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. Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today. We hope you enjoy reading it and if you, or anyone you know, would like to get involved with any of our volunteering opportunities, or attend one of our meetings, please do get in touch; and feel free to share our newsletter with others too.
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 Members of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary and Maidenhead Rotaract joined forces on Saturday to spread a little cheer this season. The team, all socially distanced from each other, created 114 hampers filled with festive treats including mince pies, stollen, biscuits, jam and of course no hamper is complete without a chocolate Father Christmas! The recipients of these hampers are the elderly who usually attend the annual OAP Christmas Party hosted by Maidenhead Rotaract, which sadly, but for obvious reasons, couldn’t go ahead this year. Other recipients are people who Maidenhead Bridge Rotary have been supporting since March due to having to self-isolate and were chosen as they will be on their own this Christmas. Lisa Hunter, event organiser, commented “It was such a lovely morning, working together as a team to bring a smile to people’s faces this Christmas. There was a real buzz in the room and I was very proud to be a part of it knowing that it will make a difference to someone locally.” The team have already had some lovely messages back from the 114 people they delivered hampers to, some of whom were speechless when they saw the gift on their doorstep, and that’s what it’s all about, spreading some festive cheer in what has been a very difficult year.
 This year’s Rotary Boundary Walk, which took place in a new ‘Bubble’ format due to Covid-19 restrictions, has been declared a resounding success by organisers. Nearly 200 people took part in the 12-mile charity sponsored walk over three weeks in October, raising more than £7,000 for a range of good causes. The event takes its name from the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ - an annual walk around the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough – and follows the same route. Usually it sees about 600 participants setting out on a single Sunday in October to walk a fully marshalled route with checkpoints and road crossings manned by Rotarians. But this year, due to social distancing rules, walkers were given a three-week window to complete a non-marshalled route in ‘bubbles’ of up to six people, such as families or charity groups. “We were absolutely delighted with how the ‘Bubble’ format worked,” said organising committee chairman Jim Howles. “With the Boundary Walk impossible to run in the normal way, having 200 people still take part and raise so much money for charity in such a difficult year is a fantastic result. “Lots of charities rely on it as a major fundraiser and we were determined to find a way for it to go ahead despite the restrictions. “We’d like to say a huge thank-you to all the walkers who took part and to the Louis Baylis Trust and Shanly Foundation for their support.” The Boundary Walk is jointly organised by Maidenhead Rotary Club and Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club. They hope that by next year it will be able to return in its usual format but are thinking about introducing a longer window for walkers who are unable to take part in the main event.  Maidenhead Rotarians have planted more than 7,000 crocus bulbs across the town to mark World Polio Day, on Saturday, October 24, and highlight the organisation’s ongoing battle to eradicate the disease. At the weekend about 30 volunteers from the town’s three Rotary Clubs – Maidenhead Bridge, Maidenhead Thames and Maidenhead – planted bulbs in parks and along roadside verges as part of the Purple4Polio campaign. In the spring these areas will be carpeted with purple flowers to represent the purple ink used to mark the fingers of children vaccinated in Rotary’s 30-year global campaign to end polio, which has seen the number of cases fall by 99.9 per cent. Once a worldwide scourge with 1,000 cases per day in 125 countries, more than 2.5billion children have been protected against the disease which is now endemic in just Afghanistan and Pakistan. This year saw a significant milestone in the battle when Africa was certified polio-free. The crocuses were planted outside Maidenhead Library, at the Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Garden in Oaken Grove Park, at Bridge Gardens by the River Thames, and alongside the A308 in Furze Platt and the A4 near Maidenhead Thicket. Project coordinators Nisha Chettri and Harrie Hayward said: “Rotary in Maidenhead’s polio crocus planting saw more than 30 volunteers from the three Rotary clubs working together to plant thousands of blubs to celebrate World Polio Day and highlight the important work we’re doing to eradicate this disease from the planet. “We can’t wait to see the purple flowers bloom in the spring, sharing an important message with residents and bringing a splash of colour too.” Working with the World Health Organisation, Rotary has directly contributed more than $2billion to ending polio since 1985, including thousands of pounds raised by Maidenhead Rotarians.
You're Invited!
Remember, 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 meetups 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. Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today.  (Photo: Maria Scavetta) Maidenhead Boundary Walk – one of the town’s most important charity fundraising events - will be going ahead in a new ‘Bubble’ format due to Covid-19 restrictions, organisers have announced.
