds and re-lay new weed-control fabric and gravel.
 
Natalie Beavan, a volunteer from Ashfield MedComms, commented “We really enjoyed helping with the garden project at Richard Silver House as part of our Ashfield MedComms Make it Matter community action day. It was great to be working alongside colleagues and members of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club to transform the garden and get it ready for planting. Meeting some of the residents and their families was the highlight and hearing we were making such a difference made it a truly rewarding experience.”
 
The Rotary volunteers have already had a message of thanks from the parents of one resident, who says it looks "100% better"!
 
Event Co-ordinator Harrie Hayward commented “We were so pleased to be able to help and are looking forward to doing more in the future with plans to plant bulbs, plants and shrubs to give a splash of colour in the spring and summer months; as well as create a recreational area with seating and sun protection so residents can really enjoy the garden”.
 
“We also want to extend a huge thank you to the team from Ashfield MedComms who worked so hard all day and achieved so much – we really couldn’t have done this without them”, Harrie continued.

You're Invited!
If you're not a member of the club yet, then we’d also like to extend an invite to you and your friends to join us at one of our fun upcoming events to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved. 
 
Remember we’re a very relaxed, flexible and friendly club so you don’t have to commit huge amounts of time to get involved.  It’s a great way to meet new people, try out new activities and give something back to the local community.

Good causes were the winner on Sunday as participants in the Rotary Maidenhead Boundary Walk raised almost £4,500 for 23 different charities.

Despite poor weather first thing, more than 340 walkers of all ages signed up for the annual sponsored walk. Among them was Zahra Baharmal who completed two circuits of the 13-mile route after losing out on a place in the London Marathon, held the same day.  

Zahra, who works for tax accountants Craufurd Hale in Crown Lane, raised £1,605 for her chosen charity, Breast Cancer Now.

The Boundary Walk is based on the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’, a circuit of the boundary of the old Maidenhead borough which dates back to when the town was granted its charter in 1582.

It is organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Maidenhead and Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge which deployed scores of volunteers to man checkpoints and marshall road crossings along the route, which started and ended in Boulters Lock Car Park in Lower Cookham Road.

While most participants completed the traditional route around the town, others followed a 5km family route introduced to make sure the Boundary Walk is open to everyone.​

Many walkers brought along their four-legged friends, while other groups crossed the generations. 

Richard Poad, former chairman of Maidenhead Heritage Centre, completed the walk with his grandson Fred Brittan, raising several hundred pounds for the centre. The youngest walker, aged just five years old, was part of a group from a Cookham school PTA raising money for school funds.

The highest single amount of sponsorship was £2,104, raised by a group of walkers led by Rotarian Gurdip Bahra in aid of the Makindhu Dental Project, which provides vital dentistry to a rural community in Kenya.

Event organiser Eddie Piekut said: “In light of the very poor weather forecast the turn-out was respectable but a bit lower than previous years. The day turned out to be perfect walking weather, allowing for a decent amount to be raised for charity.

“I was proud when walkers said the day was a well-organised and fun event. It was great to see the town’s Rotary Clubs coming together, as well the Civic Society, and the East Berks Ramblers who assisted on specific parts of the route.”

Eddie continued: “Apart from Gurdip’s herculean efforts it’s also great to be able to provide organisations like People to Places and the Magpie Foundation with a mechanism to have fun and raise cash. The next objective will be to raise the profile of the Boundary walk route as year-round amenity for all the people of our town.”

Maidenhead MP Theresa May once again joined walkers for the start of the walk, along with Royal Borough Mayor, Cllr Christine Bateson, and Rotary district governor Marius Hopely.

Mrs May said: “The Boundary Walk is a win-win. People get out into the countryside for a great walk in the fresh air, but they also raise money for some great causes. I am very impressed that so many came out with the early stage of the day being wet and not looking very promising.”