The Rotary-run sponsored walk usually sees hundreds of walkers tracing the boundary of the old Maidenhead Borough on a single Sunday in October. But this year, thanks to social distancing rules, things will be a bit different. Instead participants can walk any time during a three-week period from Sunday, October 4 to Sunday, October 25, either on their own or in ‘bubbles’ such as families or charity groups. They can do all or just part of the 12-mile route, which is already clearly signposted, starting and finishing at any point along the way. And instead of the traditional method of signing in at marshalled checkpoints to get their completion certificates, walkers will be asked to fill out a post-walk form and take photos at key locations along the way. Everyone taking part is urged to raise sponsorship, and organisers say the Bubble Boundary Walk is the perfect opportunity for charities to replace vital funding lost due to Covid-19. Organising committee chairman Jim Howles said: “We were determined to find a way for the Boundary Walk to go ahead despite Covid-19 The ‘Bubble’ format means charities and community groups will still be able to raise much-needed funds at a time when so many are in desperate straits because of the impact of the lockdown. “The Bubble Boundary Walk is a ready-made sponsored event. Charities just need to mobilise their supporters to raise sponsorship money and walk the route – it’s that simple. It’s open to walkers of all ages and abilities and after months of lockdown it’s the chance to get out into the fresh air for a good cause.” There is a registration fee - £2.50 for adults, £1 for children and £15 for groups of 15 or more – which covers admin costs including route maps and completion certificates. All sponsorship raised goes to the walker’s chosen charity. The event, which is jointly organised by Maidenhead Rotary Club and Maidenhead Bridge Rotary Club, is also supported by the Louis Baylis (Maidenhead Advertiser) Charitable Trust and the Shanly Foundation. Full details about the walk and how to register can be found at www.boundarywalk.org.uk
You're Invited!
Remember, 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 meetups 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. Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today.
Therefore I’m pleased to share this newsletter with you all and hope you enjoy it too as it is packed full of updates and articles on all the amazing things we've been doing over the past couple of months including:
You're Invited! Remember, 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 meetups 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. Check out the list of upcoming events on the back page of the newsletter, if you’d like to join us get in touch today.  In this time of uncertainty and many members of our community having to self-isolate this is the perfect opportunity for Rotary in Maidenhead to do what it does best, helping those in our local community who might need a little extra support during difficult times. With this in mind we are formulating a community response team.
If you are concerned about going out and are self-isolating or in quarantine due to Coronavirus, Rotary in Maidenhead have a small number of volunteers who can run errands for you such as doing your shopping, collecting medications, posting letters and help walking your dog. We can even try to brighten your day just a bit by giving you a friendly call to help pass the time. Lisa Hunter, project coordinator and member of Maidenhead Bridge Rotary, commented "Our worry is that people are being told to self-isolate for two weeks and at the end of that we find out that they haven't had any food to eat or friendly support. We want to make sure everybody has got somebody to keep them supplied." If you have a need for help, or know of someone who does, please get in touch today (subject to availability) by clicking here. CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS It is times like this when communities need to come together to support each other. Therefore, we are looking for volunteers to join our team to help run errands for people who are in self-isolation or don’t want to risk going out. You will be paired with another volunteer and given the latest advice to ensure your safety. If you would like to help please complete the form by clicking here. ----- Ends ------ Rotary International is a worldwide organisation of men and women who volunteer their time and talents to serve their communities at home and overseas. Rotarians are people who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary is inclusive of all cultures, races and creeds.  What an amazing afternoon and evening of simply stunning talent. From dancing, to choirs, to opera, to Indian Dance to poetry, our young performers were simply the best at the annual Maidenhead’s Got Talent showcase on Friday 6th March. The charity event, organised by Rotary in Maidenhead, saw performers aged six to 22 appearing in a matinee and evening show at Taplow Court, in Cliveden Road. The event featured pupils from six of the area’s primary schools, two of the areas secondary schools, solo artists and a number of performance academies, totally over 500 performers! The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for performers in schools and local groups to get experience of being on stage and performing to a large audience. There’s lots of talent in Maidenhead and it’s something we should be proud of. A massive thank you to everyone who came to support the youngsters, to all the performers and all our amazing Rotary Volunteers who make the show possible. We're still adding up all the donations but it looks like, with your help, Rotary in Maidenhead will have raised £4000 to support the charitable projects we do locally, nationally and internationally. So a massive thank you from us! |
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January 2021
